Magnolia branches are new to a lot of people and have become popular recently with the “farmhouse” style home decor everywhere you turn. For southern women like me, magnolia branches have always been swoon-worthy! Not only are magnolias the state flower and native to my beloved Louisiana, they are absolutely beautiful. The large, flat, deep green leaves make any space in your home feel warm and welcoming almost instantly. There’s only one problem, real magnolia branches are hard to get your hands on!
During the holidays, I wanted a few branches to accent my Christmas greenery. After asking around and searching for cut branches around my neighborhood I came up empty-handed, and had pretty much forgotten about it as the holidays came and went. Then one evening in January, I was walking Henry (our mini-schnauzer) and stumbled across the biggest, most beautiful magnolia branch I had ever seen curbside! I tried to drag it home, but it was way too huge. My sweet husband had to go after it and haul it in the bed of his truck. It was big!
I got to work on it before the leaves dried out and I’m styling it a few ways give you some ideas in case you get your hands on a branch or two. Also, the faux branches you can find in most home decor shops are a great alternative and often look very believable.
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Jamie
Long and Lean
In my bathroom, I kept the branches long and went with a narrow vase (water carafe) because of the limited counter space. I love the way it looks and adds so much warmth to my bathroom!
Short and Squatty (is that a word?)
I used a short, narrow oval vase for this look. It would be perfect for a long table or bar area. Somewhere that needs to be filled, but doesn’t need too much height.
In a Pot
I absolutely love how this turned out! I’ve had this wide vase in it and arranged them to look full and overflowing.
Farmhouse Windowsill
I hadn’t planned to create this look, but when I had a few small leaf clusters left, I played around with a bottle set I hadn’t used in a while. I’m in love with the warmth it adds to my kitchen window! I found this little narrow basket of bottles at Home Goods last year and almost didn’t get it. I definitely recommend it now!
Leaf Place Cards
As I arranged the branches, I lost a few leaves along the way. Don’t worry I came up with a plan, you know I hate to waste! I’ll save the leaves, let them dry out and use them to create place cards next time we host a dinner at the house. I was inspired by this photo from The Lettering Studio. For this look, I’ll use a metallic paint pen.
The Grand Finale
This is the biggest arrangement I’ve ever made, ever! If you follow my Instagram stories, you know how heavy this thing is! It’s a very large a-symmetrical arrangement that would be perfect on the floor, on a very large table (with tall ceilings) or as an outdoor patio accent. I left the branches long and organic looking. The vase I used is a very large olive oil jar reproduction. I found it at Home Goods.
Tip: Use strong kitchen shears or tin snips to cut into the branch at its base. This increases water absorption and helps the branches stay fresh longer!
Jamie
I hope you got some inspiration from my styling tips and enjoyed this post. Comment below if you have any questions!
Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo