Are you envious of the gorgeous garlands you see on TV, in chic hotels, or even on your neighbor’s porch? Learn the secrets to making lavish evergreen garlands to accent your own mantle, table, and railing. After you forage for a few, easy ingredients, you’ll be on your way to professional garland making in no time! Following you will find simple steps for how to create a DIY garland from start to finish. Be ready though…depending on the size of garland you wish to create, you may need lots of greenery!
Items You’ll Need
Before you get started, there are a handful of items to track down. You will need gardener’s twine which is available at most hardware or craft stores. While you are there, pick up paddle wire (the green kind in 22 or 24 gauge thickness). Once you have these two items, go for a walk on your favorite wooded trail with a sharp pair of pruners and cut yourself some nice evergreens. You can mix multiple varieties or stick to one or two, your choice. You can clip large or small branches, just as long as you end up with an armful of material. Remember, it is better to have more than not enough, although, if this is your favorite hiking trail, maybe you'd like the excuse to go back for more!
Getting Started
To begin, cut a piece of twine to your desired garland length. This will be the core of your garland. Next, trim up your foraging bounty into usable pieces. I like to think of it as cutting stems into sprigs. Keep your trimmings sorted by type, especially when using many varieties. This way, it’s like using ingredients in the kitchen. You will also know if you are running light on one variety versus another as you go.
Putting It All Together
Start by gathering a few sprigs of each type of greenery into your hand, almost like a tiny bouquet. Starting at the end of the twine, attach the little greenery bundle by wrapping it with a few passes of the green paddle wire. Be sure not to cut the wire; just continue to use it as one long piece. Repeat by attaching additional bundles of greenery down the length of the twine, overlapping the bundle previous just slightly. Do this until you have reached your desired length.
And that's it! This same technique can be used with other kinds of greenery as well to create full, lavish garlands perfect for weddings, events, or just decorating at home. To watch a DIY video on how to make an evergreen garland, follow the link to my YouTube channel here. To keep your garland fresh for as long as possible, store it in a cool place when not in use. Since it is winter, you can even keep it outside. Practice with these tips and have fun creating your own garlands!