30 Gorgeous Holiday Mantel Decorating Ideas
Create a memorable mantel this year with our ideas for easy Christmas decorating.
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Flower power
Wow party guests with a mantel of green flower "presents" and fresh red flowers. Use pearl-top straight pins to attach green-tinted mini mums to foam squares, then tie on red velvet ribbon bows. Accent the scene with glass vases filled with red tulips, amaryllis heads and berry branches.
Meaningful mantel
Make a statement over a fireplace with a homemade felt "scarf." We spelled out peace and paired that with a large-scale dove. Emphasize the message with simple mantel decor: wood candlesticks, greens, a few red ornaments, a white spray-painted pinecone and a wreath made from faux antlers.
Start with what you have
The easiest mantel decorations grow out of what's already there (or what you have elsewhere around the house). Here, a mirror, heirloom clock, tarnished silver pieces and stacked books get dressed up for the holidays with simple greens and pinecones.
Clearly easy
Glassware can double as holiday decor when matched with ornaments, ribbons and more. Collect clear glass objects such as vases, glasses, bowls and candlesticks. "Plant" a wine glass in a clay pot. Group everything together and vary heights (turn some upside down to act as bases for others). Fill with ornaments, pinecones, branches, greens, ribbons and candles, all in coordinated colors.
Tiny touches
Create a beautiful mantel with just a few special touches. Here, we planted baby Norfolk Island pines in vintage transferware bowls and covered the soil with acorns and nuts. Red pears and green leaves finish the arrangement.
Simply coordinated
Stemware pieces of varying heights display cut poinsettia blooms on one end of this mantel. A ribbon draped over the mirror holds Christmas cards of harmonizing plant and color motifs. One or two simple ornaments complete this easy vignette. (Substitute silk poinsettia blooms if you want a more long-lasting display.)
Collection connections
Group collections on a mantel for a unified look. Pewter vessels hold festive fresh flower arrangements in this traditional setting. Dark evergreen branches ground the muted silver pieces.
Take it to the max
Think about what you can do above and below a mantel ledge, too. Here, tall glass containers show off candles tucked in mounds of cranberries or small ornaments. Greens and bell-trimmed stockings finish the lower part of the arrangement, but it's the glittering multipoint stars hung on fishing line above that really make this mantel sparkle.
Make it shine
Group a variety of mercury glass and silver ornaments, votive holders and other accents to create a mirror-like display, especially pretty at night when candles shimmer off the reflective surfaces. A wreath of fern fronds adds sophistication.
Choose a winter theme
Glistening snow inspired this mantel, right down to the lacy evergreens frosted with spray-on snow. A mini snowball garland and snowflake ornaments nestle in the branches, while glitter letters and stars dress the mirror and mini trees (created with foam tree forms and evergreen branches). Ice skates stand in for stockings to hold small gifts.
Natural simplicity
Celebrate the season's simple joys by creating a free-flowing look with just three natural materials: green apples, pinecones and long-needle evergreen branches.
Repeating appeal
Repeating objects across a mantel is pleasing to the eye -- and easy to do. On this mantel, silver mint julep cups hold silk (or real, if preferred) red carnations. A wreath and felt-decorated stockings complete the decor.
Multicolored style
Step outside the traditional red-and-green holiday color scheme. This white mantel sparkles with a simple arrangement of greens, packages tied with bright bows, and an assortment of glass ornaments in blue, pink, gold, red and green. A wreath hung on the dog statue adds a whimsical touch.
Woodsy vibe
A forest inspired this mantel. Two young evergreens with root balls wrapped in burlap and twine (plant the trees after the holidays!) anchor the asymmetrical grouping. Deer statues stand behind a fence built of cinnamon sticks. Upside down clay pots act as stands for votive holders. Pinecones strung on fishing line create the garland, while live greens and dried twigs dress up a store-bought twig wreath.
Keep it low
If art above your fireplace is a focal point, keep a your mantel arrangement low. Here, a simple tray piled with citrus fruits and accented with pine branches sitting on a folded table runner (or place mat), pillar candles and a shiny trophy vase filled with seeded eucalyptus fills the bill.
