DIY Anthropologie Inspired Gingerbread Garland (for under $10!)
Happy official start to the Holiday season over here at Entertain the Idea! I’m so excited to finally begin my Christmas and holiday projects :D We are going to kick things off with a bang this season with a super easy and fun Anthropologie dupe!
I’m a HUGE fan of all things Anthropologie. Like who is their buyer over there?? because they never fail to deliver the most stylish and swoon-worthy home decor items, especially at the holidays! The only thing that holds me back from purchasing one of each new arrival item is the frequently large price tag attached. While I can justify the price of some more timeless and extravagant purchases, there are also plenty of items on the site that are screaming out to be DIY-ed. And that brings us to today’s Anthropologie-inspired DIY project: the gingerbread garland.
I have had my eye on this whimsical little felt garland for a few years now, and when they released it again this year I decided I was determined to create my own version for less! And if crafting is not your thing — you can totally purchase this charming little classic holiday garland over on Anthropologie.com. But I found a way to make this sweet decor piece for under $10 and with a lot of supplies I already had in my craft stash at home. Follow along below for a tutorial!
HOW TO MAKE AN ANTHROPOLOGIE INSPIRED GINGERBREAD GARLAND (FOR UNDER $10!)
DIY Anthropologie Inspired Gingerbread Garland Supplies:
Gingerbread man cookie cutter — something like this (~$1.00)
Scraps of cardboard
Felt in shades of tan and brown (~$0.50 each)
Mod Podge or any type of glue
Paint brush or sponge
Utility knife and/or sharp scissors
Pencil & thin Sharpie marker
White puffy paint — something like this would work (~$4.99)
Tape
Red & white twine (~$2.99)
STEP 1: The first thing you will want to do is find a gingerbread man shaped cookie cutter. A lot of people already have this in their Christmas baking stash, but if you don’t have one you could also easily print a picture from google images and cut it out to use as a template.
Use a pencil to trace your cookie cutter shape or stencil shape onto some pieces of scrap cardboard (this is the perfect way to reuse some of your collection of Black Friday & Cyber Monday online shopping boxes!). Trace on the inside edge of your cookie cutter.
STEP 2: Using a sharp pair of scissors (and maybe the help of a utility knife or X-acto knife), carefully cut out the gingerbread man shape. You will need a total of 12 gingerbread men for this garland.
STEP 3: Next, you are going to repeat this step again but you will use a sharpie marker to trace out the gingerbread man shape onto your 3 colors of felt — a tan, a copper, and a brown. Again, tracing the inside edge of your cookie cutter.
Cut out the felt so that you are left with 4 gingerbread men in each of the 3 colors of felt.
**TIP: My local Joann’s craft store had the “stiffened” version of the felt sheets available. If you can find this version that is more stiff like a piece of cardstock it is much easier to cut out a precise shape.
STEP 4: Now it is time to attach your felt men to your cardboard men. Paint on a layer of Mod Podge (or really any craft glue) to the front side of your cardboard gingerbread man. Then carefully place a felt gingerbread man to the cardboard, lining up the edges as best as possible.
Once the glue dries, you can go back and trim off any extra edges of cardboard or felt if the two shapes did not fit perfectly together.
STEP 5: Once you have all 12 of your gingerbread men attached to the cardboard, it is now time to go in and add all the “frosting” details. For this, I used a white dimensional fabric paint. I started by tracing an outline around the whole perimeter of the gingerbread shape, then I went back in the middle to add a smile, two eyes, and three buttons.
Allow your puffy paint to dry overnight!
STEP 6: Next, you will need to cut out a piece of twine or string that is 72” long. Create a loop on either end of your twine and tie a knot so that you have a hook on either side to hang your garland (as shown in image above).
STEP 7: Use a piece of tape to attach the cardboard back of each gingerbread man to the twine, spacing them out about 2.5” apart from each other and leaving about 5” on each end. It is helpful to lay your twine out on the floor and space out the gingerbread men how you want them before you begin to tape them in place.
And there you have it! A charming family of a dozen gingerbread men to decorate your home this holiday season! A super fun afternoon project AND you saved yourself about $30 bucks in the process. A job well done!
I have my garland hanging across my stone fireplace wall, but this would look super cute draped across a mantel, a TV console, or even a headboard. And since the felt is backed with a sturdy cardboard material, this adorable holiday garland will be perfect to store and use for years to come!
You can never have too many garlands decorating your home! If you’re looking for another holiday garland idea, we shared this DIY Wooden Bead Garland a few years back that is perfect for displaying your Christmas cards as they arrive!
I am officially already feeling the holiday cheer, and can’t wait for more projects to come! Hope you’re enjoying the start to the Holiday season. Are you a decorate before or after Thanksgiving person??
xo Rachael
