Easy and Free Holiday Garland

FYI: this post contains affiliate links. The links will take you to the product, cost you nothing, and I could earn a little commission to keep the blog in business. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Did you know that you can make a holiday evergreen garland for free?!? Seriously – free, people! Here’s how to make an easy and free holiday garland.

Here’s the trick: when Christmas tree lots or stores like Whole Foods sell Christmas trees, they discard branches that are either cut or broken off. They keep these in a crate or pile next to the trees and you can usually grab these branches for free! (Ask first if you aren’t sure!)

We found a whole crate of stray branches at our local Whole Foods market. My daughter and I grabbed some freshly cut branches and, after confirming that they were free (!!), headed home, my son thinking that I was slightly nutty for bringing these discarded branches home.

All you need for this are the branches, and indoor/outdoor ribbon in the color of your choice. I used a red indoor/outdoor ribbon like this one linked here.

All you have to do is grab some branches and layer them along a railing (or post or mailbox).  Overlap the branches so you don’t see the cut ends.

For the last branch at the top, if you don’t want to have the cut edge showing, turn it around and tuck the cut end under the branches below it.

As you layer the branches, attach them to the railing using the ribbon. If you want the branches to be more secure, use floral or other wire to attach the branches to the railing, and then layer the ribbon over it to hide the wire. Tie the ribbon in a big, festive bow.

It’s that easy!

And it smells like Christmas!

Of course, you can add other decorations or embellishments to the branches, like ornaments or faux berries. I just kept it simple.

These photos are from our first house, but we do this every year for Christmas. It’s a fun, free, festive, and fragrant way to decorate for the winter holidays!

Pin it for decorating later!