How To Make The Perfect Seasonal Mantel

This festive season update your home’s Christmas decorations by altering the way in which you usually decorate your mantel. Usually at the heart of your home’s living space the fire place offers cosiness and a warm glow, so decorating the mantel can really create a sense of Christmas cheer. Often, mantel decorations are very simply coordinated with the Christmas tree which will be positioned nearby. There is nothing wrong with this approach, but why not try something new for this year’s holidays?

Where To Start?

Diy mantel decor

Clear your mantel from any of the usual adornments that you have on it. This will help give you space to work in and stop the decorations from competing with existing design elements. One thing to think about is whether or not you want to remove photographs of family. As Christmas is a family oriented festival you may want to incorporate a family snap or two within your seasonal mantel design. If so, try using different picture frames that match the rest of your design.

Gold And Red.

Diy mantel decor

So many Christmas decorations are green, red and white that it can be easy to stick to these classic colors and not venture away from them. This season, a combination of gold and red will make your decorations stand out. A golden garland that extends the full length of your mantel with shiny red baubles looks great. Make sure your garland is long enough to hang over either end of your mantel such that you can position it symmetrically.

Fruit.

Diy mantel decor

Using fruit as part of a Christmas decoration is becoming increasingly trendy. Oranges, clementines, lemons and even limes make for superb adornments to an evergreen garland. Fresh fruit might not last the entire holiday season, particularly if you actually use your fireplace for fires. Go for fake fruit to get the look without the hassle. You will be able to use the garland year on year if you choose artificial fruit.

Traditional Stockings.

Diy mantel decor

Mantels always look great if you hang stockings from them. If you have children in the household, this can be especially pleasing. But there is no reason to compromise on a stylish look, even if you are thinking about kids. Use stockings of the same size and color that are hung in regular intervals across your mantel. Pick a material that coordinates with the rest of your decorations and make sure that they don’t hang down in a way that means they could be a fire hazard.

The Natural Look.

Diy mantel decor

Modern, sophisticated Christmas adornments take their inspiration from nature. This year give your Christmas mantel a natural look by filling a wooden fruit bowl with pine kernels. Set it in the center of your mantel and complete the look with a combination of berries wound up with simple LED fairy lights. Pretty tea light candle holders made from chopped wood are a great addition to the natural look. Silver birch bark looks particularly effective for the Christmas season.

Add Sparkle.

Diy mantel decor

If you have mirror behind your mantel, candlelight can look particularly attractive, if you mount them on the mantel’s surface. Use glass candlestick lanterns to diffuse the light and to protect the decorations. Old glass jars from the kitchen can make great little lanterns for a mantel.

Keeping It Simple.

Diy mantel decor

If your home has an elegant and simple design ethos, why not extend it to your choice of Christmas decorations. If you don’t usually hang many Christmas decorations then one area you can make look great, but keep simple, is your fireplace’s mantel. Tie two decorative bows from a natural material like hessian, and hang a length of ribbon between them. Create a seasonal word garland from little sections of balsa wood attached to the ribbon. The aesthetic of this decoration is simple, but full of Christmas fun.