Create a Magical Christmas Mantel with these Tips
Looking for inspiration on how to decorate your mantel for Christmas? These simple decorating tips will help you create a festive holiday mantel in no time.
This post shares how to decorate a mantel for Christmas.
I have always dreamed of having a large, traditional fireplace to warm me up on cold winter days. The fire crackles as you relax in a cozy chair, wrapped in a soft blanket, sipping hot cocoa. Okay, let’s leave the Hallmark movie for a moment and appreciate the simple reality.
All fireplaces can look beautiful at Christmas with a few decorations and creativity. With these simple steps, your home will feel cozy and warm and ooze that Christmas magic.
How to Decorate a Mantel for Christmas
Although a built-in fireplace is beautiful, our electric fireplace fits our small living room perfectly. I enjoy decorating it every season, especially at Christmas!
1. What to put above the fireplace mantel
When it comes to decorating a mantel for Christmas, the first step is to determine what items to display above it. You can choose to keep your current decor, whether it’s a piece of artwork or a television. If you have a Samsung picture frame TV, you have the option to display art on your television, which is a great feature.
If you haven’t heard of Samsung’s The Frame TV, you can easily display artwork, movies, and memories.
Above my mantel, I have also added a wreath in the past, which was very pretty. In this post, I am showcasing a winter art print from Collection Prints using a frame I bought from Ikea. The mix of soft white colors with grey and brown is simply beautiful, which helped me choose my theme for this Christmas.
artwork recommendation
Collection Prints
Collection Prints is one of my go-to places when I want to change out my artwork. Katie, from Halfway Wholistic, owns this small business, and her style is truly amazing! Visit Collection Prints to see her latest additions!
2. Choosing a Christmas Theme
When choosing a Christmas theme, there are a few things to consider. You should think about the colors, decorations, and overall mood that you want to create. You can go with traditional red and green colors, or you can choose something more modern and trendy.
Decide if you want to use Christmas symbols like Santa Claus, snowmen, and reindeer or if you want to keep it minimal. Whatever you choose, it will be the perfect fit for you.
My theme for my home is what I would call a Simple White Wonderland featuring predominantly white and light colors with minimal decorations. Flocked greens were a perfect addition to the theme’s decor.
3. How to Add Garland to a Fireplace Mantel
When adding garland to your fireplace, it’s generally recommended to match the type of garland with the type of Christmas tree you have. For example, if you have a flocked tree, it’s best to use flocked garland, and if you have a green tree, green garland is the way to go. Okay, I must confess that I have broken this “rule,” but it’s important to keep in mind that consistent greenery will help create a cohesive look.
From my experience, using one garland on its own is not quite enough. Consider tying two together or adding more green stems to fill in the gaps.
To attach the garland to the mantel, you can use 3M hooks. Just ensure they are large enough to hold the weight of the garland you are using. You can set the garland on the top of the mantel or hang it over the edge. You can style the garland evenly and balanced on both sides. The latest trend is asymmetrical, where you have one side hanging over the edge, which is the look I chose for my Simple Winter Wonderland theme.
When decorating your mantel for Christmas, consider adding picks to your garland to add color. I found these white berry picks at a local decor shop, and I love how they look on the mantel. I will also be adding them to our Christmas tree.
Once you have arranged the garland to your liking, you can easily add fairy lights to complete the look.
4. Add Balance and Layers when Decorating
Imagine you’re standing in front of a mantel, ready to decorate it. Your goal is to create an aesthetically pleasing display that will catch the eye of anyone who enters the room. The key to achieving this lies in understanding the concept of scale – how the size of each object you use relates to the others.
In the image below, you will notice that I moved the third candle stick from the trio to the opposite side of the mantel. To balance out the arrangements, I added two wooden trees of varying heights. I used the scale and balance technique to create an aesthetically pleasing display.
If you want a balanced look, you’ll want to place decorations on both sides of the mantel. However, to avoid visual clutter and imbalance, it’s important that you vary the height of the objects. This will draw the eye up and down, creating a sense of visual interest and harmony.
5. The Final Touches
Don’t forget to add your Christmas stockings; they are a must-have for a warm and cozy atmosphere. You can also hang bells or tie some pretty ribbons for more decoration.
Christmas Mantel Decorating Inspiration
These are some of my favorite Christmas mantels from bloggers and designers. Each design offers unique decorating tips to create your own masterpiece.
Bria Hammel Interiors
Studio McGee
Zevy Joy
Life on Cedar Lane
Monika Hibbs
Stonegable
The Lily Pad Cottage
Halfway Wholistic
Jillian Harris
How to Decorate a Mantel for Christmas
Enjoy the process as you prepare your mantel for Christmas. Editing is a part of decorating, so you can always move things around after you sit with it for a while.
- Decide what to put above the mantel.
- Chose a Christmas Theme
- Add Garland and Lights
- Add Balance, Layers, and Style
- Don’t forget the personal details
Leave a comment and let me know if you have a fireplace mantel and how you will be styling for Christmas.
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Holiday Inspiration
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