'Tis the season! Time to break out the Christmas tree and lights, and there's no better, more time-honored traditional way to decorate your tree than with a hand-strung garland.

And what better way is there to get family and friends together, than sitting around a warm fire or stove, sipping eggnog, eating Carroll's Corn, and swapping stories while stringing a dry popcorn garland!

What you need:

• 2/3 cup unpopped popcorn (let's stick to eating your Carroll's Corn)
• Medium paper bag
• Dried apricots
• Dried cranberries
• Needle(s)
• Strong thread, monofilament (fishing line), or even bright-red 4mm yarn (use embroidery needles for yarn)
  

1. To microwave the popcorn, pour the kernels into the paper bag and loosely fold the bag closed. Place the bag in the microwave. Cook on high for 3 to 6 minutes or until the popcorn has popped (the exact time will depend on the power of the microwave). It's done when the pops slow to a near stop.
   
   
2. Carefully remove the bag from the oven and open it to let the steam escape (an adult's job). Pour the popcorn into a large bowl and let cool. Open the bags of dried apricots and dried cranberries and pour into separate bowls.
   
   
3. Next, thread a needle with about 36 inches of white thread doubled to make the thread strong and a workable 18 inches long. Tie a knot at the end.
   
   
4. Choose a pattern to repeat, for example, two pieces of popcorn followed by a dried apricot, then two more pieces of popcorn followed by a dried cranberry. String several short garlands, then hang them on the tree.
   

And hey! Feel free to throw other things in there for color and variety of texture: gumdrops, jellybeans, Twizzler pieces, soft peppermint taffy, beads, sprigs of holly... you name it! And you can also first try dyeing multiple colors of popcorn (red and green are obvious, along with the natural color of non-dyed).