Fireplace Holiday Mantle

Hello Friends!!

First, I just want to say THANK YOU so much for all of your kind remarks on the simple holiday touches I added to our guest room. I almost didn’t share it because it felt almost too “simple” in the terms of Pinterest worthy content, but I was so happy with the impact that just a few simple Christmas decorations can make, I wanted to share it anyways. Your sweet comments showed me that I was on the right track. That we don’t have to go all out to spread a little Christmas cheer, and that my heart for the holidays is to simply welcome people into our home and make them feel loved. You can see the post HERE, in case you missed it, and today I’m sharing how I decorated the fireplace in our kitchen for Christmas! You guys this is the first time I have had an actual fireplace to decorate for the holidays, and it’s a BIG one. I’m so excited for you to see it!

Come and take a look ~

Our fireplace is located in between the kitchen and the dining room. It’s the original cooking fireplace from when the house was built in 1775, and it’s massive! Just the inside fireplace opening is about 5 feet tall by 6 feet wide! Because it was the original cooking stove, the mantle is placed a bit higher up, which allowed room for a pot to hang above the fire.

I started by placing my Balsam & Berries canvas from Lindsay Letters in the center, and then used some of my tiny white houses on either side with bottle brush trees, to create a little Christmas village scene. I’ve used these houses before to create a Christmas village scene – HERE, and it looks so cute at night when they all light up.

Since the fireplace is quite large, it commands a lot of attention when you walk into the room, I knew I needed a garland that wouldn’t feel lost up against all that brick! I hung 2 strands of faux garland, asymmetrically along the front of the fireplace. The garland is from Purple Rose Home, and I actually first used it on my console table in our living room, as a “mantle” vignette, with bottle brush trees. You can see that post HERE.

Honestly this one of the fullest faux garlands I have ever scene. The branches are so realistic looking, and bendable all the way down to the tip, making styling so easy. It’s probably one of the best quality garlands I’ve come across!

Click Here for the Garland.

I clustered all of our stockings on one end to help compliment the asymmetrical look of the garland. I tried adding a few different strands of pom pom garland, but every time I did, it just felt more cluttered to me, and took away from the beautiful look of just the garland by itself. I think this year I am definitely craving a less is more, more simple look. Which I am totally fine with 😉

I’ve had our stockings for a few years now, and collected them from Marshalls, Target, and HomeGoods. On each stocking I tie a little wooden initial ornament, that I picked up from Anthropologie years ago. Each family members initial, so everyone knows whose stocking is whose 🙂

We do have plans to give this fireplace a bit of a makeover this winter, which is why I haven’t cosmetically done anything to it yet. Next up is a pair of chairs to place in front of it, for morning coffee and an evening night cap by the fire.

Wishing you the all the best this holiday season!