A DIY Christmas garland makes a fantastic centrepiece for Christmas dinner, festive table buffets, or to run along a shelf, banister or mantelpiece.
You can put DIY Christmas garlands in many other places too, from the windowsill to garden walls, making them hugely versatile to brighten up any flat surface.
So how do you go about making a Christmas garland from scratch? It depends on where it’s going and what materials you have at your disposal.
Here are some of the parts of a DIY Christmas garland and the items you may already have in your house and garden to make them from.
1. Shape and structure
It’s good to start with a semi-rigid structure to keep your DIY winter garland in shape. Lengths of thin wire are good for smaller garlands as they can be easily cut to length and bent to form curves.
For thicker garlands, consider a tube of chicken wire or similar. You could also use bamboo canes if you want to stick to using natural, renewable materials.
2. Give it heart
The ‘heart’ of your DIY festive garland is what gives it bulk and body, and greenery is the go-to option. Use sprigs of holly, ivy and conifer fronds, and sculpt into a neat but natural-looking shape.
If you want a garland that will last for longer, tinsel is a good substitute. Green tinsel gives the effect of evergreen foliage, or you can use other colours to match your decoration scheme for this year – purple and silver are on-trend and a great contrast to traditional green. Better yet, choose a plain pre-made garland to add your own personal touches. Unlike using organic produce, our pre-made plain garlands are reusable so you can use them year after year.
3. Add colour
Whatever colour you choose for the heart of your homemade Christmas garland, add contrast with elements like poinsettia blooms, baubles, ribbon bows and shiny stars.
Fake snow can be a cute finishing touch for windowsill and mantelpiece garlands – wait until your garland is finished and put in place, before giving it a light dusting for an authentic snowy aesthetic.
4. Light it up
Adding lights allows your homemade festive garland to double as night-time illumination. Battery LED lights are a convenient option as they typically run on a timer, so you don’t need to manually turn your garland on and off every day throughout Christmas.
Outdoor LED lights are designed to be relatively weather-proof, so if you’re running your garland along a garden wall, fence or garage roof edge, light it up so you can enjoy it at night too.
5. Tie it down
Whether your DIY garland is for indoors or outdoors, make sure you securely fasten all the elements into place – you don’t want it to fall apart if it gets knocked!
Again there are lots of ways to do this, from cable ties and garden wire twists (often known simply as ‘bread ties’) through to garden twine made of renewable hemp or jute.
Making your own Christmas garland is a great way to match with your other decorations and make good use of the evergreen foliage and winter blooms in your garden – add a few ribbons, bows, bells and some battery LED lights and you’ve got an eye-catching centrepiece for all sorts of places around the home and garden.
Shop the range of garlands at Bents today.