Christmas mantels should be the centerpiece of your holiday dècor -- it's the place to gather 'round and enjoy the holiday's best moments. While it is easy to just throw on a store-bought garland and a few lights, this year, take the time to create a Christmas mantel that steals the show. Add light, warmth, color and texture to the season with Christmas mantel decor you'll want to leave up after the holiday is over.
Take a cue from the clean & simple style of Scandinavia with this Christmas tree and mantel idea. Fluffy, faux snow, lots of greenery and adorable DIY houses are the stars of this show. Decorate your little houses or leave them plain and use them to decorate throughout your home. White candles, a giant grapevine wreath, silver dollar eucalyptus garland and a pine garland finish out this mantel and tree set-up perfectly. To stick with the Scandinavian theme wrap all of your packages under the tree with kraft paper and embellish with your favorite ribbon and simple greenery.
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We love this non-traditional Christmas mantel that focuses on the story of Jesus’s birth. Instead of the usual reds and greens this mantel focuses on gold, blue, and white to refresh the tried-and-true holiday color palette. Get the step-by-step instructions and make your own “believe” garland to finish off the look! Be sure to see how to make this stunning Nativity Advent Calendar to get little ones excited to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
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Style a flannel + farmhouse inspired mantel this holiday season for an extra cozy look that everyone will love! Black lanterns, sisal trees, 3D trees, and a DIY buffalo check sign make this mantel oh so easy to assemble. We also love how aspen branches make this scene feel a little bit rustic and connected to nature!
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Take the classic Christmas story of The Nutcracker Ballet and create a one-of-a-kind themed tree and mantel! All your favorite characters like Clara, the nutcracker, little mice, and the main ballerina are present on this nutcracker garland that’s strung across the front of the mantel. The top of the mantel is decorated with 3D stand-up trees, an artificial frosted garland and some snowy pine picks for extra measure. Be sure to see how you can make your own Nutcracker Themed Ornaments!
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We can’t get enough of the modern color palette used to create this stunning Christmas set-up! While the tree is decked out with delicious looking candy ornaments you can make yourself, the garland hanging from the mantel is what really catches our eye. You’ll never guess what material this playful garland is made out of… plastic tablecloths! Get all the steps to create this amazing look (plus those cute & colorful trees) by clicking below.
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Looking for a wow-worthy wreath to finish off your holiday mantel? This is one of our top favorites! Mini paper houses, metallic garland, and various ornaments come together with cotton and white pom poms to form a wreath that you’ll be featuring in your home year after year.
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Looking for a super simple way for kids to get involved with the holiday decorating this year? These terrariums are your answer! Simply fill glass jars with craft snow then top off with your favorite holiday bendable characters, sisal trees, candy canes, or mini presents. Place terrariums on tables throughout your house or on your mantel!
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This simple kids’ craft is one that you’ll want to show off all season long! Help kids use tissue paper squares, mini pom-poms, stars, and Mod Podge to embellish plain cones. This idea also makes a great gift for neighbors or grandparents too!
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If you’re looking for a fun mantel idea to celebrate winter in general, this icicle backdrop is a perfect fit! Whether you’re throwing a winter birthday party or just want to give your mantel a fun makeover, this DIY project is oh so easy to make utilizing plastic tablecloths. Don’t forget to include these fun Winter Animal Stand-Ups that kids will love!
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If you lack wall space for an Advent calendar, incorporate it into your mantel decor! Andrea from The Velvet Mode came up with this idea for Oh Happy Day that comes with a free template to help you create boxes out of cardstock. Then, she cut a hole in the top of each box with a hole punch and glued the sides together to close out the boxes. Next, she created poms with a pom maker (but feel free to take a shortcut and use pre-made poms and attached with yarn. To finish, draw or stick on numbers for each day.
Photo: Oh Happy Day
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Give your mantel a metallic look with this nutcracker-inspired mantelscape by Cyd from The Sweetest Occasion. She took a set of unfinished wood nutcrackers along with a few pine cones and fresh chestnuts and gave them a fresh coat of gold spray paint. Once dried, she set them on the mantel on top of a strip of burlap ribbon to complement her burlap-wrapped miniature Christmas trees. To bring everything together, she accented the mantel with a pretty gold garland.
Photo: The Sweetest Occasion
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Holiday decorating doesn't have to mean sacrificing your farmhouse style! Holly from Our Faux Farmhouse on Instagram set up this charming display with show-stealing black-and-white plaid stockings, plus a large chalkboard flanked by galvanized pails filled with greenery. She rounded out the scene by including birch logs, reindeer statues, an Advent calendar, and pillar candles on the floor.
