5 Steps to Creating a Festive Holiday Mantel

We’re sharing 5 steps to creating a festive holiday mantel today!  

Each year as soon as Halloween unofficially ushers us into the holiday season, my Mom and I start decorating for Christmas.  

She usually spends the entire day helping me prepare our holiday home and it’s always the biggest gift.

I don’t mind putting together tablescapes or wreaths, making bespoke ornaments, or adding festive décor in any other room of the house.

But as soon as I have to start decorating the mantel and the Christmas tree, my mind immediately starts glazing over.

Thankfully, my Mom has seen that look a million times before and is willing to rescue me and take over!

For those of you who love a festive holiday mantel, yet struggle to bring all the details together, we’ve devised a simple solution.

Here’s a look at 5 steps to creating a festive holiday mantel…

Step 1: Start Fresh

It’s always best to start with a fresh perspective. Take everything off the mantel if you can. That way, you can start with a blank slate!

Be sure to gather your supplies in advance when you’re creating a festive holiday mantel. You’ll need garland, extra greenery, floral picks, ornaments, ribbons, and decorative items to choose from.

Step 2: Start With a Centerpiece

Begin by decorating the center with something substantial like a piece of art, architectural salvage, an old window, a wreath, a large clock, or a holiday-inspired sign.

Our DIY French Country mantel art is super heavy so we normally decorate around it.  

Step 3: Layer in Garlands, Greenery, and Floral Picks

Add a thick garland or multiple garlands to the top of your festive mantel and secure them in place. Then add additional greenery and floral picks to make the garland full.

Don’t forget to leave room for your stockings if you plan to hang them by the chimney with care!

Step 4: Add in Festive Accessories

Next, start filling in the gaps if you have any by adding fillers with festive accessories like ornaments, ribbons, and decorative accents.

Step 5: Edit

This step is always the hardest for me because sometimes I like to keep things simple and sometimes, I like our festive holiday mantel to be super festive.

Still, it’s important not to skip this step.

When you edit your mantel, be sure to take into consideration how the rest of your living room looks as well. 

If you have a lot going on, say with bookcases or other built-ins, you might want to keep it simple on the mantel, so it doesn’t read as Christmas cluttered. 

On the other hand, if your living room pieces are sparse or minimal, you might want to consider creating a festive holiday mantel that is full because you want it to be the focal point of the room.  

Sweet Shop Inspired Festive Holiday Mantel…

This year our tree is definitely the star of the show in the living room. So, we decided to keep our sweet shop-inspired festive holiday mantel as simple as possible.

I found this fabulous burlap bunting on Amazon and used it all over the house, including on the mantel. I love that it’s a no-fuss take on the colors you might see in a sweet shop!

Once the bunting was in place, we simply grouped frosted trees together and added colorful ribbons on top.

Truthfully, this is the easiest mantel we’ve ever decorated. It came together in minutes which I really appreciated given it’s such a busy season.

Other Festive Holiday Mantel Ideas We’ve Had Over the Years…

Over the years, we’ve created all sorts of different looks on our mantel which is just over 7 feet long.

In the beginning, I thought every inch had to be decorated. As I look back at these photos though, it’s fun to see how much our style has changed over the years.

Nature-Inspired Christmas Mantel

Mad for Plaid Christmas Mantel

Dusty Pink Christmas Mantel

Soft and Romantic Farmhouse-Inspired Christmas Mantel

Effortless Cabin-Inspired Christmas Mantel

A Little Sparkle Holiday Mantel

I know some of you have a more traditional style than mine, so I wanted to include these festive holiday mantel ideas from Bliss Barracks too…

Traditional Christmas Mantel

Traditional Blue and White Christmas Mantel

Red Plaid and Nature-Inspired Christmas Mantel

Take the Pressure Off Holiday Decorating…

I hope these steps have helped take the pressure off just a bit.

Keep in mind, it doesn’t matter if you’re creating a festive holiday mantel for the Christmas season or for everyday life, decorate with what speaks to YOU the most.

Even if it’s not something you see in magazines or on Pinterest.

I know it’s easy to get caught up in what’s trending or appears to be super popular on social media.

But in the end, it’s all about decorating with what makes you happy and works best for your family in every season.

Let us know your favorite way of creating a festive holiday mantel! Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Other Holiday Posts to Enjoy Before You Go:

• Vintage Inspired Gift Tags Using Coffee Stain
• Simple Ways to Keep a Wrapping Station Organized in a Vintage Dresser
• How to Make Glass Glitter Snowflake Ornaments
• Effortless Christmas Home Tour

Many blessings,

CoCo