Why the viral garland goes flat for you
The soft faux cedar garland everyone links to is beautiful up close, but hung on its own it isn't full and layered like you imagine. It's soft by design: it drapes, but it can't hold a shape.
Don't worry - there's a secret they aren't telling you. Yes, you know you should layer two garlands, but it has to be the right pairing: one stiff garland for structure and one soft garland on top for the look. A wired faux pine sets the width and shape. The cedar drapes over it and makes it look lush.
Here's how to do it around a doorway.
How to layer two garlands around a doorway
Hang the stiff garland first. Use a faux pine garland with wired tips as your base.
Fluff it wide, not just full. Bend every wired tip out sideways and forward, away from the wall. Turn the garland so its fullest side faces out. The width you build here is the width the finished garland will have.
Lay the soft cedar over the top. Attach it along the same path, then pull it over the outer edges of the pine so it hangs past them instead of sitting flat on top. This is what makes it look soft and lush.
Add cut stems where the eye goes. Tuck extra cedar stems into the top corners and along the top run, the two places people look first.
Let the sides taper. Keep the sides fullest near the top and a little slimmer toward the floor, as if the greenery is falling from the corners. A thinner bottom looks intentional when the top is heavy.
Other Variations
On a mantel: same layering, pine first and cedar over it. Let the cedar spill over the front edge and down one or both ends.
On a staircase: wire the pine to the banister first, then drape the cedar so it hangs below the rail between ties.
More fullness on the sides without buying two more: cut one extra garland in half and zip-tie a half into the upper part of each side.
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