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How to Make a Coastal Farmhouse Wood Bead Garland

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Wood Bead Garlands are strung all over the place (hehehe) in cute little boutiques, home stores, and Etsy!  Today, I’m going to show you how to make a coastal farmhouse wood bead garland for a fraction of the cost!

two pictures of painted and stained beads in aqua two starfish with beads and tassels on white counter titled how to make a coastal farmhouse wood bead garland

HOW TO MAKE A COASTAL FARMHOUSE WOOD BEAD GARLAND

It’s early morning where I sit writing this post… 5:30am to be exact.  I’m trying to up-my-game by going to bed a bit earlier and waking up earlier, as well.

What about you…Are you a morning person or night owl?

Well, this morning I’m up early so I can share with you how I created this farmhouse wood bead garland… with a twist!  I went a bit coastal, too, and even gave the beads an ombre vibe!

If you want to check out another easy and affordable farmhouse DIY, check out how I made this Farmhouse Cake Plate from dollar store items!

Have you seen these garlands all over the place in home décor stores, cute little boutiques, AND Etsy?  I have… Anywhere from $15-$50!!!  I’ll tell ya, this girl ain’t gonna pay $15 for a string of wood, let alone $50!

I knew I could find the beads for a lot less, AND add my own style, so off to Pinterest (then Amazon) I went!

This post may contain affiliate links, at no additional cost to you.  For more information, see my complete disclosure HERE.

What You Need

twine jute wood beads in aqua bowls with decoart americana acrylic paint varathane stain on white table

Prepping

The first thing to do is mix the DecoArt Americana acrylic paint with a bit of water in a small bowl.  Watering-down the paint will give the washed-ombre look! I used a small fruit bowl and added about a tablespoon of paint with about 2 teaspoons of water then stirred it around with a small mixing stick.  I then placed one of the lint-free cloths near the bowl.

white bowl with aqua paint decoart americana acrylic paint white fabric and wood beads on white table

The second thing to do is cut a piece of twine about 3 times the length you want for your finished garland to be. This is your “bead string”.  You want to create a ‘needle’ at each end of the string, which makes for an easier time of threading the beads. Cut the end of the twine, at a slant, on both ends.  Then add a little bit of hot glue to one end and form a ‘point’ by carefully and quickly tapping the glue between your fingers. Repeat for the other end. (I’m sure you can get a big enough needle for this, but I didn’t have one on hand.)

Painting

Place your beads in the paint mixture and quickly, but gently, slosh (yes, I said slosh 😉 ) them around until they are covered in paint.  Then take the beads out of the paint and place them on the lint-free cloth, fold the cloth over the beads, then vigorously roll the beads around in the cloth to wipe off as much paint as you can.  They should come out looking like this:

aqua painted wood beads on white cloth with paint covering the cloth

Quick and messy… I’m all for that!  DecoArt Americana acrylic paint was SUPER easy to work with, and I loved the results!

Do this for both sizes of beads. 🙂

aqua painted wood beads on white cloth with paint covering the cloth

(This photo is actually after I stained the larger beads… oops!)

Staining

Using your large mixing stick (I used a normal paint stick), slowly mix the Varathane stain in the can (you don’t want any splashing going on).  Also, if you try to shake the can to mix the stain, some of the pigment may remain at the bottom, so using a stir stick is kinda important.

varathane stain with paint stick in can at foreground background aqua bowl jute white bowl bead on wooden stick on white table

When the large beads are dry from the acrylic ‘wash’ paint, take a small stick (my mixing sticks worked great for this, but a wooden skewer, etc. would work just as well) and put it through the bead. Then, using the chip brush, paint the bead with the Varathane stain (it doesn’t have to *completely* cover), and, again, quickly wipe it off with a clean lint-free cloth. (I wiped it off this time, as opposed to rolling it around… it took off more of the stain and left more of the ombre effect).

paint brush with aqua beads on white clothI did the staining on these beads one-at-a-time because I wanted to make sure I could wipe most of the stain off (this quick-dry Varathane stain dries 3x faster than your average stain).  I think it would have been more difficult to achieve the look I wanted had I used the same process as the acrylic paint.

How To Make a Tassel

I thought using cotton twine would give the garland a bit more of a coastal farmhouse look, but you can use jute, or any other type of twine that might make you smile! Hehe!

If you want to see more of my coastal farmhouse ‘feel’… take a look at the Spring Tour Part 1 and Part II of My Wee Abode.

