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Post Info TOPIC: Tips on making Christmas garland for the mantle


Frozen Sucks!

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Tips on making Christmas garland for the mantle
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I have lots of holly bushes with berries, vine type bushes with berries and pines.  I've decided I want to try to make my own mantle garland.  Any tips?  Suggestions?



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Use some florist wire or twist ties to bind them together and then wrap a string of lights around it.

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"O Come Let Us Adore Him" Rustic Christmas Mantle.. with reclaimed pallet wood sign and burlap garland.:



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Decorating idea for Christmas with beautiful mantel ornament garland--include your kids in the decorating to start a Christmas tradition:



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Here is how I do it:

Gather all supplies. Usually will require at least 5 separate trips to the store. Find a picture you like on the Internet. Spend 3 hours staring at picture and making a total mess trying to recreate it. Finally give up, go out to dinner and stop to buy garland on the way home.

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Divine Geek wrote:

Here is how I do it:

Gather all supplies. Usually will require at least 5 separate trips to the store. Find a picture you like on the Internet. Spend 3 hours staring at picture and making a total mess trying to recreate it. Finally give up, go out to dinner and stop to buy garland on the way home.


  X 1,000



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Itty bitty's Grammy

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Southern_Belle wrote:
Divine Geek wrote:

Here is how I do it:

Gather all supplies. Usually will require at least 5 separate trips to the store. Find a picture you like on the Internet. Spend 3 hours staring at picture and making a total mess trying to recreate it. Finally give up, go out to dinner and stop to buy garland on the way home.


  X 1,000


 You forgot to buy wine!

flan



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Frozen Sucks!

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Divine Geek wrote:

Here is how I do it:

Gather all supplies. Usually will require at least 5 separate trips to the store. Find a picture you like on the Internet. Spend 3 hours staring at picture and making a total mess trying to recreate it. Finally give up, go out to dinner and stop to buy garland on the way home.


   that is probably what will happen.



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Southern_Belle wrote:

Use some florist wire or twist ties to bind them together and then wrap a string of lights around it.


 Does Lowe's sell that wire?  I do not want to go near the mall; reference other thread. I would love to do lights, but I don't have an outlet near the fireplace, at least not one where I can hide the cord.



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I know what to do_sometimes wrote:
Divine Geek wrote:

Here is how I do it:

Gather all supplies. Usually will require at least 5 separate trips to the store. Find a picture you like on the Internet. Spend 3 hours staring at picture and making a total mess trying to recreate it. Finally give up, go out to dinner and stop to buy garland on the way home.


   that is probably what will happen.


 I always have grand plans and good intentions. And instead I end up gluing myself to something or glitter painting the dog



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You can buy a nice garland and add some lights and other things to it. You probably have extra anyways.

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Divine Geek wrote:
I know what to do_sometimes wrote:
Divine Geek wrote:

Here is how I do it:

Gather all supplies. Usually will require at least 5 separate trips to the store. Find a picture you like on the Internet. Spend 3 hours staring at picture and making a total mess trying to recreate it. Finally give up, go out to dinner and stop to buy garland on the way home.


   that is probably what will happen.


 I always have grand plans and good intentions. And instead I end up gluing myself to something or glitter painting the dog


 I glue myself to myself, lol.



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I know what to do_sometimes wrote:
Southern_Belle wrote:

Use some florist wire or twist ties to bind them together and then wrap a string of lights around it.


 Does Lowe's sell that wire?  I do not want to go near the mall; reference other thread. I would love to do lights, but I don't have an outlet near the fireplace, at least not one where I can hide the cord.


 It probably won't be called florist wire, but they will have something similar. You want a sturdy but bendable gage of wire

 

edited to fix the stupid autocorrect grrr



-- Edited by Divine Geek on Sunday 29th of November 2015 10:59:48 AM

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You can also get battery powered string of lights. If you don't have an outlet

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Lowes probably has battery operated lights. Go to hardware section and ask them for some thin wire.

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Lol, DG.

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Southern_Belle wrote:

Lowes probably has battery operated lights. Go to hardware section and ask them for some thin wire.


 Ok but if I do this and I fail, I will not be posting pics. You all will be relentless in your mocking.



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I know what to do_sometimes wrote:
Southern_Belle wrote:

Lowes probably has battery operated lights. Go to hardware section and ask them for some thin wire.


 Ok but if I do this and I fail, I will not be posting pics. You all will be relentless in your mocking.


 We can just start mocking you now. So then the mocking of your epic fail won't sting as bad wink



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Oh but we want photos!

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Off to Lowe's!

