Learn how to make your Christmas mantel garland look full and fluffy without breaking your budget with these easy to copy ideas.
I love the big, full Christmas garlands you see in magazines.
At holiday tour houses.
On Instagram.
Or Pinterest.
But when I look at the price tag for those garlands, I just can’t spend that.
Even if they’re amazing and gonna last for years, it’s just not in my budget.
Besides, I like changing things up and if I’ve shelled out hundreds of dollars for a garland like that, my fireplace will be wearing it until I die!
So I’ve figured out how to give my inexpensive garland a boost for a fraction of the cost.
And the best part?
Besides it being budget-friendly?
It’s so easy to change up how it looks from one year to the next with a few minor tweaks.
For instance, you can see the basic garland is the same from last year to this year, but I ditched the red berry accents this year in favor of faux pears.
There’s another change too.
Can you spot it?
Get the details about that little glow up from October here.
Are you ready to learn how to get this kind of a look in your home?
Then you’re in the right place!
I’m sharing all my secrets for creating a custom-looking Christmas mantel garland with you!
Including the answer to the number one question I get about how I decorate my fireplace for the holidays.
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How To Create a Custom Christmas Mantel Garland
1. Create a Foundation
It all starts with a good foundation.
One thing that I did that I’ve loved was to give my builder-basic mantel an upgrade with a new board on top that’s a little deeper.
Since the garland ends up being very full and fluffy, I’ve also found I need to give my candlesticks a little boost so they can be seen above the garland.
Some scrap wood from the garage does the trick!
Be sure that the stacked wood is stable if you’re putting real candles on top.
It’s so important to keep it safe!
If you look closely, you can see a white “bump” in the center of the mantel, right under the mirror.
That, friends, is a command hook.
I attach three of the 3-lb hooks along the top of the mantle to help hold the garland in place.
The hooks are positioned at each end, plus the one in the middle, and are turned so the hook opens towards the wall.
I love that they’re removable and won’t damage the surface. But they’re sturdy enough to keep everything in place.
2. Use Two Layers of Garland
Wait.
What?
Two layers of garland?
Won’t that be expensive?!
Nope.
Not expensive.
Check out the garlands in the image below, and you’ll begin to see why…
The garland on the left is pretty nice.
It’s a mixed greens garland with a few red berries and large pine cones.
I’ve had it for 15 years, and bought it using a 50% coupon from Michaels.
You can get a similar one here.
But my secret to making my mantel garland look extra full?
An inexpensive, $5 garland that lies underneath.
It makes a huge difference!
Place that inexpensive garland towards the back of the mantel.
You don’t even need to fluff it up!
Now, the garland that’s going on top?
Fluff. It. Up!
Before you put it on the mantel, pull all the pieces out so the garland looks as full as possible.
Now, place your fluffed garland on top of the inexpensive one.
The garland that’s underneath fills in and hides any gaps that might happen from the fluffing!
You could stop there and your garland looks really nice.
But you’re here to learn how to make it look like your garland is super extra, right?
3. Add Unexpected Greenery
Now it’s time to get creative.
Who says all the greenery you use at Christmas needs to be some sort of evergreen or pine?
Not me!
In fact, I use greenery stems in my garland that I use in other places in my home throughout the year.
Eucalyptus.
Magnolia leaves.
Lambs ear.
Olive tree branches.
Boxwood.
I’ve used them all!
They add texture, and more importantly, a variety of colors.
This year, I used just three: eucalyptus, magnolia leaves, and lambs ear.
When you add the eucalyptus, change the direction when you tuck each piece in.
Have some pointing up, some pointing down, some going to the left, and some to the right.
I love how the blue-green color looks, don’t you?
Next, I used faux magnolia leaves.
I got this bush from Hobby Lobby at a discount and separated it into individual leaves.
Tuck these leaves in the same way: change direction for each one.
But!
Be sure to tuck them in so lots of the brown undersides show.
Go ahead and tuck in some of the lambs ear sprigs too.
I only had a few sprigs, but their velvety texture and grayish-green color really do add a little something extra.
You could even use clippings from shrubs around your home to make it even more budget-friendly!
4. Add Some Spiller
When you create a container garden, the general rule of thumb is to use three kinds of plants: a thriller, a filler, and a spiller.
So far we’ve mostly been creating the filler layer of your Christmas mantel garland.
Now, it’s time for some spiller!
You’ll need to use a floral stem instead of a pick.
The floral stem is long enough to be able to spill over the front of your mantel.
I’m loving this stem I found at Michaels.
It drapes nicely and it has some mini pinecones.
Simply tuck the long stems under the garland you’ve already created.
I had to bend the long stems for the ones along the front of the fireplace.
5. Don’t Forget Extra Color and Texture
Now it’s time for the thriller part of your Christmas mantel display!
This is the part that’s easy and affordable to change from one year to the next.
You can change your color scheme by adding different colored berries or other floral stems.
I’ve been seeing some gorgeous mantels featuring roses and peonies recently.
This year, I was inspired by the colors in my Christmas stockings, and decided to use gorgeous golden pears.
You can see how I hung the stockings here.
I used faux pears that I’ve used to decorate for spring, summer, and fall!
The star of my fireplace at Christmas is really the garland, but I love adding a little sparkle with candles.
My collection of vintage brass candlesticks complements the golden colors of the pears.
While I love the look of real candles, I’m leaning towards these super realistic faux candles since they’re so much safer.
6. Light It Up!
The number one question I got about my Christmas mantel garland last year was about the lights.
Aren’t they fabulous?
I didn’t want the wires to be overly visible, so micro lights were the way I wanted to go.
When I found this set of lights designed for Christmas trees, I knew it was exactly what I wanted to use!
It has 16 wires with 42 micro lights on each wire. The wires are all connected at one end.
The end with all the connected wires is in the center of the mantel, and the wires are split equally on each side of the fireplace.
I love that the wires are thin and easily bendable!
It was so easy to wrap each wire around all the little branches and stems.
Even though the wires may stick up a tiny bit, they blend perfectly into the greenery of the mantel garland.
And when the lights are on, all you notice is the way the whole garland sparkles!
Creating a Christmas mantel that’s truly the focal point of your space is simple and budget-friendly when you customize an inexpensive garland.
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If you have any questions or suggestions, contact me or leave a comment!
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