How to Make a Fresh Christmas Garland Using your Garden Clippings

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Prior to this year, I had never made garland before. We have a couple of fake garlands that I use to decorate the inside & outside of our home, but I haven’t had the time to make one of my own. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever even bought a fresh garland. But after we bought an awesome electric fireplace this summer, I knew that I had to make a fresh garland for Christmas to help show it off. I will definitely be making this a new Christmas tradition of mine. It’s so easy to make & it blows fake garlands right out of the water. So, let’s get started, here’s my fresh Christmas garland tutorial.

Materials

• Evergreen clippings
• Twine
• 22 gauge paddle wire
• Scissors
• Ribbons, branches, bows, fake cardinals, fake gold coins, pine cones, etc for decoration (optional)

Method

1. Measure how long you want your garland to be. Cut your twine to this length.
2. Wrap the paddle wire around one end of your twine a few times tightly until it’s secured. Do not cut the wire.
3. Make bundles with your garden clippings, making sure that each bundle is about the same size. If using different types of cuttings, make sure to layer them with the smallest pieces in the front.
4. Place your first bundle on top of your wrapped paddle wire & wrap the wire around the bundle & the twine tightly a few times until it’s secured.
5. Overlap your second bundle slightly over the first. Be sure to cover the wrapped wire of your first bundle. Wrap the wire tightly around the second bundle & twine a few times tightly until it’s secure.
6. Continue to overlap your bundles & wrap them with wire until they are secure. When you reach the end of your twine, cut the wire & wrap around the twine tightly until the garland is secured.
7. Hang your garland in your desired area. Decorate with ribbons, bows, branches, fake cardinals, fake gold coins, pine cones, etc.

Tips

• You don’t need any extra decorations or different types of cuttings. One type of evergreen would make a beautiful garland.
• Hang your garland on your mantle, over your front door, on your stair railing, as a table runner, etc.
• Use your garden clippings to make other Christmas crafts. Check out my fresh Christmas wreath tutorial & my Christmas porch pot tutorial.

I’ve never actually had a fireplace prior to this year, so I would always decorate our entertainment center like a mantle. I would decorate the top with Christmas knickknacks & hang our stocking from there too. I figured that you look at the tv more than anything in your family room so the entertainment center is the perfect place to decorate if you don’t have a fireplace. But, as I said, we finally got a fireplace this summer when we were doing a bit of a home redecoration. We completely transformed a space in our living room that was pretty much empty. It all started when saw electric fireplaces being used on HGTV & it went from there. I did some searching on Amazon & found the perfect electric fireplace for an absolute steal, shortly afterward I found the perfect shelving unit to place under the fireplace & we decided to make our own mantle. The shelving unit wasn’t the color we envisioned, so I wrapped it with marble contact paper & it’s been a showstopper ever since.

Like I said, as soon as we got the fireplace I couldn’t wait to make a Christmas garland. I am so happy with how this looks in this space. I fussed around decorating it, popping in more bows & ribbons until I felt that there was enough red to balance out all of the evergreens. We also bought new stockings to go with our new fireplace. I am just so smitten with this area if you can’t tell.

Now you should head out to your own garden, prune some plants & make your own garland! Added bonus, it will make your house smell like an evergreen forest!