It’s that time again, time to bust out your Christmas garlands and trees and deck the halls!! The holiday season is upon us and it truly is the best time of year! And as you prepare to decorate your own home, I want to give you my two easy “recipes” for making your faux Christmas garland look beautiful and more real!
In Southern California, it’s nearly impossible for me to decorate with real garland because it’s not easily accessible (aka expensive) and because it’s just too dang hot here. Even indoors, real garland never seems to last long. So instead, I’ve used faux garland over the years, both flocked and not, and I’ve learned a few hacks to make it look just as good as the real deal!
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Non-Flocked Faux Christmas Garland:
First up, is my non-flocked look. Here, I like to start with a base of faux cedar garland, and then add to that. In some places I add another type of garland. For example, on my mantel this year, I’ve added a pretty cheap looking pine garland behind the cedar one. But because it’s in the back, behind the cedar garland, it just serves to add thickness and a different shade of green. This in turn makes the entire garland setup look more realistic.
Here I’ve also added in some berries, pinecones, and some faux cedar sprigs as well, just to beef up the overall look.
But my biggest secret is REAL eucalyptus! I add it to ALL of my garlands because it really ups the real factor! I get my eucalyptus for $2.99 a bundle at Trader Joe’s, but you can also find it at Vons/Safeway, or even your local florist. It took me just 4 bundles (under $15 with tax) to decorate my entire stair railing, kitchen sink area, and my mantel with eucalyptus, so it’s a really inexpensive way to dress up all your garlands for the season.
You can see in the above photos the garland is a bit more simple, sans berries or any pine. But the eucalyptus gives it a really dynamic and beautiful look.
So here is RECIPE #1 for you, feel free to pin and save for later as you decorate!
Flocked Christmas Garland:
Up next, is my flocked garland look! You can buy your garland pre-flocked, or you can even flock an old sad looking pine garland yourself. This is my favorite thing to do because you can repurpose something you may otherwise have thrown out.
Last year, I flocked two of these prelit 9 foot garlands with snoflock, a large strainer, and water in a spray bottle. It’s so easy and a lot of fun! Then, the “recipe” is quite similar to the non-flocked version above.
Add in some fresh faux cedar sprigs/picks, fresh eucalyptus, and pinecones for a more natural and less faux look. You can top off your beautiful Christmas garland with some berries, like I did on my fireplace last year, or keep things simpler like I did in the kitchen space above!
And here is RECIPE #2 – again, remember to Pin this so you can refer back to it later!
And that’s really it! The more different types of greenery and natural elements you add in, the more realistic your garlands will tend to look.
One thing to note is that yes, the eucalyptus will dry out. However, fresh eucalyptus dries BEAUTIFULLY! It will last 4-6 weeks with no problem so you can always swap it out halfway through the season if you’re an early decorator. But if you deck the halls post-Thanksgiving, you’ll have no issue with your eucalyptus staying lovely all season long!
I hope you enjoyed these secrets to beautifying your faux Christmas garland, and that it inspires your own decorating this year and every year into the future!
I love your blog but mostly I love your home and your style!
Shirley that means so much, thank you!