How to Make Beautiful Christmas Door Garlands

The front door is one of the first things guests see when coming to your home for Christmas. A gorgeous Christmas door garland serves as a warm, festive welcome and sets the tone for your entire holiday decor.

While you can certainly buy pre-made door garlands creating your own allows you to customize designs exactly to your taste. It also offers a fun DIY holiday project to get your family into the Christmas spirit.

In this guide we’ll walk through everything needed to craft beautiful Christmas door garlands to dress up your entryway for the holidays.

Supplies Needed

Making Christmas door garlands requires just a few simple supplies:

• Greenery bundles – The base of your garland. Options like cedar, pine, fir, magnolia, eucalyptus, etc.

• Ribbon – 1-2″ wide ribbon in your choice of patterns and colors.

• Accent decorations – Ornaments, pinecones, berries, flowers, etc. to embellish the garland.

• Floral wire – To attach elements of the garland together.

• Scissors & wire cutters – For cutting ribbon, wire, zip ties as needed.

• Zip ties – For securing the garland to your door.

• Adhesive – Hot glue gun, craft glue, or similar to attach decorations.

• Command hooks – To hang garland if desired.

That’s really all you need to create a beautiful Christmas door garland! Now let’s go over some steps and tips for putting it all together.

Step 1: Select a Greenery Base

The greenery forms the base structure and shape of your garland. When selecting greenery:

• Choose flexible branches that can bend easily without breaking.

• Mix greenery textures and colors for visual interest.

• Purchase pre-made greenery bundles from craft stores for ease.

• For loose greenery, estimate 1-2 bundles per foot of garland.

Popular greenery choices include:

• Cedar – Provides soft, feathery texture. Has a nice scent.

• Pine – Offers fuller, bold branches. Looks very traditional.

• Fir – Has a classic triangular Christmas tree shape.

• Magnolia – Features large, pretty leaves for bold impact.

• Eucalyptus – Adds unique blue-green color and interesting pods.

Buy enough greenery so you have plenty of flexibility in designing your garland.

Step 2: Add Base Ribbon

Ribbon covers the greenery stems and provides a background color.

• Use 1-2″ wide ribbon in a pattern or solid color.

• Wrap ribbon around bundles overlapping edges slightly.

• Twist ribbon at base of bundles to secure.

• Tie ribbon in bows periodically for visual interest.

Opt for ribbon colors that coordinate with your front door or home decor. Buffalo check patterns offer a classic Christmas look.

Step 3: Embellish with Accent Decorations

Time for the fun part! Embellish the garland with ornaments, pinecones, flowers, berries, and other decorative elements you love.

Some ideas:

• Pinecones – Large pinecones make a dramatic statement. Paint or glitter them for extra flair.

• Ornaments – Choose shatterproof plastic or wood ornaments. Tie/wire them on securely so they don’t fall.

• Berries – Faux red or white berry picks add pops of festive color.

• Flowers – Go for classic poinsettias, velvety roses, or retro carnations.

• Greenery accents – Extra fir, eucalyptus, holly, etc. helps fill things in.

• Bows and bells – Wire in festive bows, jingle bells, door bows.

Mix and match decorations for your own unique style. Feel free to add non-traditional embellishments too like snowflakes, antlers, gift packages, etc. Have fun with it!

Step 4: Construct the Shape

Now it’s time to assemble all the pieces:

• For a wreath – Wire a circle of greenery then decorate around it. Add a big bow at bottom if desired.

• For a garland – Wire greenery bunches together end-to-end in a long line. Drape ribbon down the middle then embellish.

• For a swag – Create loose bunches of decorated greenery. Connect the bunches together with wire and form into a swag shape.

Shape garlands to fit your door by arching wires, trimming pieces, or using command hooks for hanging. Check placements to determine needed lengths.

Step 5: Affix the Garland

Once your garland is fully decorated, securely attach it outside your door:

• For wreaths, use a festive wreath hanger on the back.

• For garlands/swags, adhere securely with sturdy zip ties. This prevents wind/rain damage.

• Place zip ties every 6-12 inches as needed to keep garland in place.

• For doors without frames, use removable 3M command hooks.

• Check attachments periodically and re-secure as needed over the season.

Now step back and admire your gorgeous custom Christmas door garland!

Extra Tips and Inspiration

• Light it up! Add battery mini lights or solar string lights to make it glow.

• Incorporate door wreaths by wiring them into garland ends.

• Transition to winter by keeping white, silver, blue as main colors.

• Use large decorations like oversized ornaments, bows or flowers for dramatic impact.

• Make a coordinating garland for your mailbox or porch rails to extend the look.

• Stick to a color theme like classic red and green or elegant white and gold.

• Accent with pops of trendy colors like aqua, rose gold, or sage green.

• Display personalized family ornaments to give it a homemade touch.

• Swap out decorations seasonally from Fall, Winter, to Spring themes.

• Store garlands properly each year so they last and can be reused.

• Remake faded garlands with new ribbon and embellishments as needed over time.

The options are endless when creating your own Christmas door garlands and wreaths! Start a new family tradition by getting everyone involved in the fun process each year.

With some creativity and our guide above, you’ll have a beautiful customized holiday garland welcoming guests into your home. Don’t be surprised if your door decor becomes the talk of the neighborhood!