52 Christmas Mantel Decor Ideas Anyone Can Recreate

Decorating a fireplace mantel is a holiday tradition that can help make your house feel like a home. But there is no single way to decorate a holiday mantel. Treat it like a blank canvas and style it any way you like, making sure that it reflects your taste and existing decor, and creates the kind of mood that puts you and your loved ones in the holiday spirit. You can style a mantel to work with other decorations in the room or using the same elements you use to decorate your tree. Or if putting up a whole tree isn't practical this year, you can choose to focus on the mantel and go all out to create a holiday centerpiece.

Whether you're looking to create a traditional, modern, minimalist, eco-friendly, colorful, maximalist, understated, glam, whimsical, or fairy tale holiday mantel display, these 52 festive Christmas mantel ideas will help inspire your own design. And if a real or faux fireplace mantel is not part of your home's existing architecture, you can adapt these ideas to create a virtual Christmas mantel on a bookshelf, floating shelf, sideboard, dresser, radiator cover top, or any other long, flat surface that you can style like a virtual mantel display and use to create a focal point in a room, and a celebration of the season.

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Swap In a Holiday Painting

Inspired by Charm

Blogger Michael Wurm, Jr of Inspired by Charm hung a holiday-themed painting above the fireplace to set the tone for his Christmas mantel display. Then he decorated it with a generous green garland layered with strings of gold beads and stars and oversize pine cones. On the mantel surface, he placed a family of vintage woodland ornaments, tree-shaped figurines in a mix of metals and woods, and hung cozy knit stockings in a bundle to one side. A golden Christmas gnome at the base of the fireplace adds a little extra sparkle.

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Think Pink

Monika Hibbs

Blogger Monika Hibbs decked her mantel in classic greens and pale pink satin ribbons in honor of a recently born daughter's first Christmas, adding fluffy white filled stockings and a sheepskin throw in front of the fireplace for a soft, feminine twist on holiday decor with a personal touch. Using long, quality ribbon in satin or velvet adds a retro touch, and you could easily swap out the pink for any other color you like with similar effect.

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DIY Some Cardboard Christmas Trees

Craftberry Bush

Blogger Lucy Akins from Craftberry Bush crafted DIY cardboard Christmas tree ornaments that create a charming mantel-top mini forest. She embellished the mantel with brass candlesticks, small white ornaments, and simple greens that add dimension and volume and meld with the neutral color scheme and natural materials.

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Drape an Asymmetrical Garland

Modern Glam

Blogger Ashley Luengo from Modern Glam created a cozy, natural Christmas mantel design using an asymmetrical garland, an assortment of candlesticks, and some Christmas-themed framed art stacked against the vintage mirror over the fireplace.

The 15 Best Christmas Garlands of 2022

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Keep It Simple and Serene

Sugar and Charm

Fireplace mantels come in many shapes and sizes. Blogger Eden Passante from Sugar and Charm worked with the architecture of her fireplace, painting the protruding front in a minty green, hanging a large unadorned natural green wreath in the center, and adding a trio of white white tree-shaped candles on the small shelves that flank either side of the fireplace that function as a bifurcated mantel.

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Add French Country Flair

Maison de Cinq

Blogger Sheila Irwin from Maison de Cinq created a French country-inspired mantel with a simple wreath hung over an antique mirror, a pair of decorative urns, and neutral-toned stockings hung in a neat row.

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Supersize Your Garland

Design by Mel Bean Interiors / Photo by Laurey Glenn

Interior designer Mel Bean of Mel Bean Interiors created a maximalist holiday mantel in this contemporary formal living room. The supersized garland spills down the top and both sides of the fireplace mantel, complementing the existing color palette and decor while creating a holiday-themed focal point. Delicate gold animal and tree figurines and golden Christmas lighting on the garland add warmth.

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Make It Homey

Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

This homey Christmas mantel design from Emily Henderson Design leans more on the side of wintry, making it appropriate for those who prefer a secular spin on the holiday. Layered mantel lighting in the form of an oversize star, and a mix of candlesticks and votive candles add warm light. Simple greens add a note of freshness and faux fur-trimmed stockings hung from the chunky wood mantel help create a cozy vibe.

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Accent with Rose Gold

Modern Glam

Blogger Ashley Luengo from Modern Glam created a maximalist Christmas living room decor scheme that was inspired by a shiny rose gold Merry Christmas garland tied together with black and white twine. She went all out with the color palette, carrying it onto the two trees that flank the mantel and are decorated in rose gold ornaments and black-and-white striped ribbons. The lyrics to Silent Night written in white on a black background creates a focal point.

