Christmas will be here before we know it!
Today I’m sharing a photo of last year’s Christmas mantle in my living room. I think it’s one of my favorites that I’ve done so far. One of the main reasons is the tiny white mittens I used for garland; I made those mittens, and garland, by using/tracing my little granddaughter’s hand as a pattern. It’s that memory, more than the mittens, that touches my heart so deeply.
I thought I’d share a few basic steps for creating your own garland, for the mantle, over a door, a tablescape, over the headboard! wherever you choose, the concept is very much the same.
Here we go!
- Choose your garland, pine, fir, mixed greens, real or faux. With command strips or small finish nails, tack securely onto mantle. At this point, if you choose, you can add twigs, stems with leaves, berries on pics, pinecones, by adhering with a thin wire to keep them from falling.
- Next, now that the greenery is secure, we add the lights. Tuck cords inside the greenery to hide them. If you add more than one type of light, choosing a different size and style of bulb has an asymmetrical look, which is pleasing to the eye.
- Now that you can see the placement of each light, it’s easier to add ribbon, or a second garland. Bring each item added forward on the mantle, or drape garland in layers below the mantle. Each piece wants to be seen!
- Your structure is built, now we’re adding the fun! If there’s any flat spaces left on the mantle, you can tuck in candlesticks of varying heights. I like symmetry, so I use metals that match, though the heights of the candlesticks vary, and I use the same color and height of candles to balance it visually.
- Do you have any left-over ornaments? Tuck ornaments tightly into the little pockets or gaps in the greenery. Secure them with a bit of Scotch tape on the bottom to keep them from rolling. Vary the sizes of the ornaments and place them at different heights in the greens!
You’re going to LOVE this!
Make it your own, use what you have or go outside and get some fresh greenery, twigs, dried grasses, whatever is found and available. Personally, I think that’s the best look of all!
Enjoy friends!
Happy Creating!
xx,
