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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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Original poster

Decorating the stair bannister - ideas

55 replies

kiwidreamer · 02/10/2013 18:03

Any not-to-expensive ideas around? I've love a garland, dripping with fancy baubles maybe potentially but I suspect that is going to be very pricey and DH would have a fit at that kind of money spent on Xmas decorations not that that generally stops me so does anyone have any inspired ideas for decorating the stair bannister tastefully I came up with tinsel on my own

OP posts:

HolgerDanske · 02/10/2013 20:19

Another thing I do is I put up all the Christmas cards in an attractive arrangement on the bannister (I use blue tac and just attach them straight onto the balustrades), with ribbons to prettify it, and sometimes a branch hanging along the top with some decorations strung onto it. Looks lovely.

HolgerDanske · 02/10/2013 20:28

Oh and a few years ago I made some little ornaments out of felt - just hearts, trees, stockings, stars and other such traditional items - embellished with beads and sequins and other bits and bobs. They were really simple (I've not done much sewing), just a running stitch around the edge and stuffed with toy stuffing, didn't take more than a few evenings to do, and maybe a week or so for the embellishing. They looked really festive and the sequins sparkled beautifully in the light from the tree. I just sewed a ribbon on to each one and tied one to the bottom of each balustrade.

AnneEyhtMeyer · 02/10/2013 20:30

I got our garland in Costco - it is two metres or so long, so long enough to go up the banister, and it has baubles, ribbon and cones already attached. It has lasted very well, this will be about the fourth year, and it was only about £25.

HolgerDanske · 02/10/2013 20:31

Argh I am hopeless for taking loads of posts to say something I could have very easily fit into one. Never mind.

Many garlands on ebay are only 15 pounds or so each, I'm sure you could get a really lovely setup for 50 pounds, including lights and extra baubles/decorations.

I've started looking on ebay for Christmas decorations now as I like to buy one or two per week to spread the cost, and there are loads on there.

HolgerDanske · 02/10/2013 20:41

I've had a quick look and there are some pretty ones on ebay right now

Depends on what you like, of course, but it's worth a look

HolgerDanske · 02/10/2013 20:44

Ohhh there's a nice fir one with little fruits and pinecones on it 2m long, £29.99

I want it for myself!!

AnneEyhtMeyer · 02/10/2013 20:44

I've just had a look at this year's Costco garlands - they are now £32.89 but are 9 foot (I thought 2m was a bit short when I typed it above!).

www.costco.co.uk/view/product/uk_catalog/cos_4,cos_4.9,cos_4.9.5/913255R?category=cos_4.9.5

AnneEyhtMeyer · 02/10/2013 20:44

Aaarrgghh!! Sorry! clickable link

HolgerDanske · 02/10/2013 20:47

Ohhh that's nice. And yes, 2m is a bit short actually, wouldn't run the full length of my bannister. All of these garlands could be added to with other decorations, if you wanted to. Much fun :-)

NoComet · 02/10/2013 21:23

OP, you want un breakable and themed baubles for stairs, so B&Q or supermarket sets are perfect. Lights don't have to be dear.

Decent garlands are, unless you are lucky £££ and a pain to store

Snowgirl1 · 02/10/2013 21:29

How do you fix your garlands? We don't have spindles - we've got a 1970s house with a 'horizontal' spindle. Anyone got any advice on how to attach garlands to one of these?

dementedma · 02/10/2013 21:32

Sad we live in a flat and dont have any stairs, let alone spindles to decorate.

HolgerDanske · 02/10/2013 21:54

dementedma, have you maybe got windowsills? Garlands would look lovely fitted along the bottom of the window. Not sure how to do it, though...

Snowgirl, I would probably try to wind it round somehow? And use string or ribbon to fix it in place..

fanjodisfunction · 02/10/2013 22:17

link how about something like this. A string of lights and tieing ribbon up and down the wire. If you keep the colours white for the lights and red and green for the ribbon I think thats very festive.

curiousgeorgie · 02/10/2013 23:40

Wow, I'd love to do bears on every step but I fear the dog would have an absolute field day as soon as we went out and we would return to an absolute massacre!

