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Fresh garland from Magnolia, cedar and pine branches is a perfect combination for an outdoor garland. Fresh garland is great for the inside too, but can be a little bit messy.
Here's a short video of how I made a garland for my outdoor mantel.
You will need branches from Magnolia, cedar and pine for the fresh garland. My dear friend Candy Robinson has a beautiful Magnolia in her front yard so my clippings came from there.
Grandson Matt grabbed some clippers and snipped away for me. You just want the tips of the Magnolia branches.
Cedar was gathered from the woods in the back yard and some pine branches. Other than the fresh branches, all you need is a rope base and some paddle wire.
I used a coconut husk rope from Lowes but you can use any kind. The rope just needs to be sturdy enough to support 4-5 pounds. Paddle wire can be found at Walmart, Hobby Lobby or anywhere crafts and floral supplies are sold.
That's it! Be prepared to make a mess but the fresh garland will be worth it.
To make your fresh garland, cut the rope the length of the garland you need allowing a few inches extra.
Start by laying your larger branches on top of the rope and place smaller branches on top. Alternate between Magnolia, cedar and pine. They don't have to be in any particular order, just try to keep the size somewhat symmetrical.
Wrap the paddle wire around the ends of the branches and the rope several times. You can secure the end of the wire, but don't cut. The style of the paddle wire helps you maintain a good grip and pull the wire tightly around the branches. Wrap each cluster several time until it feels snug on the rope.
Move down the length of the rope laying the next cluster of branches over where the cluster before it was attached, covering up the ends of the previous branches.
Continue layering branches and wrapping with the paddle wire until to get to about a foot or so away from the end. Change the direction of the branches so that the end of your fresh garland will match the opposite end with the way the branches flow.
You can make this change in the center of the garland also. Especially if you plan to add a bow or other feature in the center of the fresh garland.
Thanks to David's mom, Martha Martin, for allowing me to snip some of her beautiful Nandina berries. These berries were so pretty, they looked like huge grape clusters.
Berries will fall off, but that's to be expected. I didn't do it this year, but in the past I have used floor shine liquid like Mop and Glow or something like that to coat the berries and give them shine. Just pour some in a spray bottle and mist the berries. I think it helps them to last longer too.
Just tuck the clusters of the Nandina berries into the garland here and there. They were not secured with anything. Of course you can use artificial berries like the ones we in stock at Trendy Tree. I'll give you a few examples.
Don't be afraid to mix fresh and artificial together! I've seen Jay Swanke mix fresh flowers in a vase right along with artificial pieces....who knew?
Red berry sprays you could substitute with for your fresh garland:
EC580424 Shiny Red Berry Spray
F3802348 RAZ Red Berry Spray (my favorite)
XS9523 Wild Twig Berry Spray (used on my Christmas tree)
EW0064K1 Red Green Cream Vintage Berry Spray
Wow....that's a lot of berry picks to choose from! I didn't realize we had so many varieties in stock until I started looking!
Your fresh garland can be made with just one type of branch, or you can add in other greens. We live in the south so fir branches or spruce are not readily available to us.
You can also start with a base of inexpensive plastic garland and just add in fresh branches. The branches can be secured with the twist on the garland. So, there are lots of different ways to make fresh garland whether it be all fresh, or a combination of fresh and artificial. Just play with it. It's addictive though!
Once you're all finished, time to sit back and admire your handiwork. Next year, think I'm going to do more fresh in the house too!
Thank you for visiting our blog! If you have any questions, or comments, just leave me a note. We love hearing from our readers. Trendy Tree Blog
In the next post I'll show you the cedar arrangement that I made for the coffee table outside. So easy, you can do it a jiff.
If you have time to read more, here's a link to more post you might be interested in.
Season's Greetings Deco Mesh Wreath
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