You've been waiting a long time for an answer and I'm not sure I have it. Hopefully you weren't making something for Christmas. Anyway, I used a braided rope made of rafia. It was about 4 inches wide and I then glued my dried flowers to it. Mine was only about 4 ft. long. Maybe you could try draping it the way you want it before adding the flowers. Hope this helps.

Thank you for taking the time to answer; I wish our poor board could get more visitors. I ended up putting the bundles on a wreath instead, but I'd still like to be able to make a garland someday. I think garlands are so pretty and graceful. Next time, I'll try a heavier base. Some of the sage stems were a little bulky.