Artificial Christmas garlands
Vivo Technologies
9 ft (2.7 m) green pre-lit garland with 30 warm white LEDs, battery
Gisela Graham
Wooden string garland with deer heads and trees, 123 cm, red noses
Prices checked on Amazon UK on 3 October 2026; they may have changed since. The price ranges and medians quoted in the text of this page come from the check of 29 September 2026. Ratings and review counts are those of Amazon shoppers. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Christmas garlands: PE, PVC and what they look like
Most Christmas garlands in the listings are pine, fir or Norfolk pine tips in PE or PVC on a bendable wire core, some with cones and berries, plus a few tinsel-style ropes. They are made to drape along a mantelpiece, round a door or down a banister. Most cost between £10 and £30, and the median is about £17.
The tip material changes the look. Polyethylene (PE) tips are moulded in three dimensions, so they look closer to real branches, and listings call them real touch or soft touch. PVC needles are cut from flat film, which gives a thinner, flatter look.
Width, colour and finish
Where a width is listed, full 2.7 m (9 ft) garlands are 25 cm wide, while rope-style garlands are about 9 cm. Green is by far the commonest colour, with red and white as the alternatives, and snow-tipped or frosted finishes add white to the green.
Snow-tipped garlands and ones with cones and berries look finished as they are. A plain green garland is a base for your own ribbon and baubles.
Length by spot
| Where | Length to look for | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mantelpiece | 1.8 m or 2.7 m | Longer than the mantel, so it can drape |
| Door frame, both sides and top | 5 m or more | For a door about 2 m high and 90 cm wide, two 2.7 m garlands joined at the top |
| Banister | Measure the rail | Allow extra for swags |
| Table run or sideboard | 1 m to 2 m | Laid down the centre, with candles beside it |
A swag is simply a garland hung in a curve between two fixing points. For a banister, Christmas garlands for stairs shows how to measure the rail and how much extra length swags use.
Hanging Christmas garlands on a mantelpiece, door or outdoors
Mantelpiece and fireplace
Lay the garland along the front of the mantelpiece and let the ends drop in a curve. Small removable hooks or a few cable ties round the mantel edge keep it in place. Keep any garland well away from open fires, stoves and candles, whatever the listing says about fire resistance.
Doors and outdoors
Outdoors, fix a garland with cable ties as well as hooks, because wind lifts it, and check that the listing says outdoor use. If it has lights, they need an outdoor rating of their own: see pre-lit Christmas garlands.
More garlands, wreaths and tree decorations
The full range sits under wreaths and garlands. A garland for the tree itself, such as beads, tinsel or ribbon, is a different product: see tree decorations. For mantelpiece layouts, read how to decorate a mantelpiece for Christmas, and for the front door, Christmas front door decoration ideas.
Frequently asked questions: Christmas Garlands
What is the most realistic-looking Christmas garland?
Look for polyethylene (PE) tips, mixed branch shapes such as Norfolk pine and a full 25 cm width. Pull each branch out and bend it so the wire core disappears. Customer photos of the garland in a home show how full it looks better than the product shots.
What is a Christmas garland, and what is a swag?
A garland is a length of greenery, real or artificial, hung along a mantelpiece, door frame, banister or table. A swag is a garland hung in a curve between two fixing points. A wreath is the round version, hung flat.
Where can I get cheap Christmas garlands?
Prices in this collection start around £7, and the median is about £17. Long thin ropes of 10 m or more cost the least per metre, but at about 9 cm wide they look thin next to a full garland.
How do I put a garland on a fireplace?
Lay it along the front of the mantelpiece, with enough length for the ends to drop in a curve. Small removable hooks or a few cable ties round the mantel edge keep it in place. Keep it well away from open fires, stoves and candles.
Can I use a Christmas garland outside?
Only if the listing says outdoor use, since some are listed for indoor use only. Fix it with cable ties as well as hooks, because wind lifts a garland. If it has lights, they need an outdoor rating of their own.
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