Things to Do with Popcorn at Christmas: Popcorn Strands

Stringing popped popcorn with fresh cranberries and then winding and threading the strings around the Christmas tree is an activity that many of us remember fondly from our childhoods. Making popcorn strands is also one of the easiest Christmas crafts. First, pop a large quantity of unseasoned (no butter or salt) popcorn. Since the popcorn is easier to string after it's dried and cooled, why not make a lot and butter and season some to share with the family, and use the unseasoned popcorn the next night for tree-trimming.

You want fairly heavy-duty thread, or clear 8 pound nylon fishing line, and a needle with a large eye that's easy to thread and handle, but not so very large it destroys the popcorn. It works best to thread the needle but leave the opposite end of the thread on the spool. Little hands will have an easier time of it with an adult nearby to thread the needle and tie the knots. Rather than make a ginormous strand to wrap around the whole tree, make several shorter strands with left over thread at the ends to tie them together.

There are two basic methods, both relying on a very long piece of thread with a knot at the end, and a needle. One is to alternate kernals of pop corn with cranberries; ideally, in some sort of a pattern, like six corn kernals and two cranberries, but this can be a challenge with little ones. The other method is to make strings of just berries, and just popcorn, then to twist them together, tying off the combined strand at the ends, before twining the strand around the tree. There's a good how to make popcorn strands article here.

It's a lot of fun to put cranberry and pop corn strands on trees outdoors where the birds can enjoy them; you might do that a special present for the birds and squirrels, or put the strands out for them to enjoy after you put the tree away.