How To Create The Perfect Holiday Mantel For A Cozy Christmas Morning
Today I am sharing a step by step guide on how to decorate a Christmas mantel!
One of my favorite views during the holiday season is looking into my living room and seeing my fireplace mantel decked out with garland, lights, stockings, and snowshoes. The soft glow of the Christmas tree twinkling beside the mantel, mixed with greenery, ribbon, and lanterns, creates such a magical focal point that I wanted to share how to decorate a Christmas mantel so you can recreate that same cozy holiday magic in your own home.
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How To Decorate A Christmas Mantel: Step 1
The first step in creating a magical Christmas mantel is to start with garland! My garland is actually a creation of mine using a few different strands of greenery to create this beautiful, full swag. I love using varieties of pine, eucalyptus and cedar in home and I always try to find the most realistic, life-like faux garlands.
My Unique Mantel Setup
A few years ago, my husband and I installed this gorgeous reclaimed 100-year-old barn beam that I found on Facebook Marketplace for just $60. It was the perfect length, absolutely beautiful, and I love all the character and detail in the wood. It fits perfectly above our stone fireplace.
I actually have a full blog post all about our AirStone fireplace. Believe it or not, I did most of it myself. My husband helped get me started and showed me how to do it, but once I learned, it was so simple that I finished almost the entire fireplace the next day while he was at work. I’m a very stubborn, determined woman at times (and sometimes a little impatient haha) so once I knew I could do it, I just went for it. If you’re interested, I do have a blog post all about that project.
What makes our mantel a little bit unique is that we decided to put our television above the fireplace. About four or five years ago, my husband built these beautiful built-ins, along with the cabinet above the fireplace and the shelving on the other side. I drew up a sketch, and he brought it to life.
Because the television is hidden behind cabinet doors, we can’t really lay decor on top of the mantel. We need to be able to open the doors to watch TV. We actually don’t have cable because we don’t watch much television, but during the Christmas season, I absolutely love watching Christmas movies. It’s one of my favorite holiday traditions.
Because of that, we wanted to keep the mantel clear so we could open the cabinet doors and enjoy Christmas movies throughout the season. That meant I had to get a little creative and hang my garland underneath the mantel rather than laying it on top like most people do.
How I Hang My Garland
It can be a little tricky, but I’ve been doing it this way for a couple of years now, and I’ve finally figured out the best method. The first thing I used was small gold cup hooks. I simply screwed them directly into the reclaimed barn beam, and that’s what I used to hold my main garland.
Every year before I put up my holiday decor, I simply screw the cup hooks back into place and then hang my garland on them. It’s so easy and truly makes the process hassle free. However, if you have a mantel you can’t screw cup hooks into, command hooks work well too!
The base of my garland is a faux cedar garland that I bought at Marshall’s a while ago. I’ll be honest—I splurged on this one. Garland is expensive, especially cedar garland. When I first fell in love with the look of cedar, I realized quickly how pricey it could be.
Instead of spending hundreds of dollars all at once, I decided several years ago to buy just a little bit of garland each year. I’ve been doing that for about four or five years now, adding one or two pieces each season. My hope is that eventually I’ll have all the cedar garland I want throughout my home.
So if you see cedar garland all over my house, don’t be discouraged; it’s something I’ve slowly collected over time. Buying a little each year really adds up.
I also love clipping fresh cedar and tucking it throughout my home, even into faux garland. It adds a beautiful scent and an old-fashioned feel. For this particular mantel garland, though, everything you see is faux.
This cedar garland cost $39.99, which is more than I usually spend, but since it’s a focal point in our home and something I’ll use year after year, it felt like a worthwhile investment.
Originally, the garland came with little red berries. I used them the first year, but after that I clipped them off and saved them in case I ever want to bring red back into my decor. This year, I stuck with neutrals, which I’m really drawn to.
How I Style My Garland
After hanging the cedar garland, I started tucking in additional elements. You may notice that my garland is asymmetrical. It tapers off and drapes down on one side instead of starting at the very end of the mantel.
I do this intentionally because I hang my stockings on the opposite side, and the two balance each other out visually. Another benefit of letting the garland drape down is that it helps hide the wires from the lights. By tapering it downward, I can tuck the extension cord behind the garland and run the rest of it behind the stone fireplace. There’s also a pillow nearby that hides any remaining cord, which keeps everything looking clean.
Next, I added eucalyptus. The darker green eucalyptus was sent to me from a small shop, but the lighter variety is easy to find at places like Joann or Hobby Lobby. I tucked small pieces throughout the garland, focusing on areas that felt a little sparse. I like to weave the eucalyptus both into and behind the garland to give it more depth, movement, and dimension.
Before adding the eucalyptus, I strung lights throughout the garland. This step is important to do early so you can hide the cords as you add in your greenery and picks.
Step 2
The next step in how to decorate a Christmas mantel is to add your stockings! As I stated above, my garland is intentionally hung asymmetrical to accommodate for my stockings.
I love the charm of hanging stockings in a bundle on either side of the mantel rather than spacing them evenly across. Of course, this is simply my personal style, and there’s no right or wrong way to decorate. My goal is always to offer inspiration and ideas, not to make you feel like you need to recreate my home exactly as it is.
I also really like to use a variety of stockings to give some dimension, especially considering all of my stockings are a cream color. I have collected stockings that have a chunky, hand-knit look to go with my old-fashioned Christmas vibe.
Step 3
The next step is adding some vintage decor like snowshoes, ice skates or skis. I have a pair snowshoes tucked under my stockings. You can find vintage winter gear like snowshoes at most antique stores during the holiday season, and they really add some old world charm to my Christmas decor.
To give your winter gear more of a holiday feel, you can tie some ribbon and greenery like cedar or boxwood to them. I also love using a strand of bells for some extra Christmas charm. Little holiday baubles can make a big impact!
Well friends, that’s my step by step guide on how to decorate a Christmas mantel! Honestly, I keep it pretty simple, but I sometimes feel a simple look is the coziest and most timeless, especially during the holidays.
If you have any questions or feel like I missed something, please let me know. I’m always happy to help. I truly love Christmas; it’s one of my favorite times of the year! For more holiday decor tips, sign up for my free mini homemaking course below.
