13 Garland Ideas for Decorating Your Mantel Every Day of the Year

Decorating with garland is often a holiday activity: Christmas and Thanksgiving décor seems incomplete without greenery draped across your mantel, stairway, or doorway. But mantel garlands aren't limited to the winter holidays. Whether you're celebrating Easter or Valentine's Day, there's a fun garland to match the mood.

Ready to be inspired? Here's how to hang garland like a pro, plus a dozen creative ideas for decorating your mantel with seasonal garlands, including fun DIY and greenery garlands that work any time of year.

How to Hang Garland on Your Mantel

Hanging a garland on a mantel with nails can be a sticking point in some households, but an easy and less intrusive method is to use removable hooks, which come in a variety of sizes and colors to seamlessly match your mantel. Designer Grace Frederick suggests using "light clip" style Command Strips ($11, Amazon) and heavy-duty florist wire to hang heavy garlands.

To hold the garland, make sure you select the proper hooks, which are graded by the maximum weight they can hold. To hang a garland, attach several hooks evenly spaced on top of the mantel. Securely tie floral wire around the garland, making sure it aligns with the hooks on the mantel. Use the other end of the wire to wrap around the hooks, and then adjust the drape as needed.

Seasonal Garlands

Back-to-School Fall Garland

This easy-to-make garland is perfect for back-to-school or fall décor. Using a premade honeycomb paper garland, Natalie of One Simple Party added paper stems and leaves to complete the look.

Oversized Metallic Fall Leaf Garland

What's autumn without colorful foliage? If warm reds and golden yellows don't precisely match your style aesthetic, try a mix of rustic and metallic elements. This oversized metallic fall leaf garland is an affordable project that comes together quickly and is perfect for Thanksgiving, too!

Botanical Spring Paper Banner

Perfect for spring and Easter, this DIY Botanical Paper Banner features vintage botanical designs that brighten your mantel. Pair it with the easy wood bead garland for a shabby chic or farmhouse look.

Pom Pom Garland

Pom poms add a bit of fun to any décor. This versatile pom pom garland is truly customizable—make it in any color you like to use throughout the year. Yellow pom poms are perfect for draping on a mantel to celebrate summer, while white ones are cozy and fun for winter.

Holiday Garlands

While garlands remain a popular décor option for the Christmas season, add a festive touch to your mantel for any occasion throughout the year.

Gingerbread House Garland

If the thought of making a gingerbread house seems daunting, try making a cardboard one instead. The project comes together by using upcycled cardboard and white paint, and string lights on the back that light up the cardboard window frames. This gingerbread house garland is sure to be a hit with the family and holiday guests.

Easter Bunny Garland

Hang this adorable Easter bunny garland on your mantel, across a window or foyer table for a perfect easy-to-make springy touch to your home. Use it for Easter, the arrival of a new baby, or just because it's spring.

Turkey and Pumpkin Thanksgiving Garland

This autumn-inspired garland pulls double-duty as fall and Thanksgiving décor. Using yarn and plastic bags for filler, this turkey and pumpkin garland is economical and a fun craft for kids. To complete the look, pair the garland with a vignette of dried gourds on the mantel.

Recycled Jeans Heart Garland

Valentine's Day decor doesn't need to be red and white. Using denim from old jeans for the base fabric, this recycled jean heart garland is easy to create by hand or machine sewing. Use a contrasting thread color in red or pink to give the garland a pop of color.

Halloween Candy Corn Felt Light Garland

Transform a boring string of lights into a Halloween candy corn garland. The project uses inexpensive felt to create the candy corn covers for the LED string light base. Pair the garland with seasonal greenery, and it can easily transition into Thanksgiving décor.

Natural Cotton Christmas Garland

Not a fan of traditional red and green for Christmas décor? Consider this natural cotton garland. To make it you need about 15 minutes and about 30 raw cotton balls. Pair this showy, white garland with broadleaf greenery for a natural, sophisticated look on your mantel.

Year-Round Garland

Farmhouse Wood Bead Garland

This beaded garland with jute tassels works with farmhouse, shabby chic, rustic, French country, and even modern decor. It adds the perfect touch to complete a vignette, mantel, or centerpiece. Best of all, it's easy to make and costs less than $5 to put together.

Boxwood Garland

Designer Grace Frederick likes to combine bright, fun colors with natural elements like boxwood for her mantel. This way, you can change out colors to make your mantel styling applicable to any time of year. If you don't have access to fresh boxwood clippings, preserved boxwood garlands are a great alternative to fresh-cut greenery without sacrificing the beautiful, natural look.

Oversized Natural Garland

Blake Sams of Gregory Blake Sams Events also loves to incorporate oversized living garlands for drama and scale. Blake says to use whatever you have local to your area. Evergreen foliage, such as magnolia leaves, pine, or fir branches, works wonderfully but, whatever you use, go big! The garland looks lovely on its own but also works as the perfect backdrop for other natural elements such as pine cones, dry flowers, and small decor.