We used to do fresh garland. It smelled wonderful for four days and then dropped needles into the hearth until Twelfth Night. This is what we do now, and it takes twenty minutes once the box is open.
What you need
- One faux pine garland, 180cm (ours is the Frosted Pine Garland with Pinecones)
- Four to six loose stems to tuck in: frosted pine, red berry branches, a snowy woodland branch
- Two or three candle holders of different heights, or LED pillar candles if you have a real fire below
- One decorative object with some weight: a ceramic tree, a stone star, a wicker bell
- Two small bulldog clips or a length of florist wire
Minute 0 to 5: the garland
Lay the garland along the mantel and let it drape over one end only, not both. Symmetry kills it. Fluff every sprig outward so the garland looks twice as full as it did in the box.
Minute 5 to 12: the tuck-ins
Push the loose stems into the garland at an angle, all leaning the same direction as the drape. Berries low, frosted pine high, the tall snowy branch at the far end standing up against the wall. This is what makes it look gathered rather than bought.
Minute 12 to 17: light and weight
Group the candle holders at the end opposite the drape, tallest at the back. Place the one heavy object a third of the way along from the candles. Three points of interest, not five.
Minute 17 to 20: step back
Stand in the doorway. Whatever catches your eye first, move it slightly. Then stop. The temptation is to keep adding; the best mantels have air in them.
If you want it done for you
Our Frosted Pine Mantel Garland Set puts the garland and tuck-ins from this mantel in one box: the 180cm frosted pine garland with five stems already chosen to go with it. For the rest, our Christmas Edit has every piece above, and the Christmas bouquets give you the tuck-in stems already paired. Everything comes down in five minutes in January and goes back in the box for next year.