I’m kicking off the holiday season of inspiration with garlands – because this is always the first piece of decor to sell out! My holiday decor guide series will feature the best natural & neutral picks in what I consider holiday decorating essentials for you to gather inspiration, ideas, and even shop your favorites.
A lot of people wonder where all to use garland, if you don’t have a fireplace mantel but still want the season’s prettiest greens, and how to use them. My guide includes the best greenery, my suggestions for attaching, and the best spots in your home for each style.
MANTEL GARLAND
For mantel garlands I like a full look, nice draping with a really good, realistic brown branch. I even beef up my garlands by doubling up or adding a variation to the mix for fullness and dimension. These garlands are realistic, drape very nicely, and are full! I attach using a thin nail in my wood mantels. Nothing else holds near as well all season long for the weight I add to it. If you don’t have a wood mantel or don’t want to add a hole I like these large heavy duty hooks.
STAIRCASE
I love a staircase garland moment. The Norfolk pine and this lighter cedar option drape beautifully on a railing. Especially if you have a grand staircase; one positioned in the entryway, near a great room, living room or family room I highly recommend adding additional garland here for such a nice statement. I’ve recommended attaching with fishing line to get a tight tie onto the railing and cover with ribbon. Also, velcro ties are great for attaching without harming the paint/stain on it.
CONSOLE TABLE/DINING TABLE CENTERPIECE
A thinner garland works great for this to add a little visual interest to console tables, a table centerpiece or holiday tablescape. These are typically much more budget friendly as well.
KITCHEN WINDOW/PRETTY DOOR
I’ve added a thinner draped garland around my kitchen window for a few years. I love it for a festive view while doing dishes. It just adds so much to the space you spend a lot of time in as well.
MIRROR
A gorgeous way to display beautiful holiday garlands is over a mirror. Possibly one of my favorites aside from the mantel. A mirror is great in so many spaces because it has the effect of making a room appear bigger, more open, and ceiling taller. All great things to do when adding a little more holiday decor to your space. A garland draped whether asymmetrical or all the way around creates such a pretty look. I’ve used a thinner cedar that drapes nicely and then added varying greenery stems to beef the garland and make it fuller throughout.
PORCH/EXTERIOR
Most years I’ve opted for the real deal outside because I can handle the falling needles there. Indoors it drives me crazy and dries out incredibly fast over a mantel. I have a screw in my cedar columns near the top and I attach my garland with zip ties looped through the screw head. Hangs perfectly all season. I’ve tried outdoor command hooks and the heavy duty outdoor options work but with our harsh winters they have left marks on my stained columns.
TOOLS FOR ATTACHING
I hope this garland guide is helpful this holiday season! Be sure to follow along on IG here for more inspiration, decor, and holiday looks. You can subscribe so you never miss a post here as well – more holiday guides coming soon!
