How to Hang Garlands Over a Mirror

Garlands look beautiful just about anywhere in your home, and they add the perfect touch to entryway consoles, dining rooms, or hallways when hung over a mirror. Here’s how to hang garlands over a mirror.

I’m a big fan of building a solid collection of basic, foundational Christmas decorations like simple garlands, wreaths, ribbons, and bells. I think focusing on these core elements, rather than little holiday novelties or this year’s current trending Christmas decor allows you to decorate your home beautifully, year after year, no matter what style you choose to go with. I also think that if you have these basic elements in place – a high quality wreath, a nice collection of ribbons, some twinkle lights, and a good garland – you can keep things super simple with your Christmas decor without things feeling underwhelming or incomplete, if that’s what you choose to do. If you already have garlands you love, you probably don’t need new Christmas decor, you probably just need some new ideas for where to hang your festive greenery for a fresh, new look. Today we’re going to talk about how to hang garlands over a mirror or a large piece of art on your wall for a classic look that never fails to impress.

More Christmas greenery decor: DIY Fresh Cedar Mini Wreaths

Materials Needed for Hanging Garlands Over a Mirror

Pictured Above: Umbrella Stand | Demilune Console Table | Ralph Lauren Book | Lamp | Gold Arch Mirror | Inexpensive Garland | Blue Ticking Stripe Fabric | Satin Ribbon | Similar Blue and White Pieces: Small Bowl | Small Ginger Jar | Larger Ginger Jar

I like to keep things pretty simple when I’m hanging my garlands, and I do a variation on the same basic idea almost every year. It brings joy and creates a feeling of tradition and nostalgia when you repeat the same ideas with your holiday decorating, so there’s no need to try a new decoration style every year if the old one is still bringing you joy.

Supplies I use:

• One or two faux garlands (these inexpensive 6′ garlands have been my favorites for years. So cheap and so good!)
• Small Command hooks (2-3 should be enough in almost every case)
• Floral wire (if needed)
• Fresh greenery (I just gather it from our property)
• Wide ribbons for a bow

Truthfully, you can probably use just the garlands and Command hooks, if you’d like to keep things really simple, but to get the look you see in the pictures in today’s post, I use just a few additional items like the greenery and bows for a more full, realistic look.

I know a lot of people like to layer multiple heavy garlands to create a look that’s very full. They’ll then often attach floral picks and Christmas tree ornaments to the garland for a spectacular, formal look. If this is your style, I would recommend screwing small hooks right into the wall with anchors to hold the extra weight. If you use permanent hooks like this, you may even find yourself using them in different ways throughout the year, so don’t shy away from this option if a big garland makes your heart happy.

Read next: DIY Bow Christmas Tree Topper

How I Hang Garlands Over a Mirror

How you hang your garland over you mirror is really a matter of personal preference, and it may change based on what other decorative elements you have around the mirror. Because I have a lamp on one side of this console table, I like to balance out the grouping by hanging my garland asymmetrically, with most of the weight of the garland falling to the side opposite the lamp.

To do this, I start out with two Command Hooks, with one placed just slightly above each top corner of the mirror. On the side with less garland dangling down, I find a spot about five-to-six inches in on the main stem of the garland, and hang that on the hook.

Next, I allow the garland to fall across the middle of the mirror in a bit of a swoop, adjusting it so it looks good to me, then I secure the middle stem of the garland to the other hook. The rest of the garland then dangles down towards the table, creating a lovely draped effect. The greenery I used in this example is a standard 6-foot garland, and it works perfectly for my large mirror.

To hang a garland symmetrically over a mirror, add one more hook to the wall just above the centre of the mirror. Working with two smaller garlands (about 6 feet) or one larger garland (about 9 to 12 feet) and drape across all three hooks. Allow your garland to swoop down elegantly in between each hook, making sure that the tail ends that fall on either side of the mirror are the same length.

After my garlands are securely attached, I like to fill in a bit with real greenery gathered from outdoors, then add bows, twinkle lights, and, other decorative accent pieces to the garland to reflect what every decor style is inspiring me this year. Although it may look like the bows are tied around the garland, I usually create a bow separately and attach it to just one little sprig with a piece of floral wire, or just tie some ribbon streamer directly to one branch.

More decorative holiday ideas: DIY Torn Velvet Ribbon

Beautiful Garland Options for Mirrors

I’ve used a few different types of garlands on this mirror over the years, from artificial greenery to real, handmade cedar garlands and this little corner of our home never fails to turn out beautifully. Hanging garlands is such a classic, traditional look, and honestly, it just always works. Not matter how your choose to adorn your garlands, whether with bows, bells, or just simple twinkle lights, they always seem to look just wonderful and really bring the magic of Christmas to life.

These inexpensive faux garlands have been my favorites for the past few years. They’re so affordable, but they drape beautifully and the greenery is so realistic. I fill them in with fresh greenery gathered from our property once they’re hung for a mixed evergreen look.

I also love the realistic, high-quality faux garlands that are starting to become more readily available. These are truly pieces that you’ll buy once and use for years to come. I love the longer length of this one to allow for lots of extra length on either side of mirror or doorway.

More Christmas inspiration from this space: Natural Cedar Decorations in the Mudroom

Finally, fresh garlands are a great way to go if you’d like to spend a quiet afternoon making your own Christmas decorations using clippings from your backyard. They’re surprisingly easy to make, and really help you connect with that old-fashioned, nostalgic feeling of Christmases past.

Pictured in this post: Umbrella Stand | Demilune Console Table | Ralph Lauren Book | Lamp | Gold Arch Mirror | Inexpensive Garland | Blue Ticking Stripe Fabric | Satin Ribbon | Similar Blue and White Pieces: Small Bowl | Small Ginger Jar | Larger Ginger Jar

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