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Use Odd Numbers

Monika Hibbs

Blogger Monika Hibbs created a charming, cheerful, understated holiday mantel with a generous spread of fresh greens, gingerbread house ornaments, and an abundance of taper candlesticks of varying heights and styles in similar brass tones. Hibbs points out that it's best to use odd numbers of candles, ornaments, or other elements when decorating a mantel for the most aesthetically pleasing effect. The same rule works well for flower bouquets and shelf displays as well.

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Add a Mini Tree

Maison de Cinq

Blogger Sheila Irwin from Maison de Cinq created a casual French country-inspired mantel display with a Merry Christmas garland, cozy cream-colored knit stockings, and a jumble of votive candles. Simple white Christmas lights on the garland and mini tree placed next to the hearth provides extra light and charm without stealing the show from the main tree elsewhere in the room.

The 9 Best Indoor Christmas Lights of 2022, Tested and Reviewed

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Spread Joy

Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

Interior designer Emily Henderson of Emily Henderson Design created a fun, modern Christmas mantel that matches the contemporary aesthetic of the marble and white wood fireplace and overall design of the room. Black-and-white stockings hung to one side, and bright red letters spelling out the word JOY sets the tone, and a simple cascading green garland adds a note of greenery next to the blingy modern gold tree.

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Go Monochrome

My 100 Year Old Home

Blogger Leslie Saeta of My 100 Year Old Home chose to use simple mantel decorations for her all-white primary bedroom. The simple Christmas bedroom comes together with a row of white house-shaped votives lined up on the mantel, and a bunch of greens tied with a red ribbon hung casually off of a thrift store floor lamp on one side of the mantel add some color and a nod to the season without going over the top. A red pillow on an armchair and a red-and-green quilt at the foot of the bed tie it all together.

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Create a Focal Point

Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

There is no mantel on the floor-to-ceiling fireplace in this spacious Spanish-style living room from Emily Henderson Design. Instead, a simple lighted wreath encircling a faux trophy head above the fireplace fills in the empty space, and stockings hang from a built-in bookshelf just off to one side. The granny chic minty green velvet tasseled vintage chaise longue works anytime but looks more intentional during the holiday season.

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Keep It Merry and Bright

A Beautiful Mess

This bright and shiny DIY marquee light Christmas mantel decoration from Laura Gummerman at A Beautiful Mess has enough bling to light up the whole room. She kept the rest of the mantel decoration simple with pompom and gold ball garlands filling the negative space between the firebox and the mantel, and adding some mini Christmas tree and pine cone table ornaments on either side of the marquee sign to tie it all together.

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Pair Black and White

Most Lovely Things

Blogger Annie Diamond of Most Lovely Things made her minimalist black-and-white Christmas mantel cozy and inviting with pairs of matching stockings, overstuffed throw pillows, simple greens, candles, and house-shaped votives.

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Mix Colors and Metallics

Inspired by Charm

This Christmas mantel from blogger Michael Wurm, Jr of Inspired by Charm includes an evergreen garland embellished with a string of gold beads and tied with blue ribbons on each end, a snow pine cone wreath hung from a vintage mirror above the fireplace, and a banner that reads “Merry & Bright.” The blue, green, white, and gold color scheme is carried throughout the holiday living room for a cohesive look.

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Stick to White and Gold

Craftberry Bush

Blogger Lucy Akins of Craftberry Bush decorated her white-and-gold themed Christmas mantel with a generous asymmetrical garland and a coordinating wreath. Gold bells hanging from white stockings, candlesticks, and white-and-gold decorations on the bookshelves that flank the fireplace create a fresh, natural but polished holiday ambiance throughout the room.

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Make It Multicolored

Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

Emily Henderson Design chose a bold print in primary colors on the Frame TV over her family room fireplace that echoes the multicolored decorations on the tree, and coordinates with the blues and reds on throw pillows and upholstery.

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Drape the Garland

Maison de Cinq

Blogger Sheila Irwin from Maison de Cinq created a soft, French country-inspired take on Christmas mantel decor that harmonizes with the rest of the room. Sticking to shades of green and white, she draped her garland for a nonchalant feel, added tapered candles, and hung a simple ribbon-tied wreath on a vintage mirror above the mantel.

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Keep It Understated

Marlaina Teich Designs / Photo by Patrick Cline

Interior designer Marlaina Teich of Marlaina Teich Designs used a mix of black and white and bright gold metallic accessories to create an understated, sophisticated take on holiday mantel decor.

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Say Cheers

A Beautiful Mess

Laura Gummerman from A Beautiful Mess created a DIY white and gold holiday-themed ode to typography and kitsch with this cheerful sign mantel display.

