Last Updated on November 20, 2023 by lindseymahoney
Every year I hang Christmas garland from our wrap-around staircase in the foyer. Our entryway is one of my favorite rooms in our home because it is so grand and it really shows off during the holidays. Spending $20, I reimagined our Christmas garland staircase design with a simple DIY.
In the last few years, I have created a Christmas garland that swags down the staircase with a pop of red ribbons throughout.
I am excited to try something a little new and take you along throughout the process.
Let’s get started!
Materials to Hang Christmas Garland on the Staircase
The amount of materials you will need really depends on the size of your staircase. Our banister is 25 feet long, so I needed enough material to wrap around the entire handrail.
- Faux garland (owned) – similar
- Real cedar garland (25′ from Costco) – $20
- Floral wire (owned)
- 2 strands of warm white Christmas lights (owned)
- Extension cord (owned)
How to Create Christmas Garland and Hang on Stairs
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1 | Attach the Base Garland
A few years ago I bought a bag of old garland strands for $10 at a local estate sale. On their own, they are not my favorite, but they look great when combined with other garland strands that I want to look fuller.
Instead of doing the swag garland down the banister, I decided to attach the garland straight to the railing.
Luckily, I had just enough of this faux garland to create a great base layer for the Christmas garland design. Beginning at the top of the staircase, I attached the garland strand using floral wire.
2 | Fluff the Faux Garland
Once the Christmas garland was secure on the staircase, I straightened the branches to create a fuller and more realistic look.
To create the appearance of a thicker garland, I straightened the branches in all directions for maximum volume.
3 | Attach the Cedar Garland
For the second Christmas garland layer, I used live cedar garland from our local Costco. This year’s Christmas garland staircase design included greenery draped to the floor.
To guarantee that the base of the staircase looked exactly how I wanted it to look, I started attaching at the bottom of the stairs and worked my way up.
The same technique was used to attach the cedar garland that I used on the base layer. Using floral wire, I secured the cedar garland to the banister.
Once I attach the cedar garland, I spend some time arranging the faux garland branches to blend with the cedar garland on top.
4 | Weave Lights into the Christmas Garland
The final touch of this year’s Christmas garland staircase design is twinkle lights!
I started at the top of the staircase and weaved two strands of warm white Christmas lights through the greenery to really make the garland shine.
2023 Christmas Garland Staircase REVEAL
Yep, you can’t go wrong with green, red, and soft glowing lights when it comes to decorating for the Christmas season.
I love the simple and festive look of this Christmas garland DIY on the staircase. This style of garland can be tweaked in many ways depending on the look you want for the holidays.
Dried orange garland hanging from the greenery would really be breathtaking. Twigs and magnolia leaves would add more dimension throughout the garland with beautiful browns and earth tones.
The beautiful thing about this Christmas garland design is that you can keep it as simple or make it as ornate as you want!
The pop of red from the poinsettia plant adds that traditional feel that I love during the Christmas season.
Thanks for checking out my 2023 Christmas garland staircase DIY! I hope this has inspired you to create your own spin on Christmas garland this year in your home.
Happy holidays!
How to Make Traditional Christmas Garland and Hang on a Staircase
How to create a beautiful Christmas garland for your staircase that will wow holiday guests this year.
Materials
- Faux garland
- Fresh cedar garland
- Christmas lights
- Floral wire
- Extension cord (optional)
Instructions
- Measure your staircase banister to determine the amount of garland needed
- Begin by attaching the faux garland to the staircase railing using floral wire. Fluff the faux Christmas garland. to create a more realistic and fuller look.
- Next, place the fresh cedar garland on top of the faux garland and attach it with floral wire. Fluff the two garlands together so they look like one.
- Weave Christmas lights through the branches to add some twinkle magic
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