The new Grapat Advent Calendar is officially here and with it the release of the first ever Grapat Wooden Ornaments. We were feeling so inspired by these fun decorations, we decided to make a loose parts garland to deck the halls (and our playroom) for the holiday season.
Explore the Grapat Advent & Ornament Collections
While we have Grapat bits and bobs coming out of our ears in my house, you can make this garland your own with chunky beads and wooden loose parts that are accessible to you. My 8 year old enjoyed stringing these loose parts several times over the course of the project. I plan to return these pieces to our loose parts tray in the new year, but love that they can now double as beads for any future lacing projects.
Gather Your Materials
- Loose parts like the mandala pieces from the Grapat collection or any wooden decorations from your local craft store
- A drill and appropriate sized drill bit (We used 3/32")
- A small table top vice
- Sturdy cord or elastic string
- Fine grit sand paper
- Safety goggles
Drill, Sand, and String
This project was pretty straight forward! Gather your loose parts and set up a workspace with your drill, table top vice, and parts. Safety goggles are a must because even though these parts are small, they do create a fair bit of sawdust.
Secure 2-3 parts in the vice and determine where you want to drill to create your bead. Using a small drill bit (3/32" worked for us but you may want a larger hole if you plan to have younger children string the garland), drill a hole through each loose part.
Remove the wooden parts from the vice and use the tip of the sand paper to smooth out any rough edges, avoiding the rest of the piece where possible. Once you have a small bowl of loose parts ready, cut a length of your elastic string or cord and invite your children to string along with you!
When securing the ends, I tied a secure double knot around the last loose part on the first end. I then pulled our stretchy elastic string taught, making sure it wouldn't have too much flex, before repeating the double knot on the other end.
Deck the Halls
Use your garland for a mini tree in the playroom, or pair it with the Grapat ornaments for a larger eco-friendly tree. Once the season is done simply cut your cord and return the loose parts to their homes in the playroom!
We're looking forward to turning this fun garland project into an annual tradition and can't wait to see what you all come up with too. Share your loose parts garlands and tag us on social media for a chance to be featured on our stories. Wishing you a warm and bright holiday season from all of us at Bella Luna Toys!
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