How to Hang Garland Over a Doorway (No Damage & Totally Customizable!)

Every year when Christmas rolls around, it’s basically a tradition in our house to frame our foyer doorway with garland. It’s like a little cheerful “welcome home” moment every time we walk in the front door.

Over the years, I’ve tried several methods, but this one is by far my favorite because it’s completely no-damage and holds strong all season long.

This year, I decided to add more garland on the opposite doorway in our foyer too. It’s even better all lit up at night.

You can customize the look in a million different ways: classic, modern, whimsical, natural… whatever matches your own decorating style depending on garland embellishments you choose.

Here’s the exact step-by-step method I use so you can recreate it in your home too.

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Supplies You’ll Need

• Garland (this plain pine garland works best for customizing; you can layer two strands for an extra full look or you can layer two different types for extra depth and variety)
• Command Cable Bundlers
• Command Picture Hanging Strip
• Battery-operated string lights (these warm incandescent-style micro battery lights are my fave)
• Optional embellishments: faux flowers, dried orange slices, berry picks, bells, ribbon, etc.
• Floral wire or wire ornament hooks

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Step 1: Apply Command Cable Bundlers Around the Doorway

Start by placing your Command Cable Bundlers around the top, corners, and sides of the doorway, about every 6–12 inches depending on how heavy your garland is.

For the strongest hold, don’t skip the prep steps on the package:

1. Press the adhesive strip onto the back of the bundler for 30 seconds.
2. Press the bundler onto the wall or trim for another 30 seconds.
3. Wait one full hour before hanging anything. (This is the secret that keeps them from popping off later!)

It’s a tiny bit of delayed gratification, but it ensures everything stays put through the entire season.

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Step 2: Hang the Garland Around the Doorway

Once the bundlers are set, secure the garland into the hooks and work your way around the doorway.

I usually start with a plain pine garland or cedar garland because it gives you a simple “base” to embellish later. If you want extra fullness or texture, layer a second type of greenery on top like magnolia, juniper, berry, cypress, eucalyptus, or whatever style you love.

If any of the Command bundlers peek through, fluff the branches around them until they disappear. You can also tuck in extra sprigs of greenery (I used these cedar picks) right over the bundlers to hide them completely.

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Step 3: Add Lights (the Easy, Wireless Way)

Lights make everything feel magical, right? I’m super picky about string lights, and pre-lit LED garlands often look to blue-ish to me. So I like using these battery-operated golden incandescent style micro lights. (They’re still LED, but they don’t that weird overly bright blue tone, just a warm soft glow.)

But if whimsical is more your style, you can use these multicolored battery string lights instead!

Both types have built-in timers, so I set them to turn on automatically at 5:00pm every evening and never have to think about it again.

Here’s the garland light trick:

• Stick a Command Picture Hanging Strip to the back of the light strand’s battery pack.
• Press the battery pack onto the wall behind the garland where it’s hidden from view.
• Weave the string lights in a zig-zag pattern throughout the branches so the glow feels natural and evenly spread out.

If you’re using two strands for a wider doorway, attach the second battery pack to the opposite side of the frame and hide it behind more of the garland strand in the same way.

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Step 4: Customize Your Garland with Embellishments

This is the fun part transforming plain greenery into something totally unique to your style.

Use floral wire or a simple wire ornament hook to twist onto embellishments such as:

• Faux flower stems
• Dried orange slices
• Berry picks
• Bells
• Ribbon
• Pinecones
• Ornaments

Think of it as jewelry for your doorway. The sky’s the limit! The more variety you add, the more eclectic it feels.

Here are several different doorway garland variations I’ve installed over the years:

I mostly keep my base garland the same. I just change up the look by adding different embellishments.

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Hanging garland over a doorway is one of the easiest ways to add instant Christmas charm to your home, no nails and no wall damage required. This little tradition has become one of my favorite rituals every December, and I hope it becomes a sweet seasonal moment in your home too.

More Christmas Garland Decorating Tricks

• How to Hang Garland on a Fireplace Mantel
• How to Hang Garland on a Stair Railing
• How to Make DIY Dried Orange Garland
• How to Preserve Leaves & Dry Fruit to Use in Garlands

Frequently Asked Questions