A string of natural wooden beads with tassels is so popular for farmhouse decor these days. When I saw a container of assorted beads at the dollar store I decided it was time I finally make one, but with a twist. Instead, I made an ombre wood bead garland for Valentine's Day painted gradient pink. It's budget-friendly and easy to make and I'll show you how.

Gradient Pink Wooden Bead Garland DIY

It all started with a package of wooden jewelry beads from the dollar store. I found them a year ago with the intention of making a natural wood bead garland. But I forgot about them until a few weeks ago when I was getting set to make some valentine's crafts.

I also had four glass jars of custom gradient pink chalk paint leftover from the Pink Ombre Waterfall Dresser Makeover and the Ombre Valentine Heart Vase. I thought how pretty would the wood beads look painted those colors for Valentine's decor.

On one end I made a tassel with natural twine and the plan was to make another for the opposite end. But, I found something even better in my stash.

I did the happy dance when I stumbled upon two white wood hearts in the same drawer as the twine. The perfect embellishment for the opposite end of the garland. I love it when a project comes together so easily with things I already have on hand.

As I was getting ready to add them to the garland I remembered I had ordered some decor transfers several months ago and hadn't even opened the package yet. They were the perfect size to transfer onto the hearts and add a romantic touch to the banner.

As luck would have it, they had natural twine connecting them together so they were a perfect match for the tassel.

I swear, all these serendipitous elements fell together one-by-one without any effort on my part.

It's like the dollar store beads were saying,
"I've waited an entire year to become a pretty valentine garland!"

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how to make the DIY Valentine Garland, almost all of the DIY projects shared here at Interior Frugalista have step-by-step tutorials so why not get your budget DIY on and subscribe. You can also follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Here's how I made it

First up is painting the wood beads in a gradient pink color starting with the darkest shade.

I painted twelve 1/2 inch diameter wooden beads per shade, alternating the style of bead. I found it easier to paint the beads on a wooden skewer stuck in florist foam (it's all I had on hand).

The FAT Paint Company colors (not an affiliate link) that I used are Pink Cashmere, Red Barchetta, and Snow. You can see the ratios in the photo below.

Once the paint was dry I sprayed a couple of coats of satin clear coat to protect the painted wood beads.

While the clear coat was drying I grabbed two May Flowers Redesign Knob Transfers (not an affiliate link) for the two 1 1/2-inch white wooden hearts.

I removed the backing paper, centered the transfers, and used the brayer tool to rub the transfers onto each heart. Easy peasy and oh so pretty!

Next, I made a natural twine tassel. If you've never made a tassel you can find numerous video tutorials on YouTube.

Then I raided my granddaughter's Barbie bin for a little brush to separate the twine strands. Last but not least, I trimmed the tassel nice and straight and attached it to the bead garland.

The ceramic hand I displayed the garland on is getting a makeover. Unlike the song, this hand weebles and wobbles and DOES fall down. Makeover coming soon!

Thanks for stopping by the Interior Frugalista today! I hope you were inspired by this inexpensive wood bead garland idea. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below or the Contact Me tab at the top to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!

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