It’s finally December, which means it’s officially time to start decorating for Christmas — if you haven’t already, that is. If you’re still in the midst of decking the halls, consider trying the viral Christmas garland-hanging hack that’s taken over TikTok and Instagram in recent weeks.
The game-changing holiday decor trick involves hanging garland from a tension shower curtain rod suspended between entryway arches, doorways and even between kitchen cabinets. The end result looks stunning — and it won’t damage your walls.
To try the hack at home, first secure the curtain rod at eye level. Arrange and twist greenery around the rod (you may need zip ties to secure it), then layer in decorative items like twinkling lights, stylish ornaments, holiday bells or ribbons. Once you’re happy with the final look, simply raise the tension rod into position and tighten it as much as possible.
Home decorator @thekwendyhome was one of the first to share the holiday secret on social media just four weeks ago — and many bloggers, influencers and decorators have attempted it since. We reached out to several content creators to ask about their experiences trying the viral hack. Spoiler alert: Most rave that it’s incredibly easy to pull off.
“As a person who hates putting holes in the wall and loves an easy DIY, this hack was right up my alley. It was super easy to install my garland and I have no issues with the tension rod falling. When I first saw this hack, there were so many people using it in doorways and hallways, but I knew I struggled to hang my garland over my sink last year and this was a great solution.” — Danielle Green of @greenssweethome
“My daughter Abby, who’s also my content assistant, joined in on the fun. We found it surprisingly easy — just a little garland bending, and it stayed put. To keep everything secure, having the rod at arm level while styling everything was key. Wrapping the garland around it multiple times and bending it into place worked great — no ties or nails needed… We took it a step further by layering with battery-powered twinkle lights and floral picks.” — Brendt Blanks of @shegaveitago
“I saw @kwendyhome on Instagram share this hack, and it seemed too easy and beautiful — I had to try it myself! When it fell two minutes in, I started to sweat. I had already bought everything I needed, so I didn’t give up — even after it fell a couple more times. I think the trick was once you tighten it as tight as the rod could go, tighten it even more. I made sure to really load up on ornaments and tinsel to cover spots where the rod was showing through the garland.” — Lacey Farber of @ponderosaandplaid
“I actually have a smaller opening, so I purchased a shower stall rod because all of the other rods were too big — it worked perfectly. It was a little tricky in the beginning. My husband helped me and we kept trying to get the rod tight enough but when we turned the rod to tighten it, the garland kept falling. We decided to use zip ties to attach the garland to the rod, then once we got the rod in place at the top, we attached more zip ties to secure it.” — Stephanie Hanna of @stephaniehannablog
“I would say this hack was pretty easy, but a little tricky getting the garland to stay in place and not slide around. It helped to add additional decor pieces to sort of obstruct the garland from sliding. I used a tension rod, garland, a few S-hooks, rustic bells, a beaded wood garland and some rattan lights — oh, and a fun bow. By evenly distributing the weight, and being sure the tension rod was secured tightly, keeping everything in place wasn’t a problem.” — Gianna Nicolette Caputo of @indie.boho.nest
Associate Lifestyle Editor
Alyssa Gautieri (she/her) is the associate lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers all things home and interior design. Prior to joining GH in 2022, she wrote for publications including ELLE Decor, Chairish, BobVila.com, Unique Homes Magazine and LODGING Magazine, in addition to crafting product copy for home brands like BrylaneHome and VIGO Industries.
