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Tips for How to Hang Garland, Wreaths and Stockings {without nails}

by | Dec 4, 2013 | Decorating Inspiration, Christmas Decorating, DIY, Holidays, my house, Our Holidays

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Tips for How to Hang Garland, Wreaths and Stockings {without nails}

One question I am asked every year is “how do you hang garland, stockings, ornaments and wreaths on your fireplace or around doors and windows and at different levels without getting holes all over the mantel?”

Well, that is a good question!

With my fireplace all spruced up with the new stone front, wood planked area above and fresh paint on the surround and mantel, I don’t want it to get filled with holes just so I can hang Christmas decorations.

Tips for How to Hang Garland, Wreaths and Stockings {without nails}

Here are a few elements I use and some tips that might be helpful, no matter where you want to hang your Christmas decor!

1. Command Hooks.

Command hooks are really the best thing I’ve found for hanging wreaths, garland and stockings on my mantel, door, or wall, without nails! If you haven’t used them yet, they are little hooks with a non-damaging adhesive double sided tape on the back. I get mine here or at a hardware store like Home Depot. They come in different sizes, from tiny to larger ones to hold lightweight or a bit heavier items. I stuck a few at the back of my mantel and on the sides (although I sometimes just use a nail for a hook if it is hidden on the side).

Tips for How to Hang Garland, Wreaths and Stockings {without nails}

I also use larger command hooks to hold the wreaths, especially in places where there is no other way to hang it or if I would prefer not to put a nail hole, such as in my planked walls. They also work to hang garland on and around doors or windows, too.

The hooks generally do not damage the walls or paint when you remove them, but do follow the manufacturers instructions and use at your own risk. You definitely want to make sure the area you are going to put a hook on is clean and dry (and dust free!).

I don’t think they stick as well if they are too near the heat of the fire (sometimes mine have fallen down, probably from the adhesive melting!), but if decorations are that near the heat they probably shouldn’t be hung there just for safety reasons.  One thing I do just as a precaution is to pick up any ornaments that are in the way and set them on the mantel or somewhere else when we have a fire, just so nothing gets too hot or breaks.

Tips for How to Hang Garland, Wreaths and Stockings {without nails}

2. Twine, thread, ribbon or clear fishing line.

To hang ornaments or stockings on different levels, you can hang them with brown twine like I used on my mantel for a little more rustic look, or you can use a festive ribbon, a simple clear fishing line or white thread or string depending on what look you want.

Last year I hung gold mirrored ornaments from my dining room lantern with clear fishing line so from a distance the string basically disappears and all you really notice are the ornaments hanging. If you are hanging the ornaments from a mantel or window, just stick a command hook in a discrete spot and then you can hang the ornaments with thread, fishing wire, ribbon or twine and attach them to the hook.

Tips for How to Hang Garland, Wreaths and Stockings {without nails}

3. Big sticks or branches.

This year for my mantel I used a birch branch that I found while I was out on a walk! It was heavy enough to stay on the mantel without support, but I could have tied it down to the command hooks as an extra precaution. My ornaments are hanging directly from the branch. For an extra bit of sparkle, I set the branch on some fun beaded string lights and wound a few of the wires around the branch. I love it! Last year I hung a branch across our window and hung ornaments from it. I only had to secure the branch with a hook, rather than each individual ornament.

Tips for How to Hang Garland, Wreaths and Stockings {without nails}

Thanks, everyone, for your kind comments on my Christmas House tour. It was so fun opening my home and inviting you in, and hopefully you got a better feel for the rooms and layout, too, since you could “walk through” and see more angles all in one post, kind of like in real life. I love walking through other people’s houses!

I’m still doing little bits to the house here and there, we just got a ginormous tree (you may have seen it on my Instagram) so I’ll show you that soon along with my front porch which is all done and photographed to show you next week!

Tips for How to Hang Garland, Wreaths and Stockings {without nails}

Every day this week there are new Christmas Housewalk tours at other blogger’s homes, so be sure to visit Jen Rizzo to get the full list of links each day. You can find links here to her posts Day One, Day Two and Day Three. These women are so creative and ambitious with their Christmas decor! It’s quite an impressive Housewalk, so don’t miss it!

(I’m feeling like such an underachiever after seeing how much these ladies do, but I still love to see their lovely home tours even if I’m feeling like a slacker at my own house!). I know bloggers all work so hard to clean, decorate and photograph for their tours, and it can be stressful opening up your home for the world to see, so they appreciate our visits and support!).

How’s your week so far? :-)


Tips for How to Hang Garland, Wreaths and Stockings {without nails}

35 Comments

  1. Adrienne

    I love the branch idea! We live in the desert so I probably just want what I won’t be able to find ;) I also love the various types of string you show to use…. I wouldn’t have thought of that, but it is such a simple solution! Then I can hang breakables away from the little hands that will want to grab them… :)

    Reply
  2. Linda

    Thanks for the hanging info. Always a difficulty for me. Busy week until Friday. A bonus, girls have early dismissal.

    Reply
  3. Miranda

    You didn’t really give any tips for hanging stockings at all. Nothing you listed is strong enough to support the weight of a stocking with actual gifts inside. And how stupid it would be to hang empty stockings with the intent to NOT put anything in them.

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Ours stay empty until Santa comes and then as he fills them he sets each stocking on the floor or a chair :-). If I wanted to fill them and then hang them, I would use stronger hooks to accommodate the weight, or multiple hooks if things in it were heavier. I used two command strips to hold my heavy stained glass on a window sill for five years and they never tipped or budged. But like I said, use your own discretion and at your own risk.

      Reply
    • Jamie

      Wow… this is the most negative reply to a helpful post I’ve ever seen.

