These Beautiful Beads and Bells
are a 6 foot strand of lustrous red and green Bead Decorated Country Holiday Garland interspersed with shiny red bells. The shatterproof beads are 16mm and the bells are just over an inch in diameter. On the bottom of each bell is a Christmas tree shaped hole for the sound to escape. Select to see a complete listing of our Christmas Decorations Ideas.
The Tradition of Garland.
The origin of garland making is lost in history. Flower garlands occur in many different cultures. Garlands were often made in Europe during the Middle Ages for festive occasions, and were part of many religious ceremonies. Often they were worn on the body, or made into crowns. Flower garlands also served the purpose of scenting rooms and common areas. Select this link to view our Decorated Country Holiday Garland.
Tinsel was invented in 1610, and was soon used to decorate trees. Tinsel garland was originally made from actual silver. It was beautiful, but prone to tarnishing of course. Attempts were made to use other metals, but with little real success. In the middle of 20th century, real Tinsel Garland gave way to metallic plastic and PVC. Most modern garland is flame and tarnish proof PVC. Check out our entire selection of Artificial Garland and Lighted Christmas Garland.
Beads.
A bead is a small, decorative object that is pierced for threading or stringing. Beads range in size from under a millimeter to over a centimeter or sometimes several centimeters in diameter. Glass, plastic and stone are probably the most common materials, but beads are also made from bone, horn, ivory, metal, shell, pearl, coral, gemstones, polymer clay, metal clay, resin, synthetic minerals, wood, ceramic, fiber, paper, and seeds. A set of beads made from Nassarius shells, which are approximately 100,000 years old, are thought to be the first known examples of jewelry.
Beadwork is the craft of making things with beads. Beads can be woven together with specialized thread, strung onto thread or wire or adhered to a surface such as fabric or clay. Select this link to view our Unique Christmas Ribbon.
