3 Easy Holiday Mantels

One of my favorite ways to dress up the mantel is to arrange simple, natural touches like fresh greenery, boxwood clippings and pinecones. They make it easy to change your look with just a few additions. Here are three easy mantel looks I came up with using my favorite fresh-cut greens.

Gold and black elements carry the theme. Items in one or two colors create high impact!

Add sparkle to natural elements I spray-painted real magnolia leaves gold. I love the elegant touch they add! You could add glitter to pinecones, spray-paint branches silver or do any other combination you can dream up.

Choose ornaments in a single shade Shiny and matte gold balls continue the gilded theme. Purchase a few boxes of ornaments in your desired shade, and you're in business!

Think outside the wreath Rather than a traditional evergreen wreath, I hung a black-and-gold convex mirror. It has the same visual weight, but adds an unexpected element.

Keeping the greenery, I layered on even more natural elements like pinecones, topiaries and boxwood wreaths.

Add an unexpected twist Bright green apples are natural, but also a bit unexpected at Christmastime. I love the pop of color they add.

Make it sparkle Even natural looks need a little sparkle. I tucked silver ornaments and balls among the greenery and in urns and apothecary jars to give a little glitz to an otherwise simple scheme.

I absolutely love decorating with vintage and antique pieces! They add so much character and depth, especially at the holidays. I mixed in old trophies, scales and stoneware for a unique look.

Find unique vintage pieces Vintage collections will come alive at the holidays. Things like antique trophies, old garden urns, chippy architectural salvage and antique dishes all look amazing when paired with simple greenery.

Use art for impact I printed a free vintage pine tree as framed art. I love how it adds so much Christmas charm! (Find the printable here.)

I hope these ideas sparked your creativity for Christmas decorating. It is so simple to change the look of your mantel with just a few items, and I had so much fun putting each of these together. Merry Christmas!

Courtney Browning is a decorator and antiques dealer in Wichita, Kansas. She blogs at 12thandwhite.com.