Last Christmas, I went shopping for garland to decorate the stairs in my foyer. Everything I found was around $50 per section. I didn’t want to spend over $200 on something that’s only displayed one month out of the year, so I’m going to show you how I made my own pretty garland for a fraction of the cost.
I waited until after Christmas last year when all the decor was 80% off or more. I tried to find pre-made garland I liked on sale, but it was all picked over and none of them matched. So I went to JoAnn’s and found plain garland, pinecones, ornaments and 2.5″ wide ribbon. I was able to get everything I needed to make 5 sections of garland for around $20.
I used hemp cord to tie the ornaments and pinecones to the garland. The ornaments I found are plastic shatterproof, and the tops are permanently attached to the ornaments. If you’re using ornaments with detachable tops, I would glue the tops down before attaching them to the garland so the ornaments won’t pop off.
I left space between the pinecones and ornaments for the ribbon. I simply tied the ribbon off at one end of the garland, then loosely wound it around the garland, and tied it off at the other end. And that’s it…pretty Christmas garland for less than $5 per section.
Do you have any tips for Christmas decor on a budget? I’d love to hear about them in the comment section!
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Okay, you ladies never cease to amaze me. I absolutely LOVE this garland! I never start one because I am afraid of what I always thought would be a daunting task of decorating it. Thank you SO much for sharing!!!
Dee, thank you!! What a sweet comment!
Your garland is gorgeous! I am waiting for the day after Christmas sales too since there is no way I can afford to decorate the new house fully this year. I have a silly question though. How did you attach the garland to the side of the banister like that? Love the floating look and wish I knew how to do it.
Thank you, Rachel! I just used the hemp cord to tie it to the railing, but I think those removable Command hooks that stick on anything would be perfect for hanging it right on the side for a floating look.
Oh, the command hooks are a great idea!
Beautiful!! So smart to get all the supplies after Christmas at 80% off!!! It’s crazy how expensive already made up garlands are, I’ve been looking at some myself! I’ll be hitting Joann’s December 26th. 😉
The pre-made one’s are so expensive!! I’ll see you at JoAnn’s on the 26th 🙂
So pretty ladies! I think I should have read this before if tried decorating my stair railing 🙂
Thank you! But I have no doubt however you decided to decorate your railing is gorgeous!! 🙂
it looks gorgeous! Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop. xo
Thanks so much for stopping by, Katherine!!
This is so pretty and festive! It really makes me miss having a staircase to decorate. And I love me a bargain!
Thanks Karen!! Bargain shopping is the best, isn’t it? 🙂
This is so gorgeous, Amy! Love your open staircase! I am a huge fan of buying after season too!
Thanks Kendra! I have a love/hate relationship with that open staircase. My kids definitely love it though, based on the number of toys they’ve launched from the top deck 🙂
Ugh, yes, the prices on the “nice” garlands are absolutely ridiculous!! Every year I look at them and every year I just can’t do it. So I buy the simple boring ones and put a couple bows on and call it good. Definitely need to step it up and put some ornaments on too, it looks so much more amazing! I also stock up after Christmas when it’s discounted but then always forget what I bought so it’s like a surprise the next year getting stuff out 😉 Thank you for linking up to On Display Thursday this week!!
They’re crazy expensive, aren’t they? Especially for something that spends most of the year in a box. And I do the same thing…buy Christmas stuff after season then forget about it til next year, haha! Love ODT, thanks for hosting, friend!!