Steps to Decorate A Christmas Mantel

The love I have for Christmas décor cannot be put into words accurately.  I must show it to you year after year after year by decorating every square inch of my home in ribbons and trees and bows galore! My favorite area of our home that I always decorate first, however, is our Christmas mantel. I take such pride in designing this space and try to do something different with it each Christmas. My thought process in coming up with each design is always the same, and I’m going to share it with you today.

What You’ll Need:

• Garland 
• 1 center focal point piece, such as a wreath, mirror, large Santa Clause, sled or Christmas sign
• 2 anchor pieces; i.e., identical pieces of decor of the same height, such as Christmas trees, nutcrackers, Santa Clauses, art work or Christmas signs 
• 1-2 small sentimental items 
• Ribbons and/or bows 
• Push pins or clear 3M hooks
• Nails or 3M hooks (if hanging centerpiece)
• Optional: stockings & stocking hangers

What You’ll Do:

1. Clear off your mantel and begin your Christmas mantel with a blank slate.

2. Find your center point and position your centerpiece by hanging or leaning a wreath, piece of artwork or sign on the Christmas mantel.  This will establish symmetry.

I chose to use a wreath as the centerpiece for my Christmas mantel, and hung it in the middle of our elk horns, which are a stationary focal point on our mantel. These horns stay fixated in the center of our mantel year-round, and the decor around them changes throughout the seasons.

3. Hang your garland along the front edge of your Christmas mantel. I used push pins to attach my garland to our mantel.  There are multiple ways to hang garlands, so have fun with it! 

This year I chose to hang our garland draping slightly in the front and let the ends hang down long on either side. This is a personal preference based on what look you like best.

4. Add layers to your garland, such as ribbons, beads, swag sticks, bows, etc. I layered my garland with a double strand of red beads and 3 plaid bows.