Lessons Learned from a Garland Rookie
I’m a major advocate of real fir when it comes to Fraser, Douglas, or Balsam Christmas trees. The same goes for greenery. Artificial just isn’t the same – even with Thymes’ diffuser.
So, when I set about decorating our first home for the holidays, I was intent on letting only the real deal into the house. You guys. If you haven’t worked with real greenery before, it is a daunting task. It’s also a very messy one. That’s why I’m sharing a few lessons learned from my first time decorating on my own.
First lesson: Measure before ordering.
This is so important. Don’t guess on this crucial step. You’ll want to get exact measures and then some whether you’re winding garland around the front door, a number of bannisters, or across a mantle.
Measure each area twice and then tack on two or three extra feet for good measure. Remember that you’re dealing with live greenery. It isn’t going to be perfect and you may end up having to cut out a bad piece or two. Or, you may find a small insect’s nest in one branch and nearly fall down the stairs running for the shears to cut that branch out. I’m just sharing my lessons learned here with you guys.
Second lesson: Order twice as much garland as you think you’ll need.
Once you’ve measured your garland, double it. Greenery tends to be sold in sections (25 feet, 50 feet, 75 feet) and it also tends to be a bit sparse. One layer of it looks great around a door frame. It may also work for you if you’re wanting to swag it like I did with this white pine below in a section of our staircase.
The straight bannister above worked beautifully for a simple and elegant swag.
I also used a single layer of boxwood on our smaller staircase leading to the third floor, framing it with a plaid bow on either side.
Boxwood is lovely and has that classic Christmas look. Ours tended to dry out much faster than the white pine and Fraser Fir pieces.
I secured my garland to the bannisters using a dark green curling ribbon. Most of the ribbon was hidden once I added the lights, additional greenery layers, and ribbon. I curled a few of the ends (pre-photo) so it would look a bit more intentional.
If you’re wanting a more full look for your garland, you’re going to need to double up. Consider the incline that you’re working with, too. The rest of our bannisters were super steep since we’re in a townhouse. This higher incline proved to be a bit more difficult and I doubled up on the first two bannisters as a result.
I draped the white pine around first, then added a second layer of boxwood. Finally, I filled it in with sprays of Fraser Fir. The result was beautiful. Mixing in the different kinds of greenery kept it interesting and multi-dimensional.
Lesson three: Decide on your holiday look ahead of time.
Before you head to the store for ribbon, think about how you’re going to decorate your home. You’ll want your greenery to complement – not fight with it.
If you’re going the “less is more” route, consider buying up a bit of velvet ribbon and tying simple bows here and there along the garland. The result is an understated chic.
We went with a classic lights and ribbon combo this year. Make sure you check your outlets situation before you start this.
Lesson four: Mist your greenery often.
This is also a critical step, and one I wish I’d known about before we put ours up. I’m planning on buying this so-chic brass mister for next year! Until then, happy decorating, y’all!
