We love a simple, artful garland. Our favorites start with natural elements: found or foraged boughs and berries, dried leaves and flowers from a long-expired arrangement, or inexpensive stems from a floral shop.
Their virtues are many. Simple to make and endlessly variable, botanical garlands require little in the way of supplies (all of the garlands below require only a binding or stringing material, such as string or wire, plus a needle and scissors).
Small-space friendly, a garland draped over a mantel, hung in a doorway, or laid on a table will add a festive air to a room—and require almost no square footage. (We also like the idea of spending a long, relaxing afternoon with a cup of tea at home, threading a garland far from the hustle of the holiday season.)
Here are five of our favorite garlands to make this season:
Colorful Dried-Flower Garland
Above: An impressive-looking dried garland from Brooklyn stylist Shane Powers calls for buds and petals collected from several sources. “You want a huge variety of color; it just looks better,” says Powers. For his how-to tips, see DIY: Dried Flower Garland with Shane Powers.
Impromptu Garland with Botanical Bits and Pieces
Above: We fell for the artful, ad-hoc garland strung across the ceiling of Måurice, a tiny Norwegian- and French-inspired “modern pastry luncheonette” in downtown Portland, Oregon, when we featured the cafe interiors on Remodelista. Fortunately the pastry chef and the florist behind the garland shared their secrets with us; read more in DIY: An Artful Botanical Garland by Måurice in Portland, OR, on Remodelista.
Dried Fruit Garland from Holidays Past
Above: Erin strives for an old-time aesthetic with her DIY: A Dried Fruit Garland. “Make yours to hang for Thanksgiving, and add a piney garland in December,” she suggests. (Bonus: the garland can be made with spare oranges, apples, or pears from the fruit bowl.)
Lush Privet Garland
Above: Alexa’s two-step holiday garland is lush and festive but easy on the budget: “Make your own easy and inexpensive garland using whatever foliage you’d like: forage it outdoors, collect it from your garden, or pick up a few sprigs of greenery at the farmers’ market,” she says. Here, she uses privet berry for a moody effect. See DIY Video: Easy Holiday Garland for instruction; styling and project by Alexa Hotz.
Two-in-One Dried Hydrangea Garland
Above: Justine’s Dried Hydrangea Garlands for Fall offers two alternatives: one sculptural garland, and a delicate version where hydrangea petals are interspersed with beech nuts, shown above. Photograph by Justine Hand for Gardenista.
More in botanical holiday decor, simple enough for an afternoon’s work: