It’s starting to be graduation time, and I’m ever so grateful that I have access to several thousand dollars of software and hundreds of thousands of dollars in printing equipment.
But I really don’t need it.
Here’s the simplest and cheapest way I know of to create a super easy graduation garland. This post looks like it is a lot of steps, but once you see the pattern, it’s super easy, and it’s not just limited to a graduation theme. You can make pretty much any garland this way.
You will need:
- A computer with internet access. I bet this can be done on a tablet, but I haven’t tried, and I don’t have the patience or the eyesight to try this on a phone but if you are brave, go for it.
- A printer
- Some string (dental floss works in a pinch)
- A stapler (tape would also work)
- A Canva account.
Canva is a free online design program. They don’t know I exist, I’m not a paid ambassador, and there are no affiliate links in this post. If you don’t have an account, sign up for one, and once you are logged in, look on the home page for this across the top:
and click on the Print Production Icon.
In the next window that opens, choose Flyer from the choices.
A blank flyer sheet will open.
On the left hand side, find the word Elements and click on it, and then click on the Rectangle element.
Don’t spend any time looking for a “good” one. We are using it for sizing, and we are going to delete it at the end.
A square will appear on the flyer, and then across the top, find the Position button and click it.
Change the dimensions and position as shown here (you are making a rectangle a quarter of the size of the sheet and positioning it in the upper left corner.
Then go back to the elements and find whatever image you want to use in the garland. The elements that have a crown on them required a paid upgrade, so don’t choose them. You can enter search terms to narrow down the elements, or if you are feeling super brave you can upload your own art (but I’m going super simple here, so I’m not detailing how to do that).
Once you find an element you like, click on it and it will appear on your flyer.
Grab the corner of the element and resize it so it fits in the rectangle we made earlier, and do yourself a favor by not coming super close to the edges. You’ll also want to place it in the center of that rectangle; as you move it around you’ll see the crosshairs show you when you are in position.
With that element still selected, click the Position button again and in the Rotate box, enter 180. This flips the image upside down. Trust me.
Select everything, and when you do a small set of icons appear below the selection. Choose the + icon and a duplicate copy will be made. Drag that to the upper right corner. Choose the + icon and again and drag the new duplicate to the lower left corner, and then one more time – click the + icon and drag that duplicate to the lower right corner.
Now select the element in the lower left corner and click the Position button at the top of the screen and change the Rotate to 0 degrees. Do this again to the element in the lower right corner.
If you’ve done this correctly, you should have four quadrants, all with the same element, two upside down at the top, two rightside up at the bottom.
Select the rectangles behind the elements and delete them.
Declare yourself a designer and take a bow!
To finish this project, choose Share from the menu, and from that menu choose Download.
Change the format to PDF and click the purple download bar. Eventually a dialog box will come up asking you where to save your masterpiece.
Save it somewhere you can find again and once it has downloaded, find that art and double click it – Adobe Acrobat should start up. If somehow you are the only person in the world that does not have Acrobat, it’s free here:
Print the document by adjusting the setup however your printer requires. Be sure to choose 100% so that the full size letter page prints full size letter on your sheet. Print as many sheets are you need to get enough parts for your garland (each sheet is going to make two).
Fold each sheet in half lengthwise, and then using whatever method you like, cut it in half on that line. Repeat for all the sheets.
Cut a length of string or dental floss as long as you want the garland to be; don’t forget to leave extra for the ends to tie into loops to go over the nails, pins, command strips, etc. for mounting.
Fold each half sheet over the string and staple at the bottom. Hang the garland and gently adjust the artwork as needed to appear balanced.