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Use Simple Greens

My 100 Year Old Home

Blogger Leslie Saeta from My 100 Year Old Home used simple greens to decorate her living room mantel that don't fight with the painting above the fireplace and allow the rest of the room's traditional red and green Christmas decorations to shine.

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Add Candy Cane Stripes

A Beautiful Mess

Kara Whitten from A Beautiful Mess hung brightly colored stockings decorated in pompoms and candy cane stripes and decked the mantel with a forest of brightly colored bottle brush trees to create a happy, fun Christmas vibe.

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Channel Scandi Style

Design by Lindye Galloway Studio

This streamlined mantel from Lindye Galloway Studio blends harmoniously with the rest of the room's serene, Scandi style-inspired take on Christmas decor, with its soothing palette of sage green, cream, and natural tones. Wood bead garlands draped on the mantel and adjacent tree add a natural touch.

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Play with Scale

Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Tessa Neustadt

Not every fireplace has a traditional mantel. In this living room from Emily Henderson Design, an oversized wreath decorates the blank space above the firebox. Built-in bench seating is treated like a mantel and decorated with a tall vase full of red holiday berries, tree ornaments, and toys to delight the little ones.

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Mix Red and White

Inspired by Charm

Blogger Michael Wurm, Jr of Inspired by Charm created a red-themed rustic Christmas mantel on his brick and wood fireplace. A green garland is layered with gold beads and festooned with oversized and frosted pine cones, red-and-white ornaments, and Christmas lights. Classic Nordic knit stockings trimmed with white faux fur complete the happy, homey look.

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Choose a Nutcracker Theme

Craftberry Bush

Blogger Lucy Akins from Craftberry Bush created a Nutcracker-themed mantel in shades of red, blue, and gold to create a classic Christmas mantel display with timeless appeal.

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Use Faux Berries

My 100 Year Old Home

Blogger Leslie Saeta of My 100 Year Old Home dressed her cream-toned rustic modern farmhouse living room mantel in greens and bright red faux berries, hung a wreath on top of distressed vintage tin tiles, and added Scandi-style black-and-white knit stockings with DIY nametags for a personal touch.

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Reinvent Tradition

A Beautiful Mess

Creating your own visual vocabulary to celebrate a collective holiday is one way ensure that the holiday is a meaningful expression of you and your family rather than just a riff on tradition. For Laura Gummerman at A Beautiful Mess, that meant this surprising, irreverent DIY marquee of a vintage Corvette Stingray carrying a pink tree on its roof. Make the holidays your own by following your own vision of what Christmas means to you.

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Pile on the Pillar Candles

Thistlewood Farms

Blogger KariAnne Wood of Thistlewood Farms created a simple, timeless farmhouse style mantel with flickering LED pillar candles, natural greens, and pine cones that gets the job done with a minimum of fuss or expense.

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Mix Real and Faux Greens

Craftberry Bush

Blogger Lucy Akins from Craftberry Bush mixes real and faux greenery that lasts from season to season on her Christmas mantel to cut down on her holiday decorating budget.

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Mix in Natural Elements

Inspired by Charm

Blogger Michael Wurm, Jr from Inspired by Charm found a pair of elk antlers at a resale store and used them as a centerpiece for this nature-inspired Christmas mantel. He added fresh greens, copper ornaments, and large pine cones. A pair of lamps on either end add light and height, and a garland hung below the mantel adds a shot of classic Christmas red.

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Stay Neutral

Thistlewood Farms

Blogger KariAnne Wood of Thistlewood Farms created a neutral-toned Christmas mantel with natural materials, large curled ribbons, touches of gold, and greenery that blends in with her white-on-white rustic modern farmhouse style.

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Add Dimension

Design and Photo by Kara Rosenlund

Australian travel photographer Kara Rosenlund created a focal point above the fireplace with a natural trophy head that adds dimension to the flat surround marble fireplace. Contemporary holiday signage hung on the wall adds a cheerful, modern Scandi-style vibe. The neutral palette and DIY scavenged branch tree provides a perfect foil that allows natural greenery to shine.

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Keep It Minimalist

Most Lovely Things

Blogger Annie Diamond of Most Lovely Things added a line of black house-shaped votives, black taper candles, and a small vase of red leaves to her painted white stone fireplace mantel for a minimalist take on holiday decor.

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Layer It Up

Inspired by Charm

Blogger Michael Wurm, Jr from Inspired by Charm used bright red and crisp white to create a layered mantel design that features interwoven garlands, twinkly lights, tapered candles, house-shaped votives, Nordic stockings, and framed Christmas song lyrics.

