6 Steps to Decorate Your Mantle for Christmas

1. Start Big. 

Typically, the largest decoration on the mantel is the garland, so it should be the first thing you put down. Some people like to wire their garland to removable hooks placed along the mantel top to help keep it from “flopping” later in the season. Your personal preference is always best.

There are a few different ways to hang garland.

• Lay it along the length of the mantel, with the tips hanging down on either end.
• Hang it under the mantel, tucked tightly beneath the ledge.
• Drape it across the fireplace in loose swaths from two or more anchor points.

If you don’t have a mantel, don’t worry! A frame of garland around the perimeter of your fireplace is just as beautiful.

2. Go Vertical.

Next, place your large and tall fireplace mantel decor. These may include candlesticks, a tabletop Christmas tree or two, or something wide, like a decorative sleigh or train. Weave decorations in and out of the greenery, with some placed behind it and some in front. This helps add depth and keeps the garland from overwhelming your arrangement.

3. Sizing Down.

Mix in medium-sized and small mantel decor, keeping height levels varied. Try clustering like items of different sizes for added visual impact.

4. Add Texture.

Depending on your Christmas mantel decor style and theme, use items like pinecones, bows and feather trees for texture. Floral picks and sprays also add interest and come in a multitude of styles. Tuck in anything from twigs to red berries to golden branches tipped with tiny gold stars to fill up empty spaces. Add softness with plumy greens, feather or fur-trimmed decor and stuffed figures.

5. Mix in some Glam.

Just like your favorite holiday outfit, your Christmas fireplace mantel deserves a little bling! Scatter crystal candlesticks, glass ornaments or metallic tabletop and mantel decor throughout your mantel arrangement to really make it gleam! A mirror over the fireplace multiplies the shine.

6. Don’t Neglect the Hearth.

A large deer figure, colorful nutcracker, woodsy Santa, trio of hurricane lamps, grouping of flameless candles in the firebox – even a wooden Christmas sign – encourage your eyes to travel and appreciate the entire fireplace, not just what’s on the mantel.

Some Tips to Remember

• Decorations of the same height lined in a row along the mantel will look boring. Instead, include a few very tall mantel decorations to add dimension and visually “scoop” your fireplace wreath or Christmas art into the arrangement. Or hang a sign and set the wreath directly on the mantel.
• When decorating a fireplace mantel, aim for balance, not symmetry. Place a pair of tall silver candlesticks on one end of the mantel with a single hurricane lamp on the other end, for instance.
• If yours is a working fireplace, do not use stockings and decorations that dangle or hang in front of the firebox, or transfer them to a safe spot while the fireplace is in use.
• Christmas decorations are part of the fun and magic of the season. With a little forethought and creativity, you can include your fireplace mantel in your home’s holiday transformation.

Thanks again to "ChristmasCentral.com" for these Fabulous Holiday decorating ideas!