Decorating For Christmas Fireplace Mantels

One Mantel Styled Three Ways

Thanks to a versatile fireplace surround and a color scheme of neutral grays and silver tones, this stunning mantel can easily shift from industrial to feminine to kid-friendly with a simple re-styling of objects.

Look One: Industrial

A mix of rustic and vintage items are used to give the mantel an industrial look. Instead of soft florals, woodsy tree cuttings and small potted spruces are used to add seasonal liveliness.

Industrial: Rustic Signage

To add instant personality to the mantel, include a graphic. Here, a simple holiday message — "JOY" — is added along the front of a reclaimed piece of wood by hammering small nails as letter outlines, then weaving string around the nails to create the letters. Get the step-by-step instructions >>

Industrial: Antique Bottles

Vessels always come in handy for mantel styling, since they can be used as decor when left empty or as vases for cut floral, branches or greenery. A mix of vintage iodine bottles and brown glass apothecary bottles are used to bring shape and sheen to the mantel in an industrial fashion. For an extra rustic look, several bottles are filled with cork and cotton rather than flowers.

Industrial: Found Objects

Industrial style can be found in a wide array of objects. For a vintage farmhouse touch, old oil cans, metal containers and wooden cogs are mixed into the mantel's decor.

Industrial: Birch Log Garland

To add a layer of decoration below the mantel, custom garland is made from birch logs and string. You'll need a hand saw to cut the logs down into 1/4-inch discs. To string the discs together, use a drill and a 1/8-inch drill bit to create one hole on each side of the disc. Next, thread the string through the holes, knotting it on each side to connect each disc side by side.

Industrial: Wooden Ladder

To add life around the fireplace, a wooden ladder is painted black and used as a pedestal for potted blue spruces.

Look Two: Kid-Friendly

To change the mantel from industrial to kid-friendly, saturated colors are brought in after taking cues from modern artwork by Jenny Andrews Anderson.

Kid-Friendly: Purple Tones

From a grouping of stockings and metallic orb ornaments to ribbon varieties and graphic sculptures, the kid-friendly mantel is layered in a variety of rich purple tones.

Kid-Friendly: Overscaled Ornaments

Playing with scale is a great way to create kid-friendly design. To introduce round shape and metallic sheen, a grouping of oversized orb ornaments are introduced.

Kid-Friendly: Graphic Shapes

Graphic shapes are an integral part of designing children's spaces, especially if the shapes are easy to identify from close up and far away. Here, basic cardboard cones are outfitted as tree sculptures with paint and beaded garland.

Kid-Friendly: Plush Animals

Make the mantel personalized by incorporating a child's favorite toy into the mix. Here, a plush dog is given holiday flair with a silk gift wrap ribbon.

Kid-Friendly: Crafty Creations

Make the mantel interactive with craft projects that kids can get involved in. These tree sculptures are made by cutting newspaper into serrated strips and attaching them to cardboard craft forms with glue.

Kid-Friendly: Plush Textures

Keep the mantel soft and fuzzy by also incorporating stockings with plush texture. Here, Mom and Dad's stockings are made from violet faux fur, an animal-friendly alternative to the real thing.

Kid-Friendly: Whimsical Prints

To stand out from the adult stockings, this one is assigned to the child for the fabric's fun, retro appeal.

Look Three: Feminine

To give the mantel a feminine update, it is outfitted with a layering of whites, off-whites and dove grays.

Feminine: White on White

When white tones are layered together, the look can become glamorous, modern, traditional, romantic or casual depending on the textures and materials used. Here, the overall look is romantic and traditional, thanks to relaxed fabrics, rustic textures and classic objects.

Feminine: Window Displays

Vintage window displays from women's fashion boutiques are beautiful accessory options. For graphic shape, course texture and a touch of bright white, this glove form is added to the mantel as a sculptural piece.

Feminine: White Hydrangea

To add feminine flair and wintry appeal to holiday decor, use white floral. Here, white hydrangeas are placed into vessels, offering soft texture and wintry color.

Feminine: Crackled Stone Vessel

Stone offers the perfect way to bring color and texture to a mantel. A vessel with a crackled ceramic finish and metallic accents is chosen for a touch of shabby glamour.

Feminine: Fabric Strip Garland

Fabric garland is added below the mantel for a soft, flirty touch. To make, cut yards of fabric into strips. Next, fold each strip in half, then tie to a strand of ribbon. After the ribbon is completely covered with strips, attach the garland to the wall.