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Keep It Coordinated

Design by Kern & Company

If you're blessed with two mantels that are visible from across an open space or adjoining rooms, they don't need to match perfectly. But be sure visually link them using similar greens or variations on the same color scheme, like the twin mantels in this spacious home from interior designer Susan Spath of Kern & Company.

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Keep a Low Profile

Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

Emily Henderson Design kept this holiday mantel decoration simple with low-slung greens and a low profile green garland decorated with a string of gold bells that doesn't block the TV when in use.

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Add a Waterfall Garland

Design by Mel Bean Interiors / Photo by Kacey Gilpin

Interior designer Mel Bean of Mel Bean Interiors used a generous waterfall garland on the fireplace of this contemporary living room that spills down both sides and puddles at the base, creating a sense of abundance and celebration. She stuck to the room's gray-and-white palette down to the Christmas stockings, adding touches of gold that echo the brass-trimmed glass coffee nesting tables and add festive holiday warmth to the overall design.

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Layer on Some Art

Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona

Blogger Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona decorated her living room for Christmas with simple greens, a burnished gold garland, and layered framed art leaning on the mantel for a casual look.

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Keep It Light and Airy

Inspired by Charm

Blogger Michael Wurm, Jr of Inspired by Charm used blue and green bottle brush trees, vintage brass deer ornaments, vintage-inspired DIY wood stockings, and simple greens surrounding a large mirror to brighten up this light and airy Christmas mantel.

59 Festive and Fun DIY Christmas Decorations

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Light Some Candles

Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona

Blogger Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona created a simple, budget-friendly Christmas mantel display that plays off the gilded mirror above the fireplace with an assortment of candles in glass and gold vessels, simple ribbon, and reusable faux garlands with greens and white flowers.

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Go Wall to Wall

Craftberry Bush

Blogger Lucy Akins of Craftberry Bush created a wall of greenery with her maximalist living room Christmas decor. The mantel is covered in a lush garland that flows seamlessly into the twin trees flanking either side of the fireplace. The color palette of greens and blues complement the dark wall paint to create the impression that a Christmas garden has been planted in the living room.

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Mix Red and Gold

Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona

Blogger Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona hung red and gold stockings from a DIY hangar box filled with mini presents and greens, and added Christmas ornaments on either end for a slightly formal holiday look.

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Decorate with Glass Cloches

Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona

Blogger Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona created a simple mantel display by putting sparkly silver Christmas ornaments and fairy lights under decorative glass cloches. A faux fur stocking, mini pine cones, and wrapped stocking stuffer-sized gifts decorate the rest of the mantel.

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Blow Up a Family Photo

Most Lovely Things

Blogger Annie Diamond from Most Lovely Things set her Frame TV with a blown up family photo from a previous year's Christmas card that adds a personal touch to her simple stone mantel holiday display.

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Go White on White

Design by Amy Leferink at Interior Impressions

Interior designer Amy Leferink at Interior Impressions chose a minimalist approach to decorating the mantel in this neutral-toned formal living room. She hung a simple off-white wreath that adds a festive but minimal nod to the holidays, and complements the white flowers on the coffee table and touches of greenery scattered throughout the room.

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Tie it with a Bow

Bee's Knees Interior Design

Interior designer Mary Maloney of Hopkinton, MA.-based Bee's Knees Interior Design has a holiday decorating motto that "Less is more and fresh is best." She enjoys sourcing as much of her decor as possible from the great outdoors. "We are blessed to live in an environment where we can cut much of what we need right in our backyard," Maloney says. "Winterberry is lovely for a pop of red. Add in pine cones for texture. Evergreen clippings are long lasting and add such a lovely smell to your indoor environment. And embellish your displays with a ribbon accent."

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Make It Solid Gold

A Beautiful Mess

Emma Chapman from A Beautiful Mess decorated this white living room with gold accents including a pair of gold Christmas trees decorated with gold ball ornaments. She carried the theme to the mantel, which she decorated sparingly with a double-draped a gold ball ornament garland and a mini gold tree.

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Add DIY Lighting Fixtures

Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona

Blogger Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona decorated her Christmas living room in shades of green and gold, adding a pair of DIY tree-shaped holiday lighting fixtures lit with green LED lights to either end of the mantel to tie it all together.

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Accent with Red

Thistlewood Farms

Blogger KariAnne Wood of Thistlewood Farms added some Christmas cheer to her blue-and-white living room with contrasting bright red and white stockings and advent calendar votive candles with red numbers that line the mantel covered in fresh greens.