1. Collect & forage greenery in your area 

In Charleston we were able to collect :

• Magnolia leaves
• Cedar
• Pine
• Yaupon Holly

I tried to get more of the pine and cedar as they are the best base for a garland. (get more than you think you think you need!)

2. Create your base

Find a large outdoor area to work in. Measure your mantle / doorway to determine how long you need your garland to be. I aimed for about 6-7 feet for each. I used pine as my base as it's the easiest to work with. Connect each cutting from the trimmed area to the tip of the next cutting, wrapping each section with floral wire to secure it. Repeat until you have your desired base length.

3. Build onto your base

Once you have your base completed, you'll want to add volume, and to hide the connection points (floral wire)of the base. I bundled several pieces of cedar with floral wire, and connected the bundle to the connection points on the pine base. Repeat until all connections are covered.

4. Add texture

Start adding in more exciting pieces like magnolia leaves and holly to create color and dimension on your garland. Make sure to connect everything with floral wire.

5. Move your garland to your mantle

Now that you have your garland 90% complete, you can put it on your mantle or across your doorway. From here you can identify any empty spots by tucking or attaching additional greenery. I wanted to create an asymmetrical look, so I built up the left side and let it dangle off of the mantle.

6. Decorate

Adding lights to your garland is optional, but really makes things festive. You can lay these over the garland and tuck them in. I opted for battery operated string lights to avoid dealing with cords and outlets.

7. Add fragrance

Choose your favorite Aromatique decorative fragrance, and tuck pieces into your garland to add fragrance and more botanicals. I chose The Smell of Tree to incorporate into the garland, The fragranced evergreen & pinecones blended seamlessly into the look

It's easy to turn our decorative fragrance into ornaments for your Christmas tree, or as additions to your garland. Each bag of decorative fragrance comes with ribbon that can by fashioned as part of your ornament. Another option is to use butcher twine, or just a plain ornament hook! I used the Orange & Evergreen + The Smell of Christmas Decorative Fragrance Bag to create my ornaments. The dried oranges and pinecones are a beautiful accent against an evergreen background.

Last but not least is the classic Aromatique Decorative Fragrance bowl. Find a beautiful bowl and display as a centerpiece during the holidays! The Smell of Tree is pictured here.