Have you been trying to figure out the best way to decorate a Christmas mantel this year? We’re sharing the tips we used to decorate ours and hope you find them inspiring!
A beautifully styled Christmas mantel can transform your whole living room, and I’m especially excited to decorate ours!
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You see, this is the first Christmas we get to decorate our new DIY fireplace and mantel that we created!
After all the time and effort that went into building it, seeing it dressed up for the holidays feels extra special.
Here are the steps I used to create a festive, cozy mantel.
Start With a Layered Garland
The garland is the foundation of a Christmas mantel, so that’s where I like to begin.
Once you have a secure base in place, it becomes so much easier to layer in colors, textures, and accents that tie everything together and match the rest of your holiday decor.
I had so much fun decorating with blue, white, and gold.
If you want to know why I chose these colors, you can read all about our living room makeover here.
Let’s get started!
Choose Your Garland
For this mantel, I used a Queen Flocked Pre-Lit Garland from King of Christmas because it perfectly matches our new flocked Christmas tree (for details on the tree, click here).
I love the way the soft flocking instantly adds a snowy, wintery feel to the room and ties the entire fireplace area together.
I draped the garland symmetrically across the mantel, letting it fall evenly on both sides for a classic, balanced look.
The pre-lit feature makes it even easier—plug it in and the whole space glows beautifully, even before adding any extra stems or accents.
Secure the Garland
To keep everything in place, we used a combination of classic Command hooks and clear Command cord hooks.
On each side of the mantel, I attached a classic Command hook and wrapped a small piece of the garland around it.
This holds the ends securely without being visible.
In the center front of the mantel, we added a clear Command cord hook.
Lifting the garland slightly in the middle creates a beautiful, gentle swoop and keeps the drape symmetrical.
These hooks are perfect because they blend in, don’t damage your mantel, and make it easy to adjust the garland as you style the rest of your decor.
Add Layers for Depth and Interest
Once the main garland was in place, it was time to add layers to give the mantel more dimension and tie it in beautifully with the rest of our Christmas decor.
We started with a blue bead garland that matches the one on our Christmas tree.
I draped it along the lines of the main greenery, creating a soft, cascading effect that adds movement and color.
Next, we tucked in gold and white berry picks, spacing them about a foot apart along the length of the garland.
These little touches brighten the greenery and bring in a festive shimmer.
To finish the layered look, we attached ornaments in blue, gold, and white—the same palette as our tree.
Mixing different sizes and finishes adds even more interest and helps the whole mantel feel connected to the rest of the room’s holiday decor.
Display Christmas Artwork
Since we have a Frame TV, choosing the artwork is one of my favorite steps in decorating the mantel.
We browsed Etsy and found several beautiful options, and I really hoped to use something with more blue to match our Christmas decor.
But every piece I found either felt too dark or too bright.
In the end, we chose a gorgeous winter scene featuring snow-covered evergreens with twinkling lights shining through.
Just a quick note—our TV always photographs with a slight pink hue, so try to imagine the artwork without it! In person, the colors are soft, serene, and absolutely perfect for the mantel.
If you don’t have a Frame TV, you can still create a similar look. Replace the artwork with:
- A winter print or framed Christmas photograph
- A mirror layered with a wreath
- A large piece of holiday wall art
- A simple statement piece you already own, like a vintage frame, bells, or a wooden sign
Anything that adds height and anchors the center of your mantel will work beautifully.
Style the Top of the Mantel
Now it’s time to add interest and dimension to the top of the mantel.
This is where you can play with height, balance, and a few carefully chosen accents to finish the look.
Add Height
To bring some height to the display, I added two DIY air-dry clay snowflake cone trees (click here to see the tutorial!).
I placed one on each side of the Frame TV, setting them on glass candlestick holders to raise them slightly.
The extra height helps frame the artwork, making the whole arrangement feel more intentional and polished.
Create Balance
Next, I incorporated the three pieces of art I made using thrifted frames (see the DIY tutorial here and scroll to the bottom of the post).
Spreading them evenly across the mantel creates visual balance and adds a layer of texture behind the garland.
Introduce Decorative Accents
To finish things off, I tucked in gold and white bottlebrush trees in varying heights around the framed art.
They add sparkle, contrast, and just the right amount of whimsy.
Mixing different sizes keeps the display from feeling flat and ties in beautifully with the ornaments and colors in the garland.
The mantel looks beautiful, but there’s still something missing!
Can you guess what comes next?
Hang Christmas Stockings
For stockings, we kept things soft and cozy with five off-white faux-fur stockings.
Their texture adds warmth to the mantel and balances beautifully with the flocked garland and bottle brush trees.
To hang them, we used the same clear Command cord hooks that worked so well for the garland.
This time, we attached the hooks to the underside of the mantel, which makes the stockings look like they’re hanging by magic.
It’s a clean, seamless look—no bulky holders on top of the mantel—and it keeps the focus on the decor instead of the hardware.
We also added a special personalized touch with Christmas stocking monogram tags, and you can see the DIY tutorial here.
Closing Thoughts
Decorating a Christmas mantel is one of my favorite ways to bring holiday cheer into a home, and I hope these tips inspire you to create a mantel that feels festive, cozy, and uniquely yours.
From layering garland to styling the top with artwork and accents, and finishing with stockings that seem to hang by magic, it’s all about creating a space that makes you smile every time you walk by.
Have fun personalizing your mantel, and enjoy this special spot as the heart of your holiday celebrations!
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Blessings, Donna and Rich
More Christmas Decor Inspiration
Looking for more Christmas decorating ideas? Check out these posts:
- Nutcracker and Simple Holiday Decor Ideas
- Fun and Festive Gingerbread Christmas Decor Theme
- Gorgeous Neutral Christmas Decor Ideas
- Tips to Create a Woodland Christmas Decor Theme
- Glamorous Pink Christmas Decor Ideas
Pin It For Later
Don’t forget to pin the image below to one of your Pinterest boards (hover over the picture and click the red Pin button in the top left corner).
Related Posts:
**Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. We appreciate your support. (disclosure policy)
Such a pretty mantel, Donna. I love the mix of golds and blue. It’s such a fabulous combination. Thanks so much for the step by step guide and for the help with the command hooks too. Hugs and can’t wait to see how you made the trees. They look like Wedgewood, CoCo
Thank you so much! I was originally planning to add gold to the snowflakes but I thought they looked like Wedgewood too and decided to leave them plain! Thanks again!
Your new mantel looks SO pretty decorated for Christmas! Love all of the ornaments and small trees you tucked here and there.
Thank you very much Rachel! It was so fun hanging the ornaments on the garland and I love how it turned out!