by Pandora Hall

Created on: November 03, 2009

Almost everyone has childhood memories of making Christmas garland from construction paper with their family, but this year why not go green and recycle those paper bags, notebook paper or newspaper. Any preschooler will love coloring and creating their own designs for Christmas this year. It is also a good remedy to keep the kids out of your hair on and around Christmas so that you can get some gift wrapping done.

Homemade Christmas garland is made from colorful links of paper glued together to form a chain. Paper garland is normally made from construction paper which can be purchased at most grocery stores, discount stores and office supply stores for less than $4 a pack. Or if your family is eco-friendly and concerned about the environment you can go green this Christmas by recycling. If you have lots of extra paper grocery bags or plain or notebook paper, these items can be substituted for construction paper when decorating your bathroom for Christmas. Plus it is an inexpensive decoration for any home at Christmas time, especially when your family is on a budget.

To make paper garland rings with your preschooler start by cutting each piece of paper into 1 inch wide strips leaving them the length of the paper. You can save more money by making your own safe and non-toxic glue compound. Homemade glue can be made from 2 simple ingredients that are already available in most homes - flour and a little bit of tap water. Bend each strip so that it forms the shape of a circle and the ends of the strip are connecting. Place the next paper strip through the last ring and continue the process until your paper garland strand reaches the desired length.

Try to use the colors of the season like red, green, purple and even blue; use the other colors like yellow, brown and orange to create designs on your paper circles making each one different than the last. Links made from the same color can be combined with those from another coordinating color to create a larger Christmas display.

Hang the paper garland around the bathroom mirror or drape them from the curtain rod; just be sure not to get them wet because they will fall apart. Another fun way to use your paper garland rings is to hang strands of them from the door frame to the ground; this is my daughter's favorite way to decorate.

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