Christmas Mantel
Happy Friday! Boy, am I glad it is FRIDAY. It has been a heck of a week, how about for you?
I hope you enjoyed my Christmas Home Tour that I shared yesterday. Thank you to all those that left the kindest, sweetest comments – I can not tell you how great they make me feel. I am really loving how festive & warm our home feels right now and I hope I was able to convey that to you throughout the tour!
As I was putting the post of The Tour together, I was left with many more photos of the fireplace mantel. Instead of making the post miles long, I thought I would create another post on just the mantel. I am so smitten over how the mantel resulted this year, so let me show you around.
Come join me in the family room…
With our tree at one end of the room and the fireplace at the other, this is such a cozy, restful place. The mantel this year is filled with a little old and a little new.
My approach for this years mantel was to lean and layer. What do I mean? From front to back, I added height with various items that I simply leaned on each other to give a layered (dimensional) look.
I started with the stained wood backdrop and added the pretty, glittery wreath I got from Lowe’s last year. Leaning on it, I added the JOY pallet sign, which is really the focal point of the mantel. Then I added a new chalkboard printable & the oversized wood snowflake (a roadside rescue). It’s all about the layers!
The chalkboard printable is something new this year and it is a creation made by my friend Kellie. How did I create it? I saved the printable to a USB key, brought it to Staples and they printed it on blueprint paper for less than $4. I then brought it home and framed it. Easy-Peasy and it is a beautiful addition to the mantel.
For a bit of whimsy, the kids and I collected some branches from the backyard, which I used to fill a simple white vase. It really grounds the fireplace.
When I initially placed the vase on the mantel, the brown branches got lost against the orange wall. To make them stand out more, I took some white craft paint and painted them. A few minutes later, they were finished and dry.
So pretty, right?
When decorating for this Christmas, I ended up changing the place of a few of our festive favorites. One specific DIY creation that we all love & admire each year is the Christmas Card Holder. This season, I chose to hang it to the right of the fireplace and it’s already starting to fill up.
On the other end of the mantel are a few more layered-in elements that give height & interest to the overall mantel. For the last few years, my go-to favorites for Christmas are these modern cone-shaped Christmas trees from the Christmas Tree Shop a few years back. We have them in a few different sizes in white and gold. I just love how sparkly they are! And how simple, yet glowing is a bowl filled with ornaments. A 3-second creation that is beauty to the eye!
This years mantel would not be complete without a WOW. The gorgeous cedar garland truly completed this years mantel montage. I just adore how full and organic it feels. My idea of being inspired by nature this holiday season really came to fruition with this garland.
I am so grateful to my friends at Lynch Creek Farm who sent me the garland, as well as the wreath for the front door. And the smell… I can’t even begin to explain how yummy our home smells. I just wish you could dive through your screen to get a whiff.
Here is a peek at the gorgeous wreath on the front door which you can see more of in my Christmas Home Tour.
Back to the mantel…
I hung this beautiful cedar garland at each end of the mantel so it has a gentle swag in the center. On the one side, I added a pretty red + black bow and on the other side, I hung 3 stockings that I just picked up from Lowe’s.
A few more views (I told you I couldn’t stop myself from photographing & sharing this mantel)…
From the kitchen to the dining room to the family room, you can see how the fireplace is a focal point in our home and we are truly admiring this years mantel creation…
Thanks for stopping by to enjoy my home decorated for Christmas!
Have you decorated your home for the holidays yet?