Our Hopeful Home: How To Make A Farmhouse Christmas Scroll Wall Hanging

I've always loved Christmas scroll wall hangings, but hesitated to buy them because: 1) they can cost a fortune, and 2) I knew I could make one myself for way less!

kraft paper roll Christmas scroll O Holy NIght

Today my vision came together and I DIY'd my own farmhouse Christmas scroll wall hanging for mere pennies.

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gingerbread paper bag garland hanging on shelf

While I was making a gingerbread house garland recently, I had an epiphany: the roll of kraft paper from Dollar Tree that I used on this project would also work perfectly for a farmhouse Christmas scroll wall hanging! I've had rolls of Dollar Tree kraft paper in my studio for years and I was so ready to use one for this DIY Christmas scroll project!

For reference, I'm basing this project on 1) a blog post I wrote back in 2020 -- DIY Farmhouse Christmas Sign With Wood Bead Handle -- which you can always reference for more detail; and 2) another reverse transfer post I wrote back in 2017 (although that one explained the reverse CHALK transfer method) -- DIY Farmhouse Christmas Chalkboard Tutorial.

So let's get started!

HOW TO SET UP YOUR SCROLL BEFORE APPLYING YOUR GRAPHICS

I set up my scroll by starting out with a brand new roll of kraft paper laid horizontally and flat on the table. Then I pulled the sheet downwards toward me and stopped when I thought the "scroll" was the right length for my project.

You can then use either: 1) double sided tape or 2) staples to turn the bottom roll into a "scroll." This is what makes it actually look like a scroll! I used both -- first I used the double sided tape to adhere the roll to the paper itself so as not to roll up and then I added staples for added security.

supplies for DIY Christmas scroll wall hanging

SUPPLIES FOR MAKING A CHRISTMAS SCROLL WALL HANGING

1. roll of kraft paper (Dollar Tree kraft paper or Amazon kraft paper)

2. twine for hanging (Dollar Tree twine or Amazon twine)

3. stapler -- not shown -- (staples) and/or double sided tape

4. Sharpie Permanent Marker

5. pencil

6. painter's tape

7. scissors

8. Christmas saying printed out in Word (sized to your kraft paper)

HOW TO MAKE A FARMHOUSE CHRISTMAS SCROLL WALL HANGING

Before you begin you need to decide what quote you want to use, what font you want to use and how large the letters and/or graphics need to be. Based on the size of my kraft paper roll, I went into Word and created the words "O Holy Night" in the font Magnolia Sky, sized to 300. Then I printed them out (it took 6 pieces of paper) and set them on the table next to each other to see how they looked.

Here you can see a bit more clearly that only so many letters are printed on a page at any given time, depending on the font and size of the letters.

When you get to the 300 size fonts, it'll print out one, maybe two, letters per page. Then you have to improvise and cut the paper down so that you can tape all the letters together with scotch tape to form the words so that it appears that the all the letters and words go seamlessly together.

O Holy Night printed in Word for DIY scroll project

Next you'll place the printed words directly onto the craft paper to figure out spacing. Once you've figured out placement you just follow the reverse transfer method below.

REVERSE GRAPHIC TRANSFER METHOD

1.Turn the printed words or image you want to transfer face down on the table.

back side of letter O for graphic transfer

2. Rub the side of a pencil over the entire back side of it, making sure that you cover the entire word or image. Don't be shy -- the graphite has to be dark enough to actually transfer onto the kraft paper. If it's too light you're essentially wasting your time. Ask me how I know. The above photo is the back side of the letter "O."

3. Flip the image face up and place it where you want it to appear on your project.

4. Tape it down with painter's tape so it stays in place. Only use a small piece(s) of tape and don't press it down too hard. Remember -- you're going to want to remove the tape without leaving any marks on the scroll.

5. Then outline each letter or image with a sharp pencil, being careful not to press too hard and risk ripping the underlying kraft paper.

6. Now go back and "color in" the words or graphics with that sharp pencil.

O Holy Night pencil drawing on Kraft paper

7. When you're done you can pull up the paper (carefully!) and you'll have a faint pencil outline of the words or image to use as your guide. Gently lift up the tape and remove your letters/words/graphics template.

NOTE: I always make sure I have really clean hands before starting this project because, believe it or not, even clean hands can sometimes leave greasy prints on your paper depending on how oily your fingers are naturally. Sometimes I even wear disposable plastic gloves to guarantee no smudges.

8. Now it's time to fill in the words with your Sharpie pen or marker of choice! Make sure to put something under the scroll before you start coloring since the ink can go through to the back side of the scroll. I used a basic poster board from Dollar Tree to protect my table.

Once the graphic is finished it's time to hang the scroll!

pencil twine painters tape kraft paper scroll

Getting the twine through the top roll can be tricky. I came up with a work-around by tying my twine to a pencil and securing it with painters tape. Then (after carefully turning the scroll vertically) I dropped the pencil into the roll and it came out the other side which enabled me to then tie a knot, closing the loop.

Be sure that the available twine is long enough to hang your scroll wherever, and however, you want to hang it. You can always make it shorter later if necessary.

I hung the finished scroll on my vintage shutter turned candle sconce and instantly fell in love with the simplicity of the message and what it represents for the holiday season.

living room Bergere chairs shelves Christmas decor

I added twinkle lights onto the garland which you can't see in the daylight but at night they create a beautiful glow.

gold faceted glass Christmas tree gold candlestick

I'm aiming for more of an elegant, timeless Christmas theme this year, and nothing says that better than gold! The gold cut glass Christmas tree also lights up and looks gorgeous at night, while the gold flickering LED taper candle adds to the warm glow. It's from Dollar Tree if you can believe it -- and yes, I bought all ten they had on the shelf!

The candlesticks were thrifted, as was the garden urn.

vintage book bundles with frayed velvet ribbon

The berry candle wreaths are actually napkin rings I picked up for a song at our local church rummage sale.

I'm also very much into frayed velvet ribbons in muted tones this year.

two floating shelves on living room wall with Christmas decorations

octagonal mini greenhouse filled with LED candles

I picked up this octagonal mini greenhouse years ago when we used to live in Kansas. I've never regretted buying it! Depending on the season I can replace the candles with, well, just about anything! It has pulled Christmas duty like a champ!