A realistic looking garland.

[loubielou31]

This year we will have to have a much smaller tree than usual and so I thought that a garland would help keep the greenery vibe and make up a bit. But I have no idea where to start.

Our tree is always real so a real garland would be lovely but I wouldn't know where to get one or how much they cost. Otherwise a really good artificial one. (And I imagine artificial will be lighter and therefore easier to hang).

Can anyone recommend please.

I bought a cheap garland years ago for about a fiver in B&Q.
I wrap battery fairy lights round and decorate it with live cuttings, yew, ivy, holly and eycalyptus. All can be found in our local church yard ;)

I tend to pop it on the mantle and add bits to it once it's in place, plus its easy to replace bits as they dry out (ours sits above a wood burner)

The final touch is florist test tubes which I pop in with roses - usually the day before I get 'creative' and get a spray PVA glue which is spray over the roses and dip in glitter so the petal tips are glittery, the kids used to smoosh them in glitter but are too old and cool now :(

I do the same with the door wreath so everything matches and use the test tubes to add real flowers to the Christmas tree
Costs pennies and honestly takes about 15 minutes to put together, the longest thing is gathering bits to add but I combine with a dog walk

you could also get a www.thebaggery.co.uk/item/43/oasis--foam-frames--ring and put holly, yew, ivy etc into it. that way it would be alive. also worth checking out your local garden centre, they usually have real ones.

Old house here, three fireplaces downstairs which I deck with what we refer to as the Festive Swags. Artificial bases, stuff added in three different styles, but the most important thing you need to know if you want to hang your garlands/swags below the mantelpiece in a graceful curve is to use butchers hooks forced onto the side ends of the mantel, with a supporting wire stretched between the lower part of the hook. Nice and solid.

Am I.

What a brilliant tip re test tubes! Thank you!

I actually want to hang it over a wide doorway. Not sure I'm artistic enough to wire in my own test tubes but I do like that idea. Festive Swag sounds like the thing.

I bought some basic garlands from The Range and have a few I add real foliage to each year and then a couple I've added fake flowers, lights, berries etc to over the years and it looks rather beautiful. I also make a point of going to at least one wreath making workshop each year which provides everything.

How do you attach the real foliage? Florist wire? Are there any good step by step instructions online anywhere?

Pinterest probably has something.

I use floristry wire. I also make table settings and a decorated Yule log with gathered foliage. I make it up as I go along.

TrickyD can you please explain a bit more about the butcher’s hooks and supporting wire. I can’t quite picture how the hooks stay on the mantlepiece with the weight of the garland. Does the supporting wire have to be the shape you want the garland to be?

I usually provide some unintentional pre-Christmas entertainment for the family by trying to hang the garland off the mantelpiece in graceful swags, with much much muttering and swearing because it keeps falling down when I try and attach it or I can never get it quite how I want it. Any tips would be much appreciated.

LoubieLou - I dont tend to use florist wire for foliage as mine is across the fireplace.
The wreaths I make from scratch using just a florist ring and wire - after a while it becomes so full you're just slotting things in.

I'd say experiment a little but you may find it easier to treat each piece of foliage separately, certainly any larger bits. If you take some wire, thread through the stem and wrap it around the stem (any flower wire video will show you this ) you can attach the wire firmly and then use the left over wire to wrap round a piece of the garland at the base like a sandwich tie!
You may find for lighter/smaller pieces just wrapping round like a sandwich tie would be sufficient.

This isn't an exact science - anywhere I look after and think I can see wire, or there's a bald patch I add baubles! (also with my florist wire/sandwich tie method)