Photo: Our Faux Farmhouse
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Rachel from Pencil Shavings Studio says she never met a color she didn't like, and this bright, bold mantel is no exception! If you feel the same way, follow her lead and tack a variety of paper lanterns in non-traditional colors to the wall above your fireplace. Accent with a garland made of looped together chenille stems, wild-patterned stockings and any other colorful decor that crosses your path.
Photo: Pencil Shavings Studio
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If the traditional deep reds and greens of Christmas will seriously cramp your coastal style, opt for this beach-inspired mantel by Layla from The Lettered Cottage. On the hearth, she filled an old wooden crate with birch logs, a cozy throw blanket and a pillow. Above the mantel, she DIY'd a slatted-wood sign. On the mantel itself, she put together an eclectic combination of bright-white candles, ornaments, glassware and books. She used inexpensive chestnuts and pecans as vase fillers. She used a soft-textured garland, making sure to purchase enough to stretch the whole way across her mantel. For a nautical look, she intertwined it with a bit of rope. Then, she cut out starfish shapes onto white scrapbook paper and hot-glued them onto the rope (or, save time with pre-made starfish). Shop other beach-themed accessories.
Photo: The Lettered Cottage
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Make your favorite holiday movie into a mantel theme! Ashley from The Handmade Home built a color palette around this movie quote sign from It's a Wonderful Life that sets the tone for the entire mantelscape. She framed it with candles on tall pillars. On the mantel, she created a frilly, colorful DIY tassel garland made from yarn and felt in coordinating colors, then hung it alongside neutral stockings.
Photo: The Handmade Home
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Keep your Christmas decorations crisp and clean with this white Christmas mantel by Jamie from The Crafting Chicks. To start, she whipped up a deceptively easy wreath by pinning a white feather boa onto a foam wreath form. She added a metallic touch by filling large glass jars with silver and gold ornaments, and also used them to accent her garland. She finished off the look with neutral burlap stockings, a festive throw pillow, and a banner with glittery gold letters.
Photo: The Crafting Chicks
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Blue can feel festive when mixed with green and just the right amount of shimmer -- like Kate from Centsational Style does here. She dusted miniature trees with faux snow and put them in shiny containers (including a champagne bucket!) to flank the slides, then on the left, worked toward the middle with vases filled with ornaments. On the right-hand side, she incorporated silver mercury glass for a trendy metallic finish. A fun paper deer serves as the centerpiece, but the real showstopper is the ornament garland -- which is as simple as threading floral wire through the tops of ornaments, then attaching to the wall with cup hooks.
Photo: Centsational Style
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Missy and Kristen from Sweetly Chic Events & Decor created a Christmas mantel that complements any rustic style. They kept traditional red stockings and poinsettia garland, then added pinecone votive holders and snow terrariums (get the instructions for this fun DIY project). They then added a bit of rustic-inspired metal with mercury votives and these made-for-a-mantel white lanterns with tree cutouts. Down on the hearth, they added a rustic touch to their gift wrapping using kraft paper and snowflake stampers to keep the look and feel consistent (see the full how-to). They completed the hearth with a classic reindeer set, some greenery and a festive throw pillow.
Photo: Sweetly Chic Events & Decor
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If you love the clean, fresh look of a black and white living room, try this mantelscape that manages to stay cozy and warm without any pops of color. Rebecca from The Crafted Sparrow created the Joy to the World sign, using her Cricut(r) to make vinyl letters and adhering them to wood covered in black paint. She dotted the mantel with a variety of black, white and neutral miniature trees. She skipped bright lights and opted for a shiny but neutral snowflake garland. She rounded out the look by accenting the hearth with a store-bought sign, antique sled and miniature antique truck filled with trees.
Photo: The Crafted Sparrow
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Turn trendy buffalo plaid into the theme for your Christmas mantel this year! Jamie from The Crafting Chicks cleverly framed a piece of yard art to turn it into the focal point. A pre-made rustic wreath with a buffalo plaid bow added plenty of texture with little effort, as did buffalo plaid cone trees and large cream sisal trees. She then continued to add rustic elements with pinecone votive holders and a delicate DIY pinecone garland. She kept the buffalo plaid and woodland elements going with another easy DIY -- rustic stocking tags with buffalo plaid ribbon. Moving to the heart, she arranged red lanterns, natural birch pillars and more pinecone votive holders atop a buffalo plaid serving tray. To soften the space, she added cozy buffalo plaid throw pillows as a finishing touch.
Photo: The Crafting Chicks
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