I Tried the Viral TikTok Shower Rod Garland Hack — Here’s What Happened

This holiday season, I’m decking my apartment with plenty of fresh greenery — not only for the whimsical winter aesthetic, but also to offset the lack of festive aroma from my faux Christmas tree. So when I saw this viral TikTok shower rod garland hack, I knew I had to try it out.

TikToker and blogger @thekwendyhome posted a video, shown below, demonstrating how to DIY a holiday garland using a tension rod. This decor hack solves one of the most annoying problems about styling a seasonal garland, which is figuring out how to actually hang it. Plus, you don’t have to screw hooks or nails into the wall, or worry about whether Command Strips will actually hold the weight of the display.

Best of all? This allows you to hang a garland from virtually any doorway, walkway, window, or sliding glass door — you just need a little bit of wall space in between to install the rod. I broke down how to recreate this renter-friendly decoration, step by step, plus provided some of my top tips for styling your finished look.

How to Recreate the TikTok Shower Rod Garland Hack

For this project, I decided to frame one of the doorways in our living room. While you could absolutely use faux garland, I opted for the fresh garland from Trader Joe’s, which goes for around $13 a piece, and added in some eucalyptus and evergreen sprigs to fill it out.

1. Install the Tension Rod

You can either install the rod somewhere in the middle of your door or window frame (or any height that’s convenient for you) and then slide it up once the garland’s complete, or you can start with it already positioned at the top. I found the latter option was easier to work with, leaving a small gap of space between the rod and door frame to weave the garland through and stuff in a few extra sprigs.

2. Wrap the Garland

Next, begin wrapping the garland around the pole, sort of like a snake (pictured above). You can thread it through as tightly or loosely as you want; just make sure that the ends are even for a more balanced look.

3. Fill in the Gaps

If you want to make the decoration appear fuller, I also found it best to fill in blank spaces with the rod already styled at the top of my door frame. That way, you have a small opening to poke and weave accessories through; plus, you don’t have to worry about potentially dismantling your design once you push it upward on the opening. To bulk up the sides, you can even attach cuttings from your Christmas tree with floral wire.

4. Decorate

I love the look of a simple green garland, but you can also decorate this with bows, fairy lights, florals, berries, strings of beads, and even dried orange slices. Pick your preferred accents, and go for it!

Shower Curtain Rod Garland Decorating Tips

Once your shower rod and garland are installed, it’s easy to spruce it up for a more decorative, personalized look. Check out some of the ways I elevated my own holiday decoration, and find a few tips for this hack that I wish I knew before taking it on.

1. Layer in Eucalyptus

To complete my DIY garland, I picked up some additional greenery from the Trader Joe’s floral section. This time of year, you can find a few varieties of eucalyptus for contrasting textures. Or try using Christmas tree cuttings or other evergreen sprigs. Either way, these additions help create a more fresh, natural aesthetic and scent — especially if you use a faux garland as your base.

2. Use Flower Wire

Having floral wire on hand can also be useful. I used it to secure extra sprigs along my garland, but you can also use it to tie down some straggler pieces (especially because natural garland can get unruly) or to secure the garland around parts of the rod to ensure stability.

3. Add Berries or Seasonal Blooms

For a pop of color, consider layering in seasonal blooms — either fresh, dried, or fake — or stems of berries. Similar to winter greens, there are plenty of options to choose from this season, whether you buy a bouquet of fresh branches from Trader Joe’s or a florist, or opt for something faux, like the Bloom Room Christmas Red Berry Stem from JOANN.

4. Make a Dried Orange Garland

If you want to get a little more crafty, you could also dehydrate orange slices and create your own fruit-infused garland to wrap around the rod. A pop of citrus color provides a pretty contrast against the greenery.

5. Tie a Bow in the Center

If you want to anchor a festive focal point, make a bow out of thick velvet ribbon, and use a piece of floral wire to fasten it in place. Depending on the thickness of your garland and the length of your ribbon, you can also tie a bow directly around the rod itself.

6. Spray Paint Your Shower Rod

I chose a white shower rod that matched my door frame, but once I started adding the greenery, I wished that it looked a little more camouflaged. To help the rod disappear, I recommend spray painting it a deep green hue so it blends into the greenery.