How to make a Christmas garland at home

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Drape over the bannister or across the table this Christmas. Nylon Rope

Looking to make a Christmas garland? Christmas garlands are a wonderful Christmas decoration that adds depth and charm to your Christmas décor, wherever you place it in your home.

While many of us opt to buy our indoor and outdoor Christmas decorations, DIY Christmas decorations are becoming ever more popular, with many of us searching for how to make a Christmas wreath and how to make a Christmas garland at this time of year.

Whether you choose to drape your Christmas garland along a mantlepiece, across your table or wrap it around your staircase bannister, there's nothing more striking than a natural looking Christmas garland.

Packed with evergreen foliage, you can combine the base of your garland with your choice of decorative pieces such as holly, dried wild berries and dried hydrangea blooms, as well as classic elements such as cinnamon sticks, orange slices and more.

Not only are they a great way to add some colour and texture to your indoor Christmas decorations, they can also make your house smell like a winter wonderland too.

Making your own garland is a great crafting activity to get stuck into this December and perfect for all the family to get involved in, as we edge nearer to Christmas time. Simply stick the Christmas tunes on and let the fun commence!

If you like the sound of making your own Christmas garland, Laura Gray from Gray and Greenery Floral Design has created a step-by-step video with us on how to make a Christmas garland, which only requires a small list of equipment and decorations.

She has also shared her advice on when to make your Christmas garland, how you can recycle the decorations, as well as how to compost your garland too.

For the base of a Christmas garland, you'll need some jute rope and twine, which are both compostable. You'll also need some sharp garden cutters or floristry scissors. Similar to a Christmas wreath, you'll also need a selection of seasonal foliage and your favourite decorative pieces.

Laura suggests it's very important to make sure you measure the length of your jute rope, so it's to your required length. Laura says: "If it's a table garland, you obviously want to check the length of the table and where your guests will be sitting, so it's arranged accordingly."

The best part of making your own Christmas garland is that you can decorate it to suit your own personal taste and Christmas décor.

In terms of seasonal foliage and decorations to use, Laura says: "I would look at gathering a mixture of pine, spruce, yew, conifers, and holly. For decorative pieces, I love a natural look to my designs so I tend to opt for cones, dried orange slices, dried hydrangea, berries and cinnamon sticks; these will make your home smell lovely too. If you also have any sentimental decorations that have been handed down to you, they would be a lovely finishing touch.

"However, I would also be slightly cautious about using too much berry stuff on a garland, because if it's hanging on your stairway, they're likely to drop as the season progresses and then they may get squashed into your carpet or floor, so I tend to steer away from them."

To make your Christmas garland last, Laura shares that it's best to make your indoor garland only a couple days before Christmas Day or your Christmas celebrations.

She said: "Slightly different from a wreath, an indoor garland has to survive around central heating and being bashed around a bit more, so I wouldn't make it in November and assume it's going to be fine by Christmas. Also, I wouldn't hang a stair garland on the top of a bannister in a perfect straight line, because people won't be able to hold the handrail. I personally like to drape mine down and between the bannister spindles, for more of a natural look."

The wonderful thing about a homemade garland is that you can compost the whole thing, if you're making it sustainably. Laura adds: "Of course, if you've added sparkly baubles or ribbon too, simply just take them off and make sure to reuse them again next year."

Christina is Junior Homes Writer at Good Housekeeping. You will find her covering everything from the latest Le Creuset launches to how to incorporate the top homes trends into your home. Her mission is to make sure you’re always in-the-know about everything homes and gardening! When she’s not out socialising, you’ll find her at the gym or on walks with her favourite people.

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