Quick answer: To decorate a mirror for Christmas, hang a lightweight garland from two or three small hooks fixed to the wall (or to the top edge of the frame) so it drapes across the top and down one or both sides without covering the middle of the glass. Add a bow at one top corner, tuck in battery-powered LED fairy lights, and keep the total weight light. To hang a wreath on a mirror, loop a ribbon over the top of the frame or tie it around a muntin, and let the wreath sit against the glass. Plan on about 6 feet of garland for a 32 x 20 inch mirror and 9 feet for a 48 x 28 inch mirror, and never use nails, tape or heavy wire on the glass itself.
A mirror is one of the easiest places in an American home to decorate for the holidays. It is already a focal point, it usually sits somewhere guests see first, like the entryway, the mantel or above a console, and it doubles everything you put near it: the twinkle lights, the tree, the candle glow. Most families start decorating over the Thanksgiving weekend, which falls on November 26 this year, so now is a good time to plan the look and buy what you need before the Black Friday rush. This guide covers how to put garland on a mirror, how to hang a wreath on a mirror, how to add lights safely, how much garland each mirror size needs, and a few ideas made for arched windowpane mirrors.
What You Need to Decorate a Mirror for Christmas
- A lightweight garland. Faux cedar, pine or eucalyptus garlands with a wire core are the easiest to shape. Fresh greenery looks beautiful but is heavier and drops needles as it dries.
- Small clear adhesive hooks or cord clips. Use hooks rated for the weight of your garland and for the surface you stick them to (painted wall, metal frame or glass; the packaging says which). Two or three hooks hold most garlands.
- Floral wire or green twist ties to fix the garland to the hooks and to attach bows and picks.
- Wired ribbon about 2.5 inches wide for bows and for hanging a wreath.
- Battery-powered LED fairy lights on a thin copper or green wire, ideally with a timer.
- Optional accents: a small wreath, pinecones, dried orange slices or a few shatterproof ornaments.
Before you start, clean the glass and the frame. Spray glass cleaner onto a microfiber cloth rather than onto the mirror, then wipe the frame with a dry cloth so adhesive hooks bond properly.
How to Hang Garland on a Mirror
There are three classic ways to put garland on a mirror. All three start with the same rule: let hooks carry the garland, and let the mirror only carry the look.
1. The symmetrical swag
Fix one hook just above each top corner of the mirror and a third just above the center. Find the middle of the garland, hang it on the center hook, then drape each side over a corner hook so it swoops gently between them. Let both tails fall the same length down the sides, usually one-third to halfway down the frame. This is the most formal look and suits a mirror over a mantel or a dining room sideboard.
2. The asymmetrical drape
Use two hooks: one above the top left corner and one above the top right. Hang the garland about 6 inches in from its end on one hook, swoop it across the top, secure it on the second hook, and let the long tail fall down the other side toward the console. Put the bow where the garland changes direction. Designers like this look because it feels relaxed, and it balances a lamp or a tall plant on the opposite side.
3. The full frame
For a "wreath" effect, run the garland all the way around the frame. Fix a hook at the top center as an anchor, then place small cord clips every 6 to 8 inches around the frame, or wrap the garland with floral wire at a few points. This works best on round mirrors and on smaller mirrors, because a full frame of greenery on a big mirror gets heavy fast.
On an arched mirror
Arched mirrors are made for garland. Let the garland follow the curve of the arch, held at the top center and at each shoulder where the arch meets the straight sides, then let one or both tails run down the sides. Because the curve already draws the eye up, a single slim garland looks fuller on an arch than on a rectangle. Our cover photo shows the look: a slim cedar garland along the arch of a 48 x 28 inch black arched windowpane mirror, a velvet bow on the right shoulder and nothing on the glass itself.
How Much Garland Do You Need? Mirror Size Chart
Sizes are Salkala arched windowpane mirrors, measured as outer frame height x width. Lengths assume the garland runs along the top and partway down the sides; add 20 to 30 percent if you want a full, layered look.
| Mirror size (H x W) | Where it usually hangs | Garland for top + side tails | Garland for a full frame | Best decorating style |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 x 20 in | Entryway, hallway, above a small console | About 6 ft | About 9 ft | Full frame or a small wreath hung in the center |
| 48 x 28 in | Above a mantel, console, sideboard or dresser | About 9 ft | About 13 ft | Garland along the arch with an asymmetrical tail |
| 64 x 30 in | Leaned or hung on a large living room wall | About 10 to 12 ft | About 16 ft | Arch garland plus a wreath hung low on the glass |
| 70 x 30 in | Floor mirror in a bedroom corner or living room | About 10 to 12 ft | Not recommended (too heavy) | Garland over the top with lights, keep the base clear |
| Pair of 48 x 28 in | Above a sofa or a long sideboard | About 9 ft each, or one 15 ft garland across both | Not recommended | One continuous swag linking both arches |
How to Hang a Wreath on a Mirror
A wreath hung on a mirror looks like it floats against the reflection, and it is one of the most searched Christmas mirror ideas for good reason. Here are three ways to do it, from easiest to most secure:
- Ribbon over the top. Tie a long length of wired ribbon to the top of the wreath, run it up the glass and over the top of the frame, and fix it at the back of the frame or to a hook on the wall behind. Add a bow at the top of the frame to hide the fixing. This works on any mirror that hangs with a small gap behind it.