      Reply
    • COLLEEN THIEMANN

      I too must be one of the dumb ones family tradition since i was a child was to hang the stockings and then Christmas morning we would find them sometimes hidden; sometimes w/our pile of Christmas clothes. Christmas eve was present time and then Christmas morning we found what santa left as extra treats. Church came first on Christmas day so we did not have time for much else besides the stockings. That tradition still is followed by daughters and their families; grandkids, nieces, nephews etc on down the line.

      Reply
    • Shaunna

      Miranda hopefully got coal last year.

      A bit late on the uptake but I stumbled across your website for hints and tips for this year (new place and new decorating challenges).

      I have picked up a few good tips that I definitely intend to use, and some that I most probably won’t. I very much appreciate you and your website for compiling information that I might have had to look a lot further for elsewhere. It takes someone to have a lot of creativity and drive to think of these ideas let alone put them on the web for other people to use and benefit from.

      I believe that the whole “entitlement” culture is slowly destroying people. Sure, come to a website and be a bit disappointed if you don’t find what you are looking for but to go so far as to post a mean spirited comment is, quite frankly, nasty.

      Rant over, I was just very annoyed to see that comment.

      Thank you Melissa and all other bloggers who do the work so that we don’t have to. Long may you keep it up.

      Shaunna

      Reply
    • Tony

      Miranda, Try painting two by fours green and red then use 3imch #2 screws to mount it to your mantle or studs in the wall. That should hold at least 50#pounds of coal for your stocking Miranda. No doubt reusable and definitely holds the weight.

      Reply
    • Deb

      You underestimate the power / strength of a command hook, lol . . . I have put on the wall hung by a command strip filled with makeup, candy, etc. for my daughters and in one case thought I might have to take the wall down.

      Reply
  4. Mindy

    I used the command strips for a few things, but they’re just so dang expensive. For the last few years, I’ve been bustin’ out the paperclips. Just unfold them and they’re great for hooking wreaths and garland over picture frames, headboards, armoires, etc. And there always seems to be enough in the junk drawer. :)

    Reply
  5. Lucy

    Thanks for the really useful tips. Could the command hooks be useful for bunting the rest of the year?

    Reply
  6. Ann

    I love your branch! I am loving those command hooks and also the strips to hang items with a flat back and no hanging hooks/holes. I have to admit to being one of the not-so-smart ones as I DO hang stockings that won’t be filled, lol. They are special ones hand made by a friend and look so cutie-patootie in their special place each year. I bought some tiny clips to hang the greenery around my front door…which I need to go do! Thanks for all the tips.

    Reply
  7. Janine

    Such amazing tips! You are the most blessed wealth of amazing creativity and always an inspiration. Just saying ;0) Janine

    Reply
  8. amy

    Ohhhh – your mantle is beautiful! I love how simple yet festive it is – it’s just right! And great idea on the 3M hooks – I always forget about those! Thanks so much – you’ve inspired me to do a little decorating tonight :)

    Reply
  9. Melinda @ Love Melinda

    So smart! I was hoping I wouldn’t have to mess up our freshly painted walls!

    Reply
  10. Lisa

    Oooo Command Hooks, I’m totally googling those. So useful, thanks for the tip.

    Reply
    • Charlene P

      I like the command hooks idea but how do I put them on the inside upper part of the window sill? The upper area of a picture window? I am new to this. My husband always did this and he has passed. So please HELP!!

      Reply
  11. Sarah @ 702 Park Project

    Great tips! I’m featuring them on my blog today! We have plaster walls, so I’m always looking for new ideas that don’t involve nails! :)

    Reply
  12. Lauren @ Mom Home Guide

    I love how you used the twine to hang the ornaments! A very sweet touch! I may have to use twine, too — I have some on hand!

    Reply
  13. Laura

    I love that turquoise light…where did you get it?

    Reply
  14. Brandi @ Nest of Bliss

    I’ve never thought to use command hooks before! Wow, this could have saved me many holes in the wall this season – time to get out the drywall compound! ;)

    Reply
  15. Amber

    Command hooks! I’ve never heard of these before. You are a life saver!! I was looking for something to hold up garland and decorations on the walls for my engagement party. We are renting the room, so can’t take any chances of damaging the walls. Thanks so much!!

    Reply
  16. ncbelle

    What lovely mantels! Thank you for the inspiration! May I ask were to purchase the little lights on white cord? I also love you lamp from Barnlights. I am having trouble finding that on their website, would you have the info on that? Happy Thanksgiving. Oh & I do hang stockings on mantel just for decoration. I never thought of it as stupid…

    Reply
  17. Cristina Festa

    I use command hook on my mantel as well. Works great.

    Reply
  18. Vivian Nunez

    Hi Melissa

    Love all your ideas.
    Where are your beautiful glass gold silver and turquoise ornaments on mantel from?
    Love them. :)

    Vivian

    Reply
  19. Dee

    I have used command hooks for our stockings for a few years now..and guess what…? The stockings hold up just fine when filled. :-)
    Thanks for the great post. I have taken a few of your ideas here and will add them to some of my own…getting to work on that today!

    Reply
  20. Constance

    Love the command hooks and twine idea. But do the hooks take off the finishing on a wood fireplace? And how would you go about hanging Christmas cards on the wall?

    Reply
  21. Becca

    I want to hang natural cedar garland across my front entry. The home is stucco, which I don’t want yo crack or damage. Do you think the heaviest duty Command hooks, placed at, say, 3 ft intervals would support garland? I can install them in a location that should keep them protected from rain and snow, but the temperature will be below freezing every night. Thanks for your help.

    Reply
  22. Lia

    I love this thank you!! And I love those white stockings!! Homemade??

    Reply
  23. Patty

    I love the simple wreath with the sea stars!

    Reply
  24. Lynn

    Great ,love it all.lynn

    Reply

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