Garlands turned out to be the big hit of our party. I was surprised to hear Tanner say, "This is the funnest thing we have done. I love this!" Basically, if you can drill a hole in it or poke a needle through it, you can string it. We had a huge assortment of inedible and edible materials, and it added to the fun that a snack was built into the craft. The kids munched on marshmallows while they worked, and the dried apple supply dwindled seriously each time my husband and I passed by the bowl. By the way, if you plan to string dried oranges, but don't have a dehydrator, dry orange slices by threading fishing line or string through the rinds and hanging them in a window for two or three days.

Depending on what you're making your garlands out of, it's fun to string them on everything from heavy-duty thread to ribbon. Prep the strings by tying a big bead to one end and threading a large, dull needle (tapestry needles work well) onto the other. For manageability, don't make the strings longer than the kids are tall. Here's what we used to make the garlands.

CANDY GARLAND

Wrapped peppermint candy
Pretzels
Gumdrops
Life Savers candies (assorted colors)
Red licorice (cut up the long pieces)

NATURAL GARLAND

Dried orange slices
Popcorn
Pinecones (wrap twine between spikes to hold in place)
Cinnamon sticks
Cranberries

BEAD GARLAND

Wooden beads
Felt stars
Colorful buttons

TIP: Invite your friends to string garlands potluck style. Have everyone contribute a few stringables to keep down the cost and make less work for the hosts.