Christmas décor can be as elaborate and expensive as you can afford or simply clever and creative for much less money but equally impressive results… This year, the “aha!†moment for Marketman, were these spectacular fantastic garlands made completely out of Christmas balls… At the mall a few days ago, I noticed the huge Christmas décor sections 
at Shoemart and wandered over prepared to be underwhelmed by a plethora of cheap Chinese-made imports. I am partial to more traditional glass and crystal ornaments and have invested a pretty penny over the years for our Christmas tree ornaments. But on closer inspection, and after scanning the prices, I was actually pleasantly surprised. The basic plastic balls were roughly PHP120 for twelve medium sized pieces and PHP90 or so for the small sizes. They looked surprisingly like real glass balls from afar (greater than 4-5 feet) and their metallic colors were impressively sharp. I decided to buy a bunch and make a couple of test garlands at home. I purchased about 200 balls, in medium and small sizes. Total bill was about PHP1800.
Back home, I mapped out the desired outcome, tried a few balls on medium strength fishing line, and left it to one of my assistants/crew to have a go at it. The results? Well, you tell me! I thought it looked simple, classy, holiday-ish without being over the top. 
On first glance, most folks may think I have lost my marbles and invested a fortune in glass ornaments that I have so casually thrown around our wall lamps near our front gate, but in reality, it cost a total of PHP900 or thereabouts and about 30 minutes of labor each (my assistant can actually be more meticulous than I am) and it will be reusable for years to come unless the color fades dramatically after a month in the sun. We curled the garland around the lamps and secured it with more fishing line. I think it looks far classier than taking some green garlands and hanging a ball every few inches or so. The color combination of red and silver also follows our theme of red, silver, white this year. If you are pressed for time, just arrange a bunch of these balls in a huge glass vase or bowl and place it on a center or side table… It’s beginning to look a bit like Christmas…
8 Responses
As always brilliant idea that was carried out well. So you had them strung together at their loop in a stagger fashion with a fishing line or each color and size was strung together and then put together in a twisted manner with the other color? Yours is very elegant looking I like them very much!Decorating to me is not how much you spent, it is how it looks. You can spend arm and leg but looks very cheesy.
Pretty, that surely look stunning from outside! Marketman, just be careful with the lamps. My mom had put some decors (glass and plastic) around our lamps before, it burned/broke. Our lamps use halogen lights thus extremely hot.
tulip, thanks for the heads up! Our lamps are long-life low wattage bulbs…hopefully they won’t be a problem… Maria Clara, it was just a pattern of medium and small balls on one fishing line…
wow you’re so creative! :) they look great.
I was just at SM today admiring the stock! Didn’t get any christmas balls as my mother-in-law got us some already but I did get the funkiest lights! Each clear plastic “bulb” is the size of an orange…it’s super kitschy and hip and I plan to use them well after the holidays are over (they would make an awesome alternative to a table lamp just strewn around). SM is becoming such a trove!
They also have jam jars…I tried making mangosteen jam and will be posting about it soon! :) Thanks for the inspiration!
great idea–looks fantastic!
i feel so validated, heheh, seeing this post. i decided not to use my metallic balls on the tree and strung them instead, the way you did with yours, but into a wreath and not a garland. the basic principles are the same, i think. i bought my balls (heheh)five years ago, and they are still okay: shiny and intact. made in china too, of plastic, for a little less than yours. i used a wreath form and a thin wire. and i had four colors: purple, green, gold, red. Merry Christmas, Marketman!
skymermaid…great minds think alike? Heeheehee.