DIY Fresh Evergreen Garland – Christmas Decor
Every year mom and I make fresh evergreen garlands for holiday decor. We love that they look different every year and bring life into our homes. Today we’re going to share how to make a fresh evergreen garland and how to make it last through the season.
SUPPLIES
STEP 1:
The first step is cutting your stems. We literally do this in the backyard. I have read blogs where they share what type of stems they are and I honestly don’t know. We just grab whatever evergreen is close to us. If you don’t have any in your own yard I bet you can find a neighbor or a friend that does. It’s pretty abundant so I don’t see you having trouble finding some.
What Stems Work Best?
Mom and I honestly never know what species of trees we’re cutting from and it always works for us. They all see to last the same and get the same result.
STEP 2:
Cut your twine or rope however long you’d like your garland to be. At one end wrap your floral wire around to secure it to the twine.
STEP 3:
Start adding your stems to the twine with the floral wire. I create small bundles with stems that are 6-8in long. You don’t have to worry about the floral wire showing because each bundle will overlap hiding where you secured the last bundle. You repeat the process until the entire twine is covered.
As you can see in the video, I had the bunches all going the same direction until the corner where the stems needed to go down. If you were taking on a window or a door as I did you could make three smaller garlands and put them together.
STEP 4:
Hang the garland and fill in. When mom and I hung the garland the sides looked awesome but the top had a few parts that needed to be filled in and secured with more floral wire. This was super easy while the garland was on the wall.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR FRESH EVERGREEN GARLAND LAST THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS
This is the biggest question we get through the holidays. People always want to know how long the garlands last. Honestly, we have not had trouble with them lasting. Of course, they look the deepest green the first day you hang them, but they’re still beautiful the day we take them down. People are always surprised.
We have never used an anti-desiccant before, but I ordered one this year to see if it will keep them green longer. Anti-desiccants add a protective waxy coating to the evergreens to slow water loss. We’re using a brand called Wilt Stop. I’ve also heard that spritzing them with water a couple of times a week is also helpful to keep them looking fresh and green.
I hope you enjoyed our DIY and that you’re getting jazzed up for the holiday season. If you watched the video you also saw mom and I made a garland for her fireplace! Next week we’ll be sharing a full Christmas home tour.
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below! I love hearing from you all.