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Southern_Belle wrote:

Oh but we want photos!


 Photos OR you're banned...

flan



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flan327 wrote:
Southern_Belle wrote:

Oh but we want photos!


 Photos OR you're banned...

flan


 evileye



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Ok got the wire and battery powered lights. I need to go out and cut the plants. I think I will take a break first.

I should also put up the outside decor. Wish DD was here to help. She won't be home until it starts getting dark.

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I use to make the wreath. Never tried a garland. Here is what I've learned.

If you are going to use clippings from the yard or woods.

Use evergreens. Holy is nice for accents but it tends to dry and get brittle. You will probably need to be able to replace it about twice.

And the berries will fall off and you don't want your dog eating them by mistake.

Gather your clippings in trash bags and let them sit for about two days outside.

You don't want bugs in the house. Letting them sit allows critters to crawl away.

You want some gloves. The first time I wired a natural wreath, my hands were red, swollen and sore for two days. You don't realize it but all those green things are just irritating enough to leave tiny, microscopic "papercuts" and the oils and such burn.

Use a good midgrade floral wire. Not too thick, you need to be able to manipulate it. Not too thin, it just breaks.

Wire cutters. Don't do a long section with one wire. If you need to repair or replace any of it, you don't want to redo the whole thing.

If you use ribbon, get something that won't absorb the oils from the greens. A heavy, outdoor grade ribbon works great. Those filmy, satiny ones go limp.

You will need to lightly spritz it every day or two. Depending on your house. Just water works.

And finally, enjoy it. It makes the house smell great. You'll be able to say "I did that" and you can make it however you want.

It isn't hard. But it'll take some time. Have fun with it.





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Oh. And make it outside.

Easier to clean up.

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lilyofcourse wrote:

I use to make the wreath. Never tried a garland. Here is what I've learned.

If you are going to use clippings from the yard or woods.

Use evergreens. Holy is nice for accents but it tends to dry and get brittle. You will probably need to be able to replace it about twice.

And the berries will fall off and you don't want your dog eating them by mistake.

Gather your clippings in trash bags and let them sit for about two days outside.

You don't want bugs in the house. Letting them sit allows critters to crawl away.

You want some gloves. The first time I wired a natural wreath, my hands were red, swollen and sore for two days. You don't realize it but all those green things are just irritating enough to leave tiny, microscopic "papercuts" and the oils and such burn.

Use a good midgrade floral wire. Not too thick, you need to be able to manipulate it. Not too thin, it just breaks.

Wire cutters. Don't do a long section with one wire. If you need to repair or replace any of it, you don't want to redo the whole thing.

If you use ribbon, get something that won't absorb the oils from the greens. A heavy, outdoor grade ribbon works great. Those filmy, satiny ones go limp.

You will need to lightly spritz it every day or two. Depending on your house. Just water works.

And finally, enjoy it. It makes the house smell great. You'll be able to say "I did that" and you can make it however you want.

It isn't hard. But it'll take some time. Have fun with it.




 LOL,thanks for validating my procrastination.  I will go clip everything today knowing that I don't have to actually do anything with them for a few days.aww



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I say go with DG's method. But you already bought the battery operated lights and wire. I was going to suggest battery operated lights. You can get both at Wal-Mart too. Oh well, late to the party as usual.

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Nobody Just Nobody wrote:

I say go with DG's method. But you already bought the battery operated lights and wire. I was going to suggest battery operated lights. You can get both at Wal-Mart too. Oh well, late to the party as usual.


 Well if you didn't sleep half the day away!

 

I've done the clippings, I may need more pine.  Easy peasy since I have pines just a few steps from my house.  I wonder if I can use hair spray on the berries, would that help them not fall off?



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I know what to do_sometimes wrote:
Nobody Just Nobody wrote:

I say go with DG's method. But you already bought the battery operated lights and wire. I was going to suggest battery operated lights. You can get both at Wal-Mart too. Oh well, late to the party as usual.


 Well if you didn't sleep half the day away!

 

I've done the clippings, I may need more pine.  Easy peasy since I have pines just a few steps from my house.  I wonder if I can use hair spray on the berries, would that help them not fall off?


 Right now I am struggling to get to bed at three am.  DH stays up till six am every morning.  He generally sleeps till two pm or so.  I don't hit the geek table as soon as I wake up.  Usually been up a few hours when I log on.



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It isn't hard. It can be time consuming.

It would take me about a 2 hours to layer and wire a 4 foot wreath.

I think garland wouldn't take as long.



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Florist wire! Florist wire! I use it for everything, including garland.