Photo vases
Create a personalized display by filling glass cylinder vases with one photograph (placed on the inside) and ornaments. Add other simple touches such as candles, flowers and candy canes in clear-glass holders. For an easy garland, string delicate ornaments along a multilooped ribbon.
Get playful
Bright colors create a party-like display of packages, ornaments, garlands and more on this mantel. Gift box lids, covered with wrapping paper, bows and colorful tags, hang on the wall. Coordinating packages are stacked on the mantel. Polka-dot ornaments mix with garlands made of beads and translucent disks found at party stores. "Ho-Ho-Ho" stockings add to the fun.
Look to the past
Create a mantel of family holiday memories with old snapshots of events like kids' visits to Santa, family groupings beneath the tree, or baby's first Christmas. If needed, enlarge your pictures at a copy center. Place them in simple frames, and add a few pieces of fresh greenery for color.
Girly-girl gorgeous
Perfect for a cottage home, this mantel incorporates pretty vintage dishware, tinsel garland, bottlebrush trees and even a feather wreath! This arrangement is all about the "pink." Even a stacked roll of holiday ribbons "under glass" contributes to the fanciful vignette.
Mosaic magic
Multiply the effect of holiday lights by incorporating mosaic glass-pieced decorations on your mantel. Here, vases, candleholders and mirror-tiled ornaments add color and holiday sparkle.
Striking wreath display
Hang your wreath on an unusual item, such as this old garden gate, for an eye-catching display. Other holders that can easily lean on a mantel: vintage shutters, fencing sections, trellises, window frames or a wooden sled. Frame the arrangement with candles, topiaries or vases.
Fresh approach
Bunches of fresh eucalyptus leaves create a garland with as much impact as evergreen branches -- and a more modern vibe. A trendy color combo: touches of pale blue and brown accented with hues of orange in the vase and pedestal bowl.
Tree-topper decor
Silver tree toppers fill in for the usual candlesticks on this blue-and-silver mantel. Look for glass toppers in a variety of shapes and sizes (or inexpensive plastic versions that won't break!). Blue and silver mini balls, fresh branches and pine cones harmonize nicely with the painting.
Candy creations
Nested in a pile of faux snow, glass vases overflow with red-and-white candies and candy-theme ornaments. We placed red foam letters (found at crafts stores) inside each vase to spell out joy. Coordinated red-and-white striped ornaments and candles add to the cheerful setting. A white ostrich feather boa adds a fun touch behind a premade red ornament wreath.
Spotlight a hobby
A passion for sailing takes center stage on this mantel at a vacation home. Colors from the sailboat models repeat in long-needle greens, pinecones and a feather tree. Touches of red reinforce the seasonal message.
Play with pinecones
Pinecones offer easy, versatile holiday decorating. Gather them from your yard or buy bags of them at a crafts store. For this mantel, we "planted" larger cones in clay pots painted a soft green. Tiny pinecones cover the soil of a planted mini evergreen. We scattered more pinecones across the mantel to continue the naturalistic theme.
Vacation-theme mantel
A dreamy beach theme gives a warm, peaceful look. Glass candleholders filled with shells and bits of beach glass, weathered wood wall decor and starfish mix with traditional greens, pinecones and simple cotton stockings. Glitter letters strung on white ribbon can spell out any message desired.
Country casual
A row of white ironstone pitchers, gravy boats and other vintage dishware makes an easy down-home arrangement. Accent it with simple greens and a garland made from dried orange slices, pinecones and candies.
Ethereal elegance
Nestled in fluffy ostrich feather boas, glass candlesticks with creamy white candles seem to float on clouds. A garland of gold and silver beads and layered snowflake ornaments adds an elegant touch.
Say it!
Spell a holiday greeting with letters made from wood or cut from foam core (supplies available at crafts stores). Apply holiday-theme wrapping paper to the fronts with spray glue or just paint the letters different colors. Accent the mantel display with glass ornaments or greens.
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