How to Embellish Your Fireplace Mantel for Christmas

Nov 22nd 2022

Living in a home or apartment with a fireplace provides a prime spot for holiday embellishments. A glance through social media or the latest holiday TV commercials shows your fireplace mantel is almost as significant as your Christmas tree in the festive decorating pecking order.

The mantel, being a long, slender, and somewhat confined space, comes with its own set of challenges.

Whether you’ve mastered mantel decorating in previous years, met with disaster, or are a complete beginner, we have some Christmas mantel decorating strategies for you.

Conceptualize Your Design

Take a cue from seasoned decorators: Don’t start without a plan. Determine a theme, style, or color palette and pinpoint anything that can act as your “statement piece” or central highlight.

If your Christmas tree is positioned close to the fireplace, plan whether and how you want to harmonize your mantel embellishments.

Begin Your Journey

Empty and wipe down the mantel to start with a blank canvas. Is there something hanging above the fireplace? Decide if it will remain or be stored away for the holidays.

Christmas wreaths can replace signs, artwork, or mirrors over the fireplace—or you can hang the wreath right on top of these items.

Collect Your Decorations

Now is the moment to “shop” through your existing décor for items to place on the mantel. Get out everything you think you might need.

A partial list can include:

• Garland
• Lights
• Tabletop Decorations (various shapes and sizes)
• Candles (traditional or flameless)
• Candlesticks
• Lanterns
• Ornaments
• Floral Picks and Sprays
• Pinecones and other natural elements
• Ribbons/Bows

Missing something? Christmas Central offers everything you need to enhance your Christmas mantel décor. If you prefer starting anew, explore our beautifully coordinated Christmas Collections.

6 Steps to Embellish Your Mantel

1. Start large. The garland is typically the largest décor piece for the mantel and should be the first placed. Some prefer wiring their garland to removable hooks along the mantel to prevent it from sagging over time.

There are several ways to hang garland:

• Lay it along the mantel’s length, with tips hanging over the ends.
• Hang it beneath the mantel, tucked snugly under the ledge.
• Drape it across the fireplace in loose swags from multiple anchor points.

No mantel? No problem! A garland frame around your fireplace’s perimeter is equally stunning.

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2. Think vertical. Next, position your tall and large mantel decorations. These may include candlesticks, a tabletop Christmas tree or two, or broader items like a decorative sleigh or train. Insert items in and out of the greenery, placing some behind and some in front to add depth and prevent the garland from dominating the arrangement.

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3. Reduce size. Integrate medium-sized and small décor, maintaining varied height levels. Cluster similar items of different sizes for visual impact.

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4. Add texture. Based on your mantel décor style and theme, incorporate items like pinecones, bows, and feather trees. Floral picks and sprays add interest and come in various styles. Fill empty spaces with twigs, red berries, or golden branches with tiny gold stars. Introduce softness with plush greens, feather or fur-trimmed décor, and plush figures.

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5. Sprinkle some glam. Just like your favorite holiday outfit, your Christmas mantel deserves some sparkle! Integrate crystal candlesticks, glass ornaments, or metallic décor items throughout your arrangement for added brilliance. A mirror above the fireplace amplifies the shine.

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6. Don’t overlook the hearth. A large deer figure, vivid nutcracker, woodsy Santa, trio of hurricane lamps, collection of flameless candles in the firebox – even a wooden Christmas sign – encourage the eye to appreciate the entire fireplace, not just the mantel.

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Some Handy Tips

• Arrangement of decorations of the same height in a row along the mantel appears dull. Instead, include a few very tall items for dimension, visually integrating your wreath or art into the display. Or set a wreath directly on the mantel.
• When decorating a fireplace mantel, aim for balance, not strict symmetry. For instance, place a pair of tall silver candlesticks on one end and a single hurricane lamp on the other.
• If you use a functional fireplace, avoid using stockings or decorations that dangle or hang in front of the firebox, or relocate them during use.
• The joy and magic of the season include Christmas decorations. With some planning and creativity, your fireplace mantel can be part of your home’s festive transformation.

Consult our Decorating Resource Center for further details on garlands, wreaths, ornaments, and other mantel décor inspirations.

Related Articles:

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• #Christmas mantel decor
• #fireplace mantel decor
• #Mantel decor