One of the many great things about the country and being surrounded by trees is that you get to make your own fresh Christmas garland.  And goodness me, I clip and pluck and cut and prune to my hearts content.  I put live clippings everywhere!

Today though, I thought I’d share with you the easiest way to make fresh garland.  Even though I made it for our front gate, you can do this for a mantel, to hang over the door, or even above the kitchen cabinets if you’d like.  But for this post, it’s for our 16 foot front gate.

Easiest Way To Make Fresh Garland

Supplies needed:

• 2 – 6 foot faux Christmas garlands from any craft store (get the cheapest you can find).  I got mine from Hobby Lobby.  They are used to secure the real clippings and won’t really be seen.
  
• 2 – 6 foot decorative Christmas garlands (optional).  We had these left over from last year so I threw them in but they aren’t necessary.  Use whatever faux garland you like.
• Floral wire
• Pruning Shears
• Real clippings (some home improvement stores or tree lots will often times give them to you free of charge)

 

I put the dogs in the laundry basket that’s strapped to the 4-wheeler and we head out to gather the limbs.  I think they love it as much as I do.  They sit and sniff and I snip and stack.  It’s therapeutic really.  I can see why people love gardening but my brown thumb and I just don’t have that kind of patience.

Steps to the Easiest Way To Make Fresh Garland

Step 1:  Wrap the gate with the cheap garland securing it with floral wire.  If your stems are long enough, you can twist those around the gate and it will work just fine.  If you’re not doing a gate, just lay the fake garland out on a table and find the middle.  This is where I added the left over garland that had a few flocked leaves with pinecones but it isn’t needed at all.  It actually makes it look less real.

Step 2:  Start adding the live clippings.  The longer the clippings are, the less you have to add and the fuller it will look.  I use pieces about 20 inches long.  Work your way out from the middle when placing the clippings on top of the fake garland.  When you are pleased with the look, twist the fake garland stems around the real clippings to secure it.  If the stems aren’t long enough, use the floral wire to secure each clipping to the fake stem.

Step 3:  Step back and take a look.  If I have a bald spot or a place where one stem is standing higher than another, I simply secure another piece of the live clippings until I’m satisfied.

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That’s it, you’re done!  I also hung a fake wreath but added live clippings to that as well.  Top it off with a bow then pat yourself on the back.  You just accomplished the easiest way to make fresh garland in 3 short steps!

I also added these lights.  They are battery operated and on a timer so we don’t have to run down to the gate and turn them off and on.  Adding a bow was the last step!  We love how it makes this old rusty gate look good!

Ooh, it would also look even more festive if it were flocked.  If you want to see an easy DIY for that, click here.  Although if it rains and snows where you’re at, the flocking will just fall off if it gets wet so beware!

Merry Christmas!