  1. Take the twine and wrap it around your palm about 10-15 times, then remove it from your hand and cut it from the spool. Set aside.
  2. Take your bead string and thread one large bead onto the twine.
  3. Now take the bead string and put it through the middle of the bundle of twine. (See photo below)
  4. Next, feed the bead string back through the bead and pull snugly. You may have to twist and turn the twine to get this, but it does work. (Hint: I also left some ‘slack’ on the long strand and after putting the end of short strand in the bead, pulled through the slack to help feed the short strand through… hope that makes sense!) For added security, you can add a drop of hot glue to the bead where the top of the tassel will hit. The top of your tassel has now been formed! (See photo below)
  5. Add a tiny bit of hot glue at the other end of the bead, pull the small strand snugly through and clip off.
  6. Take another small piece of twine (maybe six inches) and wrap it around the bundle, close to the tied end. Then tie it and secure it with a bit of hot glue.  Clip-off the leftover ends. (See photo below)
  7. Now, cut through the bottom end of the bundle to make the tassely part (yes, I think a made a new word… tassely). Trim to the size you desire.  Ta da!  A tassel!

cotton twine with aqua wood bead on white counter

(This picture was taken BEFORE I figured out an easier way to make the tassels… just pay attention to the wrap part. 😉   It’s that 5 year thing again, peeps!)

Stringing Your Beads

Hint:  I took a skewer (for lack of a better word), and turned it through each bead before I started threading them.  This made it easier to get the twine through.

  1. Tie your first knot at the base of the large bead. Then string a small, large, small bead on the string, and knot again.  Repeat for the length of your garland, leaving a large bead at the end of the strand.
  2. Create another tassel for the end using the same steps in the tassel instructions above.

cotton twine with aqua wood bead on white counter

And VOILA!  We are done!

glass aqua jar with aqua beads and tassels on white table with books in background

glass aqua jar with aqua beads and tassels and cotton stems on white table with books on the side and sofa with pillows in backgroundStyling two ways…

white frame with printable that says i love summer and my tiny house candle holder with aqua candle white bowl with driftwood and aqua wood bead garland with tassels on white tableI actually love this vignette sitting on my media console.  Picked up about 6 starfish at HomeGoods… not one broken piece on them! Woot!

starfish with aqua wooden beads and tassels sitting on white table

Love me some driftwood, too!

white bowl with driftwood and aqua wood bead garland

Wanna know where you can get this printable????

white frame with printable that says i love summer and my tiny house starfish white bowl with driftwood and aqua wood bead garland with tassels on white table

You can get this printable, and all my seasonal printables in my free Resource Library.  Simply subscribe to My Wee Abode, and get the password delivered straight to your inbox, along with all the other fun offered through the blog!

So… this garland cost approximately $5-10, I got exactly what I wanted, and I have supplies leftover for another project or five!  Not bad, huh?

You could even make a DIY Fall Wood Bead Garland courtesy of my dear friend Paula from Sweet Pea.

Hope you enjoyed learning how to make a coastal farmhouse wood bead garland!

What would you do to add your own flair to this diy project?

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61 Comments

    1. Thanks so much, Pam! As you know, kind and encouraging words are always welcome! Hope you have a great week, too! Hugs!

    1. Thank you! I was really torn between the two styles. 🙂 But, I’m glad you liked the jar… it’s a fave item of mine! 😉 Love ya!

  1. OMG, I love everything about this! The two colors and the contrast with he jute twine is spectacular. I also really love your print! I need to go home and print it off when I get home 🙂 The bowl full of driftwood is a nice touch too! I just love coastal decor.

  2. Julie, I love this garland! I bet you could make one of those cute tassel necklaces too. I see a trip to Michael’s in my future!

    1. Thanks, Chloe… and thanks, again, for the feature today! I’ve added y’all to my Let’s Party page. 😉

  3. Julie, I made a bead garland last fall and loved it, but I didn’t paint or stain it. I love this approach and since my colors are coastal, I definitely be making this. Thanks for sharing the project.

    1. I’m planning on doing one for fall, too, Michelle! We’ll have to compare notes so we don’t make the same one… cuz you know… we’re twins! 😉

  4. This is such a cute DIY project, Julie! So practical for saving money too, it’s crazy how expensive those wood bead garlands can get when you buy them from a store!

    1. Yes… I was REALLY surprised at how expensive they can be! Thanks for the sweet words, Tiffany… I just saw this after saving some of your pins to my boards! 😉 Love your style!

