How to hang a garland on a mantel – tips to safely secure your last-minute festive focal point

There are so many Christmas fireplace decor ideas but the trusty garland is both the best and most traditional. Christmas is right around the corner, so these garland-hanging tips couldn't be handier for adding a last minute festive flourish.

We've put together the perfect guide to assist you with last-minute decorating – a list of top tips to consider when hanging your garland to ensure it's hung safely, securely, and stylishly.

Christmas garlands can create a mess and sometimes cause leftover damage to a mantel. But fear not, these handy tips will ensure your mantel is beautifully neat for the holiday and allow the utmost ease when it comes to its removal.

1. Use floristry or chicken wire

Combining multiple layers is the key to creating a luscious and full garland. However, the year-old problem is getting the leafy centerpiece to stay put on the mantel. The best types of garlands are usually pretty bulky and are composed of multiple layers, so hanging them is no easy task.

Chicken wire is an unassuming yet handy tool for creating a secure garland and it's available at most stores, like this kind from Walmart. Firstly, scatter some command strips as these will ensure the wire is secure and will stay in place. Then, simply roll your sheet of wire into a tube shape and place it on top of your mantel. The wire's holes will allow you to thread stems and branches through, and act as a prop for the garland to wrap around.

This is where the humble floristry wire becomes your new best friend. If you are planning to attach small stems to your garland, then simply cut your wire as needed and carefully wrap it around the desired area, neatly gathering the layers of foliage. The wire will also attach the chicken wire structure and hold it in place all season long.

Amazon's Floral Stem Wire comes in pre-cut pieces and is conveniently finished in dark green, making it the ideal tool for last-minute garland building this Christmas.

2. Use ribbon or twine

This step will nail the love of all things bows Christmas trend, whilst ticking the practicality box. Ribbon or twine will secure the garland to the mantel and provide a fun hint of color and texture.

Wrap your ribbon around your garland and secure it to the mantel using a command strip or hook. This will not only prop up your garland but create a woven, threaded effect, only emphasizing the thought-out and well-designed nature of your garland design. A top tip is to use an item already on your mantel to wrap the ribbon around, like a candlestick of picture frame.

Red ribbon is traditionally festive and the velvet will bring an opulent touch. Amazon's spool of ribbon is the perfect accessory and comes in an abundant 10 yards.

There are a few easy ways to make a garland look real. Faux foliage does an impressive job of replacing the real thing, but a top tip is to combine both real branches and faux pieces to create a convincingly real leafy display.

Shop these faux stems

3. Use command hooks

The Command strip will be your hero when creating a mantel display. They couldn't be easier to use, simply peel off the back sticker and place it on your desired area.

Hebe Hatton, H&G's Head of Interiors, swears by them for securing her garland to the mantel. She explains, 'I pop them on the underside of my mantle at equal distance apart and loop the garland between them. My command hooks are still there from last year and they are doing the job again this year. I have used different ones over the years but these Command Cord Bundlers- are what I used last year and still going strong this year too.'

If command strips aren't your thing, Chiana Dickson, H&G's Solved Content Editor suggests this practical tip. ‘While not damage-free, the easiest way I have found to hang my garland on my mantel is to put two permanent screws in either side of my fireplace. These live here all year but are in a convenient enough spot that I don’t have to look at them every day. If that would bother you, however, you could always take them out and keep them with your garland, leaving the holes to pop them back in next year. This is a great approach for those of us with very heavy garlands that we hang every year.’

4. Incorporate stocking holders

No fireplace is complete without a good set of stockings. A symbol of Christmas, they're typically brought out just before Santa's arrival but are apt decorations to hang all holiday round.

Mantel clips are often overlooked but are in fact a crucial tool that will allow the stocking to proudly hang above your fireplace and secure your garland at the same time. These holders will add an extra layer of support to your garland as they serve as props for the foliage to sit on. There are a variety of stocking holders available, like Target's subtle hooks or Amazon's ornate metal hangers.

Top tip: Positioning your stockings symmetrically isn't easy but the best way to ensure neatness is to measure the length of your mantel and divide it according to how many stockings you're using.

5. Use weighted decor to keep your garland in place

Christmas is all about yearly traditions, but it doesn't mean your garland needs to be decorated conventionally. From quirky ornaments to metallic garlands, the beauty of the mantel garland is its individuality.

Drew Michael Scott's (A.K.A Lone Fox) garland is unconventional in many ways. He's not afraid to be heavy-handed with the decor, incorporating a vase and candlesticks amongst his foliage. Whilst these are great at elevating the garland aesthetically, they are also super handy at securing it in place.

Candlesticks are often heavy, (particularly the metal kind) so will act as the perfect weight to hold your garland, preventing it from dragging or drooping during the Christmas period. This Bronze Taper Candle set from Pottery Barn is the perfect mantel accompaniment, timeless in style they will never date.

Like Drew, don't be afraid of going all out and using DIY Christmas decor. After all, it is Christmas and that means an array of sparkly decor and festive ornaments are never a miss.

Tight on time? Shop these pre-made garlands

Last-minute Christmas preparations can be stressful, so if you're yet to decorate your mantel keep these useful tips in mind when building the ultimate festive foliage arrangement.