How to Make a Wreath Gallery to Brighten Your Mantel

This simple tutorial shows how you can easily recycle old garland to make a beautiful wreath gallery for any wall in your home.

More Christmas Wreath Projects: 
DIY Winter Wreath, Natural Christmas Wreath, Moss Covered Wreaths

My mother bought me a beautiful ceramic nativity scene years ago and I always start with it first when decorating the mantel for Christmas. This year I added a fun a fragrant dried lemon peel star garland to the fresh greenery just below.

However, the area above the nativity is quite large. Not very tall but wide, and it always seems like it's missing something.

One year I made the word Joy out of wire hangers and fresh boxwood and hung it above the mantel.

This year I decided to recycle/repurpose some old artificial garland and make a wreath gallery.

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Anyone who has been decorating for a while probably has some of this garland lying around. Though it can get dusty it seems like it lasts forever.

One day I had the idea of creating wreaths from this old garland. 

All you need is some tin snips or some other heavy duty wire cutters to separate the garland into sections.

Then form the sections into a wreath shape and twist the ends together.

You can fluff up and shape all the little branches to make a full wreath, or wrap them around tightly to make a thinner wreath.

 Hang them from the molding with white nails and fishing line so that they blend into the background.

You can make them all different sizes in any pattern you want.

For a little extra bling, I added two strings of fairy lights.

This is how I worked with the lights. Start with the end of the string of lights and wrap it around the first wreath. Hop over to the second wreath and by the time you get to the middle wreath, you will come to the other end with the battery pack which can be set on the mantel.

If you look close you can see it to the left of baby Jesus. This can easily be hidden behind any number of decorations. I'll move it behind Joseph.

Then do the opposite with the second set and leave the battery pack on the mantel making your way through the rest of the middle wreath and over to the remaining two wreaths.

I think they look good without the lights too, which not only makes this project easy but basically free.