  5. Oh how pretty! I love the colors, and the coastal theme is always a favorite of mine! Thank you so much for sharing at Thursday Favorite Things!

    1. Thanks, Pam! They were very fun to make… and actually fun to photograph! 😉 Always enjoy TFT! Have a wonderful weekend!

  6. These are gorgeous. I can just imagine all the different possibilities. I really love the way you worked with the paint to give the beads a watercolor feels. So pretty. Hmmm Now, I’m wondering what I can make with this technique. Inspiring!

  7. Julie those beads turned out so pretty! I love the colors you chose. I will be featuring this project today at The Creative Circle Link Party! I hope you stop by and share with us again!

    1. Thank you so much, Amy, and I’m so glad you enjoyed the post! Take a look at the newest ‘coastal’ post I just published! 😉 Let me know what you think! Have a great weekend!

    1. Thanks for coming by, Erlene! I would LOVE to see how you put a tropical spin on it! Feel free to share on my FB page when you do! Thanks for pinning! Hugs and hearts!

  8. Hi Julie!

    I LOVE how this turned out and can’t wait to try it! I’m gathering my supplies and noticed you indicated 16mm beads and 10mm beads, but the link for the 10mm beads takes me to Amazon’s 6mm beads. There looks to be a big enough size difference in the pictures that you might’ve used the 6mm. I’m just trying to figure out which one to get. Do you know which one you ended up using?

    Thanks!
    Julie

    1. You are an eagle-eye, Julie! Thanks so much for pointing this out to me, truly! I used the 10mm… I actually purchased the 6 and 10, but the 6 were way too tiny and I didn’t use them. Not sure how the 6mm link got there (I think Amazon may have changed the link because my order says 10mm, and it takes me to the 6mm when I click on it)… but it is now fixed! Thank you again! Be sure to come over to my Facebook page and share your finished garland! Hugs and hearts!

  9. I am glad to see your technique for how to color them without painting each one individually. I am definitely pinning this. I haven’t tried to make a wood bead garland myself so your tips are very helpful. Thanks for sharing at #HomeMattersParty

    1. Well, how fun is that?! So excited that your brought the party back, and def will place you on my party page! Just linked-up!

  10. You must have been peeking over my shoulder. I came “this” close to donating a gallon size bag full of wooden beads to a thrift shop yesterday. They have been in a drawer for years. I am a former Floridian and my favorites are seashells and many aqua accents. Definitely a beachy feel. This project is perfect. Thank you so much for your inspiration. As an artist I have lots of acrylics, but will have to acquire the driftwood stain. Blessings, Marilyn
    Instagram Marilynart2

    1. Oh, I’m so glad you found me and this post, Marilyn! AND that you saved your beads! If you read through the directions, I actually just watered down an acrylic paint for the aqua beads! Easy peasy! Can’t wait to hear and see your new creation! Hugs and hearts!

  11. Wow, no wonder this project was so popular! Your beads are awesome looking! Beautiful pics and great directions. Pinning for sure! Hugs!
    Hugs,
    Tee

  12. Love your beads. The colors are so pretty and I like the two sizes. I noticed that the larger beads looked darker. Did you use two colors. I only saw one mentioned. Perhaps I missed it. Please advise.

    1. Thanks, Vicky! I love the two sizes, as well. The colors are linked in the supply list. One is DecoArt Americana Acrylic Paint in Shoreline, the other is the Varathane Wood Stain in Weathered Gray (one is a paint, the other is a stain). 😉 Hope that helps!

  13. Thanks for the link to the hot glue gun. I have gone through a few I HATE – I need a new one that is recommended for sure! Ordered tonight – I hope I love it as much as you! Definitely making one of these wooden bead/tassel projects. Love your colors.

  14. This is so beautiful. love it, and pinned it as an idea to use in the future.
     Visited you on Sundays on Silverado #141. If interested, please hop over and come and share your posts with us at Senior Salon Pit Stop. See entries #29, 31, 32…. and navigate to the bottom of my page for SSPS linkup, we hope to virtually meet you there.

    1. Thank you so much for the kind words, Esme. I’ll be sure to pop on over to the party and take a look! Thanks for the invite!

  15. What a gorgeous project Julie ♥
    Thank you for sharing your coastal farmhouse wood bead garland DIY at Create, Bake, Grow & Gather party this week. I’m delighted to be featuring it at tonight’s party and pinning too.
    Hugs ~ Kerryanne

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