Along with balloons, streamers and confetti, garlands are among the most popularly used party decorations today. They can be easily bought from party supplies stores, but if you want to save a few dollars, why not make them yourself? You can recycle old materials you can find around the house and end up with something crafty you’ll be proud of. Here are a couple of easy garland ideas you can make.

• Christmas Greeting Card Garland - If you’ve got a bunch of old Christmas cards you don’t want to throw out, use them for this garland. Trace circles onto the colorful card surfaces and cut them out. Then, secure the paper discs to heavy thread, using a dot sticker and glue stick. You can hang these around your walls or put them in your Christmas tree.
• Baby Name Garland - Welcoming a new baby into the family? Use this garland idea for a baby shower. Get some paper plates, decorate each one with a letter from the baby name and then string them together. You cal also ask different people to write messages instead of letters . Hang it around the venue. After the party, you can also put it up in your baby’s nursery.

Decors don’t have to be expensive! Try these garland ideas for your next celebration. You’ll be surprised at how much you can save.