- A clear hook on the glass. Stick a small clear adhesive hook rated for glass where the top of the wreath should sit, wait for the adhesive to set as the packaging directs, then hang the wreath with a twist-tie loop. The wreath hides the hook. Keep this to small, light wreaths.
- Tie it to a muntin. On a windowpane mirror, the metal grid does the work for you. Loop floral wire or ribbon around a horizontal muntin (the bar between panes) and hang the wreath from it. No adhesive touches the glass, and you can center the wreath perfectly in one row of panes.
Size the wreath to the mirror: about one-third to one-half of the mirror's width looks balanced. That means a 10 to 12 inch wreath on a 28 inch wide mirror and a 12 to 14 inch wreath on a 30 inch wide floor mirror.
How to Add Christmas Lights to a Mirror
- Use battery-powered LED fairy lights. They run cool, have no cord to hide and are light enough to weave through garland. A timer setting turns them on as the sun sets, which is now before 5 p.m. in much of the country since the clocks fell back on November 1.
- Weave, do not wrap. Tuck the wire into the garland from the back so only the bulbs show. Wrapping lights tightly around a frame looks busy and is hard to remove.
- Let the mirror double the glow. Lights in the garland reflect in the glass, so you need fewer strands than you think. One 10-foot strand is plenty for a 48 x 28 inch mirror.
- Keep open flames away. Real candles and dried greenery do not mix. Keep candles off any shelf directly below a decorated mirror and use flameless candles instead.
Christmas Mirror Decoration Ideas by Room
Entryway
The entry mirror is the first thing guests see. A slim garland with one bow and a small bowl of pinecones on the console below is enough. Keep anything tall off the console so it does not block the reflection or get knocked by coats.
Over the mantel
Run one garland along the mantel shelf and a second, lighter one along the mirror's arch, so the two frame the fireplace together. Leave a few inches of bare wall between the mantel decor and the bottom of the mirror so the frame still reads clearly. Our guide to choosing and hanging a mirror over the fireplace covers sizing and spacing.
Dining room
A mirror above the sideboard can reflect the table and the candlelight during holiday dinners. Choose a symmetrical swag here, and keep ribbon colors in line with your table linens.
Living room console or sofa wall
Position the mirror where it reflects the tree, and you will see the lights twice from the sofa. A deep navy frame looks especially good with evergreen and red; the dark blue 48 x 28 inch arched windowpane mirror pairs well with traditional plaid and brass decor.
Floor mirror
Drape garland over the top of a leaning floor mirror and let it fall down one side, but keep the base clear so nobody trips and the mirror stays stable. Never hang extra weight from a mirror that is only leaning; strap it to the wall first.
Arched Windowpane Mirror Ideas for Christmas
A windowpane mirror gives you extra ways to decorate that a plain mirror does not:
- Center a small wreath in the top arch, tied with ribbon to the spokes, so it looks like a wreath in a church window.
- Hang three small shatterproof ornaments on ribbons of different lengths from one horizontal muntin.
- Add a red ribbon down the center muntin from the top of the arch to the bottom of the frame, finished with a bow at the top, for a "wrapped gift" look.
- Put a small mirror in the entry or a guest room with a full-frame garland. A 32 x 20 inch black arched windowpane mirror takes about 9 feet of garland all the way around.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Too much weight. A heavy, layered garland can weigh several pounds. Carry it on hooks fixed to the wall, not on the mirror, and make sure the mirror itself is secured at two points.
- Covering the glass. Keep at least two-thirds of the glass clear. The reflection is what makes a decorated mirror glow.
- Tape, nails or hot glue. Tape leaves residue on glass and paint, and anything driven into a frame can damage the finish.
- Ignoring what it reflects. Stand where guests will stand and check the reflection. You want the tree or the window in it, not the stack of shipping boxes.
- Decorating a wobbly mirror. If the mirror moves when you touch it, secure it before you decorate: screw into a stud or use anchors rated well above its weight, at two points.
Shopping for a Mirror Before the Holidays
If you are buying a new mirror to decorate this year, measure the wall and the furniture below it first, and aim for a mirror about two-thirds the width of the console, mantel or sideboard. Arched shapes make the most of garland. Every Salkala arched windowpane mirror uses 3 mm tempered safety glass in a powder-coated metal frame, comes with two screws and two wall anchors, and has a 1-year frame warranty. Delivery is free across the USA, so ordering in early November leaves time to hang it before Thanksgiving guests arrive. You can compare sizes on the 48 x 28 arched mirror product page.
Taking Decorations Down
When the season ends, remove adhesive hooks by pulling the release tab slowly straight down along the surface, never outward. Lift off any adhesive residue on glass with a little rubbing alcohol on a cloth, then clean the glass and frame as usual. Store garland in a bag or box so it keeps its shape for next year.
The Short Version
Hang a lightweight garland from two or three small hooks so it follows the top of the mirror and drapes down one or both sides, add one bow and battery LED lights, and keep most of the glass clear. Hang a wreath with a ribbon over the frame, a small clear hook or, on a windowpane mirror, a loop around a muntin. Allow about 6 feet of garland for a 32 x 20 inch mirror and 9 feet for a 48 x 28 inch mirror, keep heavy weight off the mirror itself, and check the reflection before the guests arrive.
About this guide: written by the Salkala Decor team using widely used interior design and holiday decorating practices and the published dimensions of our own mirrors. Garland lengths are approximate; always follow the weight ratings on your hooks and check your own walls and fixings before decorating.
