18 Christmas Garland Ideas
When it comes time to decorate your home for the holiday season, using Christmas garlands is one festive way to bring the season into your home.
Using classic evergreen garlands will add a traditional touch, but there are many other festive ways to make garlands for Christmas trees, staircases, mantels and more. Here are 18 creative garland making ideas to inspire you.
My Christmas decorations don’t have to be fancy or expensive, in fact I love when I see some innovative twists on basic holiday decorations, they inspire me to come up with something new for my Christmas tree each year.
Holiday garlands can be more fun to make as an adult than it was as a child making garlands out of construction paper.
Making a homemade garland is pretty simple and can make for a fun Girls Night In. All you have to do is gather a bunch of garland making supplies, a few bottles of wine, and girlfriends for a fun night of holiday cheer and creativity. Some eggnog and Christmas cookies might help, too.
Christmas Garland Ideas You Can Make
Garland Hanging Tips and Tricks
- To store garland tangle-free, carefully wind them around cardboard wrapping paper tubes or cut off a side of a cardboard box and wrap the garland evenly around it.
- Garland has more impact when it is doubled up.
- There are so many ways to hang garland on a tree, but I find I always go with the traditional way of draping it.
I have had this picture of the traditional placement of garland in my idea file for a very long time. I still pull it out every Christmas as a handy guide.
- A few years ago I used dried hydrangeas instead of ribbon bows at each peak of the draped garland. You can use anything, the important thing is that whatever you use is spaced evenly around the tree.
Have you decorated your Christmas tree, staircase or mantel yet? Do you add garland or have any clever garland decorating ideas? I would love to hear all about it. Do share.
More DIY Christmas Decorating Ideas You May Like:
- 42 Christmas Decorating Ideas Done In Minutes
- 7 Christmas Tree Lighting Tips that Will Make the Job Easier
- How to Make a Christmas Tree Topper DIY
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I use the technique shown in the old picture you have in your ideas file. My tweek is that I use ornament hooks “at the peaks” to secure the garland. I leave the ornament hooks on when I pack things away. The next year it is easy to adjust the location of the hooks to adapt to that year’s tree. It even helps in the storage, I use the hooks to hook the garland swags spread out onto a piece of cardboard. No tangles! (well less than without that technique, haha)
Thanks for the inspiration for new garland ideas! I am definitely trying the dried hydrangeas in place of bows next year!
Hi Gina – Such a great idea to use the ornament hooks to secure the garland. Both for keeping the garland in place and even better for ease of placement for next year! Love this and will be doing it from now on. Thanks :-)
I have always loved the paper garlands. They make such an I impact for such a small price. And Dollar Tree always has beautiful wrapping paper for only. $1.00.
Hi Sheryll – I agree… paper garlands are the best. Fun and affordable to make. What would we do without the dollar store? :-)
Every year my grandmother saved the beautiful Christmas cards she received to make bowls. She cut off the corners of two, turned back to back, so that she had a five sided scene for a bottom, punching several evenly spaced holes with a hole punch through both layers. Trim 10 others back to back in pairs to match each of the sides (slightly wider at the tops of each side). With a hole punch, make matching holes for the bottom and right and left sides of each of the 5 sides. She then crocheted the bowl together with a single crochet or other simple, short stitch. She used black thread, which makes the colors in the bowl really pop, but I suspect the color was really all she had most times. She gave them as gifts to family since she had very little money. They are unique, colorful and useful for pot pourri, or candy.
Thank you for the great idea. I have been looking for an idea to repurpose my late mother’s necklaces. My son just bought his first home and I plan on making the garland with some of the beads, alternating them with the styrofoam wrapped presents. I think it will be nice for him to use every year at Christmas to decorate his tree and remember his grandma.
Hi Diane!
I loved this post and included a link to it in a post about decorating Christmas trees today:
http://simplifiedbee.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-to-decorate-christmas-tree-with.html
xo,
cristin
Hi Cristin – Thanks so much :) I will come visit.
instead of garland, my mom used to put sprigs of baby’s breath in the tree. I loved this look!
Such clever and cute ideas! I love the idea of using cards… and all the food ideas. Thanks!
These are great tips! What I love about Christmas decorating is that there are no rules, anything goes. Every year I use my decorations in different ways to change it up. My fantasy is to have a tree in every room of different styles, but I never seem to have the energy or time to do that, oh well.
Hi Stephanie-
I agree with you that anything goes and it is fun to mix it up a bit and change from year to year. I have a friend who decorates 6 trees in her home every year – each with a different theme. This is the first year that she is re-thinking the number as it does take a lot of time and effort not only to put them all up , but to take them all down and packed away, too. I am a one tree girl!
Great ideas! Thanks for sharing them ;o)
I have my tree decorated, but know that I have read this I am going to use a few of my pearl necklaces to spice it up just a little! Thanks you
Carol
Lots of great ideas, Diane! I love those beaded necklaces. I’d even use those in a bowl with some ornaments.
What super cute ideas:):)
I am going to set my tree up tonight (providing I can get MrReluctant to help drag it up the steps)! I love all types of garland…beaded…feather boas..you name it. I had popcorn for years along with strands of cranberries on a kitchen tree. The popcorn I sprayed with matte sealer and it lasted at least 15 years. Thanks for all the lovely ideas. Would you believe I still have that book!? I keep ALL my old Christmas decorating books…it’s a sickness! Hugs-Diana
Hi Diana
Wow – you still have the book. I am impressed. Great idea to spray sealer on the popcorn. I will have to file that idea away.