How to Hang Garland on a Mantel or Staircase Without Nails

For a mantel, measure the shelf from end to end, then decide how far the garland should hang past each end. A 60 in shelf with an 8 in drop at each side takes 76 in of garland; a drop down the sides of the fireplace takes more.

For a staircase, measure the handrail from the bottom post to the top. A straight run along the rail takes that length. Swags, where the garland dips between tie points, take more: a common rule of thumb is about one and a half times the length of the rail.

Our garlands come in pairs. Two 76 in cedar strands make 152 in, two 6 ft Norfolk pine strands make 144 in, and two pine and cypress strands of about 71 in make about 142 in.

Garlands are packed flat, so spread the branches before you hang them. Work along each branch from the stem out, bending the tips up, down and to the sides until no gaps show from the front.

Do this on a table or the floor rather than on the mantel: a garland is easier to shape when you can turn it over. Shape the side that faces the room and leave the back flatter where it rests against the wall or the rail.

The Norfolk pine garlands have flexible, adjustable branches, and the pine and cypress garlands have flexible vines that bend into curves, so both can follow the line of a shelf or a railing.

Adhesive hooks: wipe the spot clean, let it dry and press removable hooks onto the front edge or the underside of the shelf, spaced so the garland does not sag between them. Choose hooks made for that surface and rated for more than the garland weighs, and take them off with their pull tabs when the season ends.

Mantel clamps: on stone or brick, where adhesive may not hold, a clamp-style garland hanger grips the shelf from above and below without holes. Measure the thickness of the shelf before you buy one, since each clamp fits a range of thicknesses.

Weight on top: on a deep shelf, the garland can simply rest along the top and hang over the ends, held in place by a few heavy pieces such as lanterns or weighted stocking holders.

Where two strands meet, join them with green floral wire or a zip tie and tuck the ends behind the branches.

One strand gives a slim line of green; two strands laid together look fuller. Lay the first garland, set the second on top so the joins do not line up, and wire them together at intervals so they move as one.

On a 60 in shelf, each of our strands leaves some length to hang past the ends: about 8 in at each end for a 76 in cedar strand, 6 in for a 6 ft Norfolk pine strand and about 5 in for a pine and cypress strand.

Each cedar strand is 12 in wide and 2 in high, so on a shelf it spreads into a broad band of foliage rather than a thin rope.

Fasten the garland to the balusters, the vertical posts under the handrail, or to the outer side of the rail, and keep the top of the handrail clear so a hand can slide along it.

Zip ties: green ties disappear among the needles. Loop one around a baluster just under the rail and around the garland's stem, pull it snug and trim the tail. After the season, snip them off with scissors.

Floral wire: softer than a zip tie and reusable. Wrap it around the stem and the baluster a few times; a strip of felt between the wire and the wood keeps it from marking a painted rail.

Ribbon: tie the garland to the balusters with ribbon and finish each tie with a bow. The bows hide the ties and repeat along the stairs.

The pine and cypress garlands have a brown loop at each end, a ready hanging point for the first and the last tie.

A straight run follows the rail from top to bottom and is the simplest look: tie the garland at the top and the bottom, then every few balusters so it stays level with the rail.

Swags dip between tie points. Tie the garland at evenly spaced balusters and let it hang in an arc between them, keeping each dip the same depth. Swags take more garland, about one and a half times the rail's length by the rule of thumb above.

On a 10 ft rail, a straight run takes 120 in, so one pair of any of our garlands covers it with 22 to 32 in to spare. Swags on the same rail take about 180 in, which means two pairs.

None of our three garlands lists built-in lights, so lighting is up to you. Wind a string of indoor lights through the branches before you hang the garland and push the bulbs in toward the stem so the wire hides in the foliage.

On a staircase, battery-powered lights avoid a cord running down the steps. With plug-in lights, route the cord along the wall or the rail where nobody will step on it.

Keep garland away from flames and heat: the pine and cypress set's care notes say to keep it away from open flames and high heat and to avoid long periods of damp. Leave a clear gap between the garland and the fireplace opening, candles or a heater.

When stockings share the mantel, hang the garland first and the stockings second, so the branches do not cover the stockings' loops. Leave a small gap in the foliage at each holder or hook.

Our cable knit stockings are 24 in tall and 7 in wide, with a loop at the top of each one, so allow that drop below the shelf when you decide how low the garland should hang at the ends.

Take adhesive hooks off with their pull tabs, snip the zip ties and unwind the wire before you lift the garland down.

Coil each strand loosely or lay it flat in a box, and store it somewhere dry and away from heat, so the branches keep their shape for next year.

Lengths are for one strand; each set has two strands.