The Christmas Decorating Hack That'll Amp Up Your Garland On A Budget

Decorating your home for Christmas can be a bit of a slippery slope when it comes to your budget. What begins as a plan for a simple Christmas tree quickly expands into a house filled with lights, candles, ribbons, holiday figurines, and so much garland. Each of those festive items comes with a cost, and sometimes the price may be higher than you expected. Before you know it, holiday shopping isn't as exciting as it once was, as you've accidentally overspent on decorating. That's why it's so important to find cheap ways to decorate for the holidays, and one way you could use a Christmas garland on a budget this holiday season is by making your own. All you need to get started are a few real pine tree branches and some small hooks. On the other hand, if you already have a faux garland, you could add volume and a realistic look by including some real branches.

To make this affordable garland, simply scoop a bunch of freshly-fallen branches from your Christmas tree up off of the ground or prune a few directly from your outdoor pine tree. Then, grab some hooks from the hardware store or order a 15-pack of Jellysub Damage-Free Utility Hooks with Adhesive Strips on Amazon for about $12. Finally, decide what you want to adorn with a garland in your home; popular choices include the fireplace mantel or the staircase banister.

To begin this simple DIY, apply a line of small adhesive hooks to the top of your mantle or the side of your banister. If you don't want to attach hooks directly onto your mantel, you can press regular hooks into a branch to hold your garland and place that piece on the mantel, as demonstrated by Jordan Dennett on TikTok. Next, hang your garland without a drill by attaching the bunches of small pine branches that you've gathered on top of the hooks to create the appearance of one long band of garland. All of the needles should face the same way to make it look like a large branch. 

Once your garland is in place, embellish it with whatever you desire. You can find many inexpensive additions such as bells, bows, and faux berries or flowers at your local Dollar Store or on Amazon. For instance, Dollar Tree carries Artificial Poinsettia Bouquets that cost $1.25 each and can easily be disassembled, while Amazon offers a 72-pack of Iconikal Mini Small Velvet Bows that cost about $15. Or, simply grab a few pine cones from outside when you gather your branches. Glue these embellishments directly onto your pine branches with hot glue or E6000. When you're done, step back and admire your creativity, your craftsmanship, and the tenacity it takes to make a holiday budget and stick to it.