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Make your own holiday garland using backyard foliage

Floral designer Lori Eschler Frystak of Blossom Alliance foraged in her own Los Angeles backyard, as well as those of her neighbors, to create an elegant garland for the holidays.

Floral designer Lori Eschler Frystak of Blossom Alliance foraged in her own Los Angeles backyard, as well as those of her neighbors, to create an elegant garland for the holidays.  (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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During the holidays, we expect to see evergreen garlands, often made with cedar boughs. But according to floral designers who want to “go local,” you don’t have rely on Pacific Northwest’s forests to decorate doorways, mantels or tabletops. Here’s a step-by-step garland recipe:

DIY holiday garland

Step one: You’ll need a sharp garden pruner or clipper, wire cutters, floral shears and one package of paddle wire (22 gauge), available at craft or floral supply outlets.   (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

DIY holiday garland

Step two: Make a series of mini-bouquets, varying the ingredients by color, texture and leaf size. “The longer the branches, the looser-looking your garland will be,” Eschler Frystak said. “I like to combine long and short branches for a fuller look.”   (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

DIY holiday garland

Lay out the bouquets in a pleasing order. This will help you gauge the garland’s final length and also let you balance the elements.   (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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DIY holiday garland

Step three: Lori Eschler Frystak ties each bouquet comprised of knife blade acacia, linifolium, pearl acacia, protea, eucalyptus and baby blue together with a wire. Wrap the wire along the entire length of the gathered stems.  (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

DIY holiday garland

Step 4: Beginning at one end, wire the stems of each bunch to its predecessor, staggering as you go to prevent gaps.   (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

DIY holiday garland

Step 5: Wire the last cluster of foliage and flowers so it faces the opposite direction. Pull it tightly into the garland to hide stems. Alternately, you can make two garlands and secure them in the middle.  (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

DIY holiday garland

California-grown protea and banksia blooms procured from Resendiz Brothers, a San Diego-area flower farm, were used as accents.  (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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DIY holiday garland

Based on a silver-green and creamy-white palette, the garland design is more versatile than a conventional red-and-green scheme. “I wanted a garland that would cross over from Christmas or Hanukkah into New Year’s,” said Laurie Eschler Frystak.  (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

DIY holiday garland

If you keep the garland out of the sun and away from an indoor heat source, it will stay fresh for a week or longer. Lightly mist the garland with a water bottle to keep it hydrated. “It will also look nice after the ingredients have dried,” Eschler Frystak said.  (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

DIY holiday garland

Together the wide variety of elements creates a textural, lush-looking swag that can be draped or hung -- inside or outside. While Eschler Frystak would likely charge $500 or more for a 6-foot-long, custom-made garland like this one, it’s possible to craft your own, she said.   (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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