There are many choices when it comes to selecting garland…faux or real? Prelit or unlit? What sort of greens? Embellished or plain?
Faux or Real?
I am a snob about a few things and faux greenery is one of them. I love faux over real for seasonal decor because: a.) it is much easier to work with and b,) it doesn’t shed or die in the dry, heated conditions of inside in winter in New England!
While I want the convenience of faux greenery, I need it to look like it could be real cut greens. Generally, that does not come cheap, but nice quality faux greens will last a very long time.
Before I left for Europe for the two weeks before Christmas, I needed to get my Christmas decor up. Because of the time crunch, I’ve gone fairly minimal (for me!) this year, and that makes every element all that much more important.
One of the non-negotiables is a garland on the banister - it is the first thing you see coming in the door so it sets the tone for the house.
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Prelit or Unlit?
Nothing beats the convenience of prelit. And while I generally am a fan of the original incandescent Christmas white lights for their color and approximation of candlelight, they never last more than a season or two before I am frustrated by swaths of unlit sections. SO, I have reluctantly conceded that some warm LEDs have come close enough to be a viable option.
This year I was a gifted a gorgeous faux garland with LED lights from Seasonal LLC to review. It is their Dandan Pine 9ft garland and it is SO well made. While I’ve found that many faux garlands, even if they are nice and full, have that sort of bottle brush vibe, this one is really lovely and very realistic looking.
It is lit with warm LED’s in an acceptable color (which is saying a lot for me!). And there are a LOT of lights - It generates quite a bright light output, and the wires are nicely hidden. The plus side of LED’s is that they last a loooong time and draw very little power compared to incandescents. If you are going the prelit route with your faux greenery, LED makes the most sense for longevity.
Plain or Embellished?
This is a personal choice, but I like to be able to tailor the look each year and change it up from time to time, so I prefer the flexibility of plain garland for myself.
This Seasonal LLC Dandan Pine 9ft garland was gorgeous right out of the box and required very minimal fluffing to look great.
I attached it to my railing with my secret weapon - cable ties!
Tucking in music themed leaf and bird decor from my stash added some personalized embellishment, and a large custom bow and some trailing ribbons woven through completed the look.
I love how beautiful and easy this was to use and what a festive transformation it gives to the entry for the holidays!
Other posts you might enjoy:
Step by step instructions for a perfectly decorated faux tree