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My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

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I know what to do_sometimes wrote:
Nobody Just Nobody wrote:

I say go with DG's method. But you already bought the battery operated lights and wire. I was going to suggest battery operated lights. You can get both at Wal-Mart too. Oh well, late to the party as usual.


 Well if you didn't sleep half the day away!

 

I've done the clippings, I may need more pine.  Easy peasy since I have pines just a few steps from my house.  I wonder if I can use hair spray on the berries, would that help them not fall off?


 Do you have a Hobby Lobby or Joanns near you?

 

The spray adhesive will help. And you can add some sparkle if you like.

 

The berries won't all fall off.

When you see the holy begin to curl in, pull it out and replace it.

I never wired that in. Just stuck it in.



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lilyofcourse wrote:

It isn't hard. It can be time consuming.

It would take me about a 2 hours to layer and wire a 4 foot wreath.

I think garland wouldn't take as long.


 That's what I am thinking too. As much as I like the hanging garland down the side of the fireplace, it isn't practical.  It would get in the way of lighting a fire, loading wood and such.  So the Garland will be just on top of the Mantle.



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Blankie wrote:

Florist wire! Florist wire! I use it for everything, including garland.


 Blankie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Come on up.  You can make garland for yourself (and show me how)  LOL



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I know what to do_sometimes wrote:
Southern_Belle wrote:

Use some florist wire or twist ties to bind them together and then wrap a string of lights around it.


 Does Lowe's sell that wire?  I do not want to go near the mall; reference other thread. I would love to do lights, but I don't have an outlet near the fireplace, at least not one where I can hide the cord.


Michael's or any craft store has florist wire.

 



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So spray adhesive. I could stop at Michael's on the way home tomorrow. Traffic near the mall is not bad on Mondays. Thanks! Great tip!

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Blankie wrote:
I know what to do_sometimes wrote:
Southern_Belle wrote:

Use some florist wire or twist ties to bind them together and then wrap a string of lights around it.


 Does Lowe's sell that wire?  I do not want to go near the mall; reference other thread. I would love to do lights, but I don't have an outlet near the fireplace, at least not one where I can hide the cord.


Michael's or any craft store has florist wire.

 


 I have the wire and some of those 3M adhesive backed hooks to secure the stuff to the mantle.



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You know, you don't have to wire it. If you don't want it hanging, just lay it in bunches. I've done that.

Maybe do small bunches of holly in the greenery.

Oh but put a runner under it either way. Oils and sap and such.

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lilyofcourse wrote:

You know, you don't have to wire it. If you don't want it hanging, just lay it in bunches. I've done that.

Maybe do small bunches of holly in the greenery.

Oh but put a runner under it either way. Oils and sap and such.


 I do have to wire it.  It won't stay down otherwise.  Good tip on the runner.



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Nah.

You put it in and under things.

I've done that.

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Do NOT use hair spray or adhesive!!!!!

Seriously!

The holly and pine are still alive, and need their pores to breathe. You want a spool of thinnest wire you can find - its just holding the branches together - no stress on it. After it is on the mantle, spritz it with a little drinking water (not out of the tap, which has chlorine, flouride, and other chemicals).

Rather than working on a table, try to suspend your garland against a door, so it hangs. It will be easier to see skimpy spots. I use a wreath hanger on the inside of the door to bring it down to within easy range for me.

If the berries fall off, they will just land on the mantle - no need to worry about them hitting the floor and a fur-baby ingesting them.

I had two holly bushes back up North (it takes one male and one female bush to produce berries), and had enough to make mantle pieces, a 3' wreath for the front door, and lots to give away. I wish I had some down here in Texas - it just doesn't get cold enough to grow it :(


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Thanks Moma!

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OK haven't put the lights on, and I have a ton more holly and pine if needed. plus still need to put the stockings up. But this is my first attempt. Peanut gallery, please be kind.

 

P1010992.JPG



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Pretty!

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I just put the lights on it. It really looks good, the pic doesn't do it justice. Once I have the stockings hung I will take another pic.

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It's perfect!

Does it smell good?



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That came out nice, IKWTDS!



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Thanks! It does smell good and I used only a little bit of what I cut. I want to add some white.

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Make a pretty bow. Or just weave some into it.



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Buy it already made. Most garden centers sell fresh greens. So does the local boy scouts. Use the cut greens in your accent pieces around the house and in vases to get additional smell. My MIL used to find really creative ways of using evergreens. She would tuck them behind pictures or mirrors on the wall as a way to frame it, in large vases on the floor to hold open a french door, on a mirror on the dining room table with large ornaments mixed in, etc.

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