Anyone have ideas for decorating fireplaces? I always do the same thing with two stockings and some bells, berries & garland on top and I'm bored with it!

missmargot · 03/10/2013 08:40

Top tip is fishing wire- light, practically invisible and really strong so great for fastening decorations in place.

Vintagebeads · 03/10/2013 09:02

I got garland from Primark-I tied two togther to make the lenght of my stairs, and added balls (big box of 50)and some ribbon.It was not at all expensive.I got all of it from Primark and was surprised at how nice their stuff was.

Vintagebeads · 03/10/2013 09:05

snowgirl my mum has this problem she got stick on -clear in color- hooks.
They are the ones, where you pull the glue stuff out to remove them without marking the wall.These- but bigger- www.3mdirect.co.uk/p-541-6-x-mini-hooks-with-3m-command-strips-225g.aspx

MrsHoratioNelson · 03/10/2013 10:29

Has anyone seen any pine garlands that are not wired? I have some wired ones but they never quite sit right on the bannister. My mum has some that are softer, more like very thick tinsel (but not sparkly) that are easier to thread through the spindles.

Rubybrazilianwax · 03/10/2013 11:08

I use a think wired one for mine. Lights go on first. Then I wire things on. I would advise picking up a packet of florist wires, about £1 for a florist. Cut these in half and bend into a hair pin shape to wire things on. Easier than using a glue gun especially of you want to remove things before packing away.
-pine ones (which you can spray gold/silver or leave natural)
-dried apples/oranges
-cinnamon sticks (don't buy in the supermarket, a bag of the 20cm long ones is about £5 on eBay. You can break them up and tie 3 with rafffia or ribbon to wire onto garland, tree or to Finian off a gift wrap)

faux berries, poinsettias etc. You can get these anywhere. A berry branch can be taken apart if you unravel the paper ey put round the wire or cut with snappers. These can be wired on. Dunelm mill is great for realistic ponsettias. Those little candle rings you pick up in£1 shops can also be take apart.

Obviously you wouldn't put all see on, it would depend on the look you a going for. If rustic style, use raffia etc, or more glam you can add baubles in it too. Last year Tesco did a tub of e little mini baubles which look better than big ones on a garland.

For fresh foliage, fir branches, eucalyptus, holly will all keep for about a week before and beyond for a while. If you really want to go to town. You can ask in your florist for some plastic test tube holders. These are used to pack flowers like gerbera, they have a little suction lid on the top. You can add fresh flower head and fill with water it's like a little vase. But probably only mad obsessive people like me go that far.

Rubybrazilianwax · 03/10/2013 11:13

Here are a few stair ideas
this is just using snowflakes instead of traditional garland
a change from the horizontal I a tidally think this would look amazing done in branches of red dogwood. You always see this growing around put of town shopping centres or industrial estates
plain greenery this would cost nothing to make!

WhispersOfWickedness · 03/10/2013 11:35

Ah, I was going to do this this year! This thread has reminded me that we have cats though, ffs

Snowgirl1 · 03/10/2013 11:46

HolgerDanske sadly my garland isn't long enough to wrap round...but maybe this is my excuse to upgrade to a nice new looong garland!

Vintagebeads I think I have some of those 3m hooks somewhere - I'll give those a try if I can convince DH to allow them to be attached to the newly painted bannister

Missmargot fishing wire is a good idea too. I'm also wondering if those clear-ish plastic cable ties would be an option.

wheredidiputit · 03/10/2013 11:46

I use a mixture of fairy lights and on the shorter bit outside the kitchen like knitted doll children lights.

Snowgirl1 · 03/10/2013 11:48

Whispers we have cats too. I just use plastic baubles, so that if they do get them off there's no damage done. To be honest they're not that bothered about it - but I guess it depends on how playful your cats are. Do yours attack your tree much? If not, you can probably get away with it.

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