Welcome to the wonderful world of fireplace mantels and fireplace mantel ideas. A mantel shelf is more than just a piece of wood mounted above your hearth. It s the perfect accent you place on your home. The mantel is where you place your most prized possessions, pictures of loved ones, and even where you hang your stockings at Christmas time. That s why you need to select a fireplace mantel that reflects the design of your home, fits well with your fireplace, and has enough space to accommodate the possessions you want to place on it.
However, selecting the perfect mantel piece is not an easy job, especially if you re fresh out of fireplace mantel ideas or have no clue what your options are. Use this fireplace mantel buying guide to help you find and select the best mantel shelf for your home.
Get creative with your fireplace mantel this holiday season. Make it the vivid centerpiece of your home.
Here are some Christmas mantel decorating ideas that will keep your guests talking long after the season’s come and gone.
Bring Back the Style of Christmas Past
If you are in the mood to get really creative this holiday season and want your Christmas décor to stand out, do some research and deck your halls with decorations from a time gone by. Go for opulent with a Victorian theme, or try for the more subdued, but classy Colonial America look.
Bring the World Home this Christmas
This season use your fireplace mantel to reflect the holiday traditions of another culture or country. For example, you could incorporate in your decorating scheme souvenirs that you’ve picked during your travels in other countries. You could also use your mantel to display nativity scenes as represented by different cultures. On the other hand, if you are an émigré, use your fireplace mantel to evocate the Christmas spirit from back home.
Less is More
If you subscribe to a minimalist school of design and don’t like the clutter of too many knick knacks and doodads around your home this theme is perfect for you. You could create an elegantly simple display on your mantle using minimal decoration – such as a richly designed scented candle, flowers or even a strategically placed single Christmas stocking.
Christmas Spirit
What puts you in the Christmas spirit? Maybe it’s a favorite carol or specific scene from a Christmas story. Whatever it is that gets you in the mood incorporate it into your décor – weather it be Santa on his sleigh, Frosty the Snowman, or the soft harmony of Silver Bells.
Gifts Galore for the Holidays
This is a very simple theme that just extends the space and excitement that are usually reserved for under your Christmas tree to the rest of the room, including your fireplace mantel. Placing gifts strategically in unexpected places will give your home the feel of a treasure trove.
Get Sentimental
Bring out all those old, forgotten handmade Christmas decorations for a holiday décor that fun and sentimental.
In the end, whatever theme you decide on for your décor this Christmas, keep in mind that your decorations will have to blend in with the rest of the room. Also remember to use the natural focal draw of your fireplace mantel to its full potential by making it the decorative core of the room.
So, get creative and have fun with your fireplace mantel decorations this Christmas for a unique ambience and a memorable holiday.
Author Resource:
Lisa Becker is an avid home decorator and writes for http://www.fireplacemantels123.com Fireplace Mantels 123: Shop For Your Perfect Fireplace Mantel and Surround. Her expertise regarding fireplace mantels and surrounds provides insight into the world of interior design and home decorating. Check out more useful articles at http://www.fireplacemantels123.com Fireplace Mantels 123.
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