How to decorate a mantel for Christmas

Christmas is right around the corner and today I’m going to explain how to decorate a mantel for Christmas. Everyone does it a little different and this year, I focused on an elaborate garland to make a statement on my Christmas mantel.

This post is sponsored by JOANN. All ideas and opinions are my own, always.

Materials to decorate a Holiday Mantel

• 2 – 9′ Christmas Garlands
• Sparkly / textured Christmas Garlands – Cedar Pine, Berry, Pinecone Garland, Glitter Fern Garland
• Variety of floral stems – I used Dahlias and Phalaenopsis
• Several Holiday Floral Picks – Double Gilded Pinecone Spray
• Battery operated LED lights – 50ct LED Euro Lights (white on green)
• Candlesticks (Found on clearance in-store at JOANN)
• Candles

How to decorate a Christmas Mantel

1. Clear off your mantel and give it a good wipe down to remove any dust and to give you a clean slate to work with. I left my round mirror as I wanted to keep it for this year’s Christmas mantel display.
2. Add a 9 foot garland to your mantel. I like to double my base garland to make it look nice and full.
3. Cut a sparkly or textured garland into a few pieces (I cut mine into 3 pieces) and wedge them into the base garland.
4. Add assorted florals throughout the garland. Mix and match your floral selections with varying shapes of flowers and textures. I used Orchids (hanging, linear shape) and dahlias (tucked in, round shape). I also repeated step 3 and cut a glittered fern garland into a few pieces and added them in to add some color and texture.
5. Add assorted floral picks and sprays. I used champagne colored, glittery picks and wedged them in throughout. 
6. Add battery-powered lights – plug-in lights will work if you have a nearby power outlet. I love these LED Euro lights I got from JOANN. I used two sets and they are on a timer so as the sun goes down, the twinkle lights turn on and add a whimsical ambience to the mantel. Its probably my favorite part! 
7. Add height with candles and candlesticks.

8. Step back and see if anything sticks out or feels out of place to you. I wanted a more symmetrical, balanced look so I tucked my center garlands and orchid up into the base garland a little tighter and I liked the look better. You can do whatever feels right here.

To finish off the space, I added a cute little nutcracker, candle, throw pillow and some bottle brush Christmas Trees to the room. I wasn’t quite ready to put up my tree so my friend and I joked that this is “easing” into Christmas since Thanksgiving hasn’t passed yet. I love the idea of adding a little at a time so the excitement keeps going! I hope you learned how to decorate a mantel and enjoyed this tutorial!

For more Christmas Ideas, check out:

• DIY Christmas Advent Calendar
• DIY Christmas Wreath
• Pink Christmas Tree