A staircase is visible from the entry, the living room and upstairs, so one well-dressed banister does a lot of work. It usually gets whatever garland is left over, tied on in a straight line. A little more planning makes a big difference.

The banister

Buy enough garland. About 9 feet of garland (on Amazon) for every 6 feet of banister, so there’s enough slack for it to dip.

Swag it. Attach it at the top post, let it dip about 12 inches, attach it again three or four feet further down, and repeat. The dips are what make it look professionally done. A straight line along the rail always looks a bit flat. Afterward, spend a while fluffing the branches outward; that’s most of the difference between a nice garland and a sparse one.

Use green zip ties (on Amazon). Every 18 inches, around the garland and the rail. They disappear in the greenery and stay put through kids and dogs. Trim the tails flush and turn the clasp to the underside of the rail. Adhesive hooks don’t hold on a smooth banister for long.

Lights first. Weave a warm-white strand (on Amazon) through the garland before you hang it, in and out of the branches so the wire disappears. One 33-foot strand per 6 feet of garland is enough. Battery-powered with a timer is the only sensible choice; nobody wants to reach behind the banister every night.

Bows. One at each point where the garland is attached, about a third the width of the dip, which on most banisters means bows around 4 inches across. Wired ribbon (on Amazon) holds its shape all season. Ready-made bows with twist ties save you from learning to tie them.

Two kinds of greenery. Lay a thin cedar or eucalyptus garland over the pine one, offset by a few inches. It covers the thin spots where cheap garland shows its wire and makes the whole thing look fuller.

Twine and dried things, for a rustic look. Wind jute twine around a basic garland every few inches and tuck in dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks and pinecones. It hides the wire core and makes an inexpensive garland look much better.

Or neutral dried flowers. Pampas grass, bleached ruscus and cream dried flowers tucked into a plain cedar garland, if red and gold don’t suit your home. Dried pieces also store well.

Around the stairs

The newel post. Wrap the top six inches of the post at the bottom of the stairs and finish with one big bow, 8 to 10 inches, facing the front door. If the post has a ball cap on top, start just below it.

The bottom step. Three things in a loose triangle against the wall beside the first step: a 3-foot lit tree or big lantern, a basket of pinecones, and a short stack of wrapped empty boxes. Keep it at least 18 inches clear of the path.

Stockings on the railing. Clamp-style holders rated for 5 pounds or more, or ribbon looped over the rail. Space them 12 to 18 inches apart.

Wreaths on the wall. Three small wreaths (on Amazon), 12 to 16 inches, in a line going up the stair wall, following the angle of the steps. Five minutes with adhesive hooks, and now both sides of the staircase are decorated.

LED candles on the steps. A cluster of three on the outer edge of every third step, on the side away from feet. LED only; never real flames on stairs. Set them on a timer.

January

Cut the zip ties, coil the garland into a bag, and put the lights, bows and dried bits in one shoebox.