Popcorn and Cranberry Garland for Kids

A popcorn and cranberry garland is the old-fashioned Christmas tree decoration that kids still love to make. Kids sort and hand you pieces while an adult or an older child with a blunt tapestry needle threads popped popcorn and fresh cranberries onto sturdy thread. It looks charming on the tree for about a week.

What Supplies Do You Need?

• Popcorn kernels, 1/2 cup
• Cooking oil, 1 tablespoon
• Large pot with a tight-fitting lid
• Stovetop
• Fresh cranberries, one 12-ounce bag
• Small bowls, 2 or 3
• Sturdy cotton thread or quilting thread, one spool
• Blunt tapestry needle with a large eye
• Sharp sewing needle (adult use only)
• Scissors
• Apron
• Tablecloth
• Paper towels
• Damp cloth
• Zip-top bag
• Refrigerator

How Do You Pop the Popcorn?

An adult handles the stovetop for every step. Pour the oil into the large pot, add the kernels, and cover with the lid. Heat over medium heat, shaking the pot gently every 30 seconds, until the popping slows to a few seconds between pops. Take the pot off the heat and let the popcorn cool completely in the pot with the lid off. Warm popcorn crumbles when threaded, so cooling matters.

How Do Kids Help With Sorting?

Pour the cooled popcorn into the small bowls and let kids pick out the big, whole pieces. Set any unpopped kernels and any dark, burnt pieces aside in a separate bowl. Kids can also sort the cranberries, setting aside any soft or wrinkled ones. Put on the apron and lay down the tablecloth before handling cranberries, because the juice stains clothes, skin, and tablecloths.

How Do You String the Garland?

Cut a length of thread about 6 feet long. Thread the blunt tapestry needle and tie a big knot 6 inches from one end so pieces do not slide off. Push the needle through the thick middle of a popcorn piece, then through the center of a cranberry, and keep alternating. Kids can hand pieces to the person threading, which keeps little fingers away from the needle. An adult uses the sharp sewing needle when a cranberry resists the blunt one. Stop when about 6 inches of thread remain, tie a knot, and trim the extra with scissors.

What Are the Safety Rules?

The sharp sewing needle is adult-only, every time. Older kids may thread with the blunt tapestry needle while an adult watches, and no child handles any needle alone. Popcorn is a choking hazard for children under 4, so kids that age sort pieces instead of eating them, and keep unpopped kernels away from them. Cranberries stain, so wear the apron, wash hands after stringing, and wipe drips with the damp cloth right away. Once the garland hangs on the tree, it is decoration, so nobody eats from it.

What Can Go Wrong (and How Do You Fix It)?

Popcorn crumbles on the needle when the piece is stale or the needle goes through a thin edge. Thread through the thickest part of each piece and toss crumbled ones. Thread tangles when the strand is too long, so cut strands no longer than about 6 feet and join them with knots. A cranberry that splits on the blunt needle goes on the sharp needle instead, threaded by an adult. Juice on fingers means it is time to wash hands and wipe the work area with the damp cloth.

How Do You Hang and Store the Garland?

Drape the strand over tree branches, tucking it into the branches every foot or so, and tie the knotted ends around a branch so it does not slide. Join several strands end to end with small knots for a full tree. A fresh garland looks its best for about a week, as the cranberries wrinkle and the popcorn goes stale. Store leftover fresh cranberries in the zip-top bag in the refrigerator.

What Other Garlands Can Kids Make?

For a paper chain the whole family can build, try our paper chain Christmas countdown garland. For colorful chains from recycled paper, our magazine paper chains use the same stringing idea. For a natural fall version, fall leaf garlands swap in pressed leaves.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What age is this craft best for?

Kids ages 4 and up are the best fit for this project. Younger children should not eat popcorn because of the choking risk, but toddlers can sort cranberries with an adult watching closely. Preschoolers love handing pieces to the person threading. Kids 6 and older can thread with the blunt tapestry needle while an adult supervises, and an adult always handles the sharp sewing needle and the stovetop.

How messy does it get?

Cranberry juice is the main mess, and it stains. Have everyone wear an apron, lay the tablecloth down, and keep the damp cloth close for drips. Wipe hands with the damp cloth right after stringing so the red juice does not set on skin. Popcorn crumbs sweep up easily. If juice lands on clothing, rinse it in cold water as soon as you can.

How long does it take?

Plan about an hour, plus cooling time. Popping takes about 10 minutes, and the popcorn needs 20 to 30 minutes to cool completely. Sorting takes 10 minutes with little helpers. Stringing a 6-foot strand takes 30 to 45 minutes depending on the pattern. Hanging takes 5 minutes. Start the popcorn first so it cools while you sort the cranberries.

Is this craft safe?

Needle safety and small foods are the two hazards here. The sharp sewing needle is adult-only, every time, and older kids use the blunt tapestry needle only with an adult watching. Popcorn is a choking hazard for children under 4, and cranberries are small and round, so keep both away from toddlers. Cranberry juice stains, so wear the apron and wipe drips fast. Do not eat pieces that have hung on the tree.

Be safe and have fun!