3 Sensational Garland Displays

When Christmas decorating season is upon you, the mad rush is on to make the house appear festive and elegant for gatherings and family time. Garland is an excellent decorating tool that can be used in many different ways and provides a cheerful holiday decor. If you are looking for a great way to spice up the holiday decorations in your own home, there are three areas of the home where garland will make an exceptional display.

Banisters and Railings

Decorating the staircase banister and railing with festive garland is one of the best ways to tie the home's holiday decorations from the first floor up to the second floor. Begin by choosing garland that matches the rest of the decorations that you have planned. Some decorators like to use real pine boughs when decorating, while others prefer their realistic looking plastic counterparts. No matter what style you choose, be sure that you have enough to wrap around the banister and all the way up the railing. Measure the length you wish to cover and purchase garland in 2 to 3 times that length.

Wrap the garland around the banister, starting at the base. Wrap up and around, transitioning carefully onto the railing. In most cases, you will need to either wrap the garland very tightly, or provide some sort of support for the garland so that it stays in place. Green wire twist ties are an excellent tool and one that can easily be used to secure your garland in place. Once the garland has been wrapped around the railing and has been fastened off at the end, consider adding holly, ivy or pine cone picks. You can also hang real pine cones or ornaments from the railing between the rails if you so desire. With a little attention to detail, you will have a gorgeous garland display that enhances the look of your entire home.

Windows

Those large windows need some sort of decoration, and garland is just the thing. Hang garland around the edge of each window in thick, lush lengths. Realistic plastic berries can be added to the corners, as well as satin or velvet ribbons that match the rest of the home's decorations. While adding garland to the inside of your windows is a great way to decorate the interior, consider adding it to the outside to decorate the exterior of your home as well.

Mantels

Fireplace mantels do not look complete for the holidays without a lush spray of garland. Fresh-cut pine boughs make the most striking look, but they need to be replaced as they dry out. One of the benefits to using them, however, is that they smell fresh and can be easily tossed into the fireplace when they have dried. On the mantel, be sure to add a large center focal point and drape the garland around it. Pine cones, berried and realistic looking plastic poinsettias are great additions to this type of display.

Garland offers a relatively inexpensive way to decorate your home for the holidays. The type of garland you pick will make the most difference and will alter the look and feel of your home. After the holidays are over, artificial garland can be taken down and stored carefully for use the following year.