Dress Up Your Mailbox With Greenery For The Holidays

Buy Fresh Greenery

During the holidays, nothing tops fresh greenery, indoors and out. Enter Gracious Garlands, an online greenery boutique that ships fresh garlands, wreaths, and more right to your door. Based in Nashville and Austin, this shop has grown from a local service to a nationwide operation. Elle Pugh grew up assisting her mother, Vicki Worsham, with the business, sourcing greenery from Vicki's home state of North Carolina, making holiday deliveries, and installing decorations in clients' homes. Now, Elle has taken the reigns as owner and operator of the online-only service.

Gracious Garlands mailbox decor kit — Courtesy of Gracious Garlands

Opt for a Kit

Thanks to the high demand for mailbox installations, Elle created a do-it-yourself Floral Mailbox Kit to bring a similar custom look to your corner of the country (BUY IT: Floral Mailbox Kit, $149; graciousgarlands.com). "Our whole ethos of Gracious Garlands is hospitality. This idea of leaning into slow living and how can you use natural elements to elevate your home with ease," says Elle. The kit includes an 8-foot pine garland; bunches of magnolia, Fraser fir, Carolina sapphire, Leyland cypress, and gold-tipped cedar; pinecones; and floral wire. It also comes with a video tutorial with instructions for bringing the lush display to life. Keep the look natural, or top off the arrangement with a bow of your own. If you're looking for a simpler look and installation, try Gracious Garlands' Tri-Mix Mailbox Swag (BUY IT: $75; graciousgarlands.com).

Gracious Garlands offers fresh greenery year-round for decorating and entertaining. In the spirit of hospitality, Gracious Garlands gives back to its communities by donating a portion of its sales to Austin-based Rosa Rebellion and Nashville-based Thistle Farms.

Ideas for Your Mailbox

Here's more inspiration for dressing your mailbox for the holidays.

01 of 07

The Modern Marvel

Not all swags have to fit the holiday mold. If you’re a decorating veteran searching for something a little out of the box, try the pine tree’s wilder (and ganglier) cousin. “Curly pine is fun because it creates different lines than those you usually see,” says Birmingham florist and stylist Brooke McAfee. Huckleberry sprigs are a leafy and equally unexpected addition. Silver ornaments and slender ribbons in nontraditional colors (orange, French blue, and navy) complete the arrangement.

02 of 07

Winter Mailbox Topper

Christmas Decorating Ideas: Mailbox Topper — Top off a square mailbox with an abundant bouquet of winter plants. Fill a wide, shallow planter with a mix of pansies, flowering cabbage, cedar, fir, lavender, and rosemary trimmed to resemble a Christmas tree. Tuck in ornaments and oversize pinecones to. Photo by Jim Bathie

This simple topper uses only a few supplies and is perfect for mailboxes encased in brick. Combine winter plants like pansies, fir, cedar, lavender, and flowering cabbage in a shallow planter. Add rosemary trimmed into a Christmas tree shape. Decorate the arrangement with Christmas ornaments and pinecones. Adorn your mailbox with a festive bow.

03 of 07

The Classic Charmer

If nostalgia is what you value at this time of year, then going the traditional route (aka how your grandma may have gussied up her mailbox) is a solid choice. This arrangement is anchored with cedar boughs and sprigs of cypress and holly. Sugar pinecones are the sweet, statement-making finisher. “They’re massive and gorgeous,” says Birmingham florist and stylist Brooke McAfee. “I love embellishing everything with them at Christmas.”

04 of 07

Garland Mailbox Drape

Christmas Decorating Ideas: Mailbox Decoration — Wrap sheer ribbon loosely around a pine garland and drape the garland around the mailbox. Wire clusters of bright nandina berries to the top of the post, and finish with a big bow for an eye-catching Christmas flourish. Photo by Jim Bathie

Make going out to get the mail—and all of those holiday cards from friends—a cheerful chore. Wrap a pine garland with bright ribbon and drape it around your mailbox, securing with fishing line or thin wire where necessary. Clusters of greenery top the display. Add berries and a large bow for the crowning touch.

05 of 07

The Special-Occasion Stunner

The Special-Ocassion Stunner — ROBBIE CAPONETTO; STYLING: BROOKE MCAFEE; MAILBOX: COURTESY BRANDINO BRASS CO

Garden roses may not be in your typical December-decorating repertoire, but as the stars of this look, they’re whimsical and exciting. Since they won’t have the shelf life of an evergreen, they’re great for adding the wow factor for a soiree. (When they start to wilt, just replace them with some pinecones or ornaments.) We complemented the rosy hues with clippings of cedar and heather; olive branches make the contemporary palette festive.

06 of 07

Festive Swag

Mailbox decorated for Christmas — Linda Hughes/Getty Images

Take your holiday joy to the curb with this jolly mailbox swag. Gather trimmings from your fresh greenery or lay a garland over the top of your mailbox. Add colorful bells and white lights. A double bow in plaid and red velvet makes a stunning topper.

07 of 07

The Minimalist Masterpiece

When you have foliage as dramatic and magnificent as a magnolia’s, you don’t need much else to round out a display. We added contrast by spray-painting some leaves gold (as the green ones dry, they’ll develop a patina of their own). The natural theme continues with dried Queen Anne’s lace and pinecones as accents. For an extra hit of shimmer, miniature (outdoor-safe) gold glass ornaments were wired together to mimic clusters of holly berries.

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