3 Festive Ways To Dress Up Your Fireplace Mantel

Often the focal point of a room, mantels are a hot spot for holiday decor. Here are three design formulas for adding festive charm to your fireplace this season.

Smoky Berry: Eucalyptus + Frosted Glass + Hits Of Purple 

Think sugarplums and cranberries and dress the mantel in muted berry tones. An oversized mirror in a frosty finish subtly reflects winter light. Feathery seeded and silver dollar eucalyptus are grouped into sprigs of five to seven stems and wrapped with floral wire to make a fragrant garland, loosely draped for an organic look. Glass vases, burgundy astrantia and purple carnations (tucked into floral tubes with water so they last longer) add hits of color. For safety, keep the garland clear of wood-burning fire boxes.

Mixed Metals: Old Gold + Silver Sparkle + Soft Candlelight 

An inexpensive wreath is elevated by a coat of silver spray paint, then layered over a gold trumeau mirror. Decorative boxes tied with ribbon resemble gifts, while a collection of silver spheres and gold orb containers are arranged in an asymmetrical grouping. (To keep spheres from rolling, affix with an adhesive putty like Blu Tack.)

Homespun Woodland: Vintage Photos + Natural Palette + Found Objects 

Swap the usual string of greeting cards for old family photos clipped to a rustic rope. Bring out your vintage skis or wooden toboggans from the garage and prop them up against the wall for another touch of nostalgia. Add a basket of logs and found antlers and branches, then finish the look with tree-themed artwork.