9 Gorgeous Ways to Decorate Your Home with Garlands

Is there anything you can’t decorate with garlands? Not according to these designers! From the front door and the dining room table to the fireplace mantle and even the stove, keep on scrolling to see how they’ve used evergreen branches, olive trees and eucalyptus boughs to deck the halls.

Use it to frame your front door

The front door of designer Mariana D’Amici’s North Vancouver home is picture-perfect—but that’s not really the look she was going for. Garlands from Bloomier, a zero-waste flower studio based out of West Vancouver, have been draped asymmetrically to embrace the evergreen branches’ natural forms. “It’s not stiff or structured… everything is just slightly askew,” she says. See more of this no-fuss holiday look.

Hook it onto your coat rack

Photographer Tracey Ayton went all out with wreaths and garlands. Pops of winter greenery, a lot of which she foraged herself, can be found in almost every room of her Boundary Bay home—including the entryway! Here, a few boughs are hooked onto the coat rack to welcome guests in. Check out the rest of this holiday-ready beach house.

Wrap it around the banister

You won’t find any fir or cedar boughs here! For the 2020 Kids Help Phone Homes for the Holidays tour, designer Gillian Segal decorated her Vancouver abode with olive branches. “A big part of the story of Hanukkah was celebrating and using foods fried in oil, so there is a big focus on olive oil,” she explains. “There was just enough oil for one night, yet it lasted eight.” Step inside this festive Hanukkah house.

Run it across the mantle

When you think about garland you probably think of your mantle. This is one of the most classic ways to incorporate greenery into your home during the holidays. No wonder it can be found in Michael Bublé’s Burnaby home—at this point, he’s synonymous with Christmas and all the traditions that come with it (including the interior design ones). Find out why the singer always makes it home for the holidays.

Layer it onto a shelf

Even a small amount of garland can make a big impact. Designer Ami McKay, for example, used barely any when decorating this Whistler home for the holidays. Placing just a few boughs on a picture ledge was enough to spruce up this cozy living area. Explore this elegant, modern mountain home.

Place it around an arched doorway

Designer Alykhan Velji and his partner Jason Krell spent the majority of their 2023 Christmas decorating budget on fresh greenery, and it really paid off. This arched doorway, framed by evergreen and eucalyptus boughs, really draws the eye. Peek inside this Christmassy Calgary home.

Keep it simple and streamlined

One of the best things about garland is that it can be applied in as simple or as sophisticated a fashion as you’d like. For instance, the one in the living room of this Kimberly Jones-designed home is big and bold, while the one above the stove looks effortless. “It’s as if it’s just a nonchalant little garland that happened to be there,” she says. See how else this Victoria residence was decked out for the holidays.

Drape it over the dining room table

Made with olive branches and eucalyptus boughs, this fluffy garland would have been enough to impress every dinner guest. Even so, Tanya Krpan couldn’t resist taking her festive tablescape to the next level by adding jars of twinkling string lights and glittering gold candle holders. Check out the rest of this simple and natural holiday look.

Hang it above the headboard

While the kids’ rooms in this West Vancouver residence have been decorated with miniature Christmas trees, the parents’ bedroom features more minimalist greenery. “It’s fun to do something fresh, and not just sparkle,” says designer Ami McKay. Peek inside this casual-cool holiday home.