Dress the Mantle

[karlinann]

Do you envy those home style magazines with all their glitz and glam for the holidays. Well you can do the same thing in your own home and it's super easy. First, start with a blank screen: clear everything off the mantle. Now you will need to gather supplies. Just go through the house and gather up some things that have texture, different heights. Some things that work well together are Mirrors, clocks, collections, baskets, angels, children's toys, tureens, etc. Get some fresh greenery from Lowe's, (it's free) and some sparkle ornaments, (the bigger the better). Now put some items on each side and the middle. You could place the clock to the left, the mirror in the middle and a collection of angels on the right. Any collection will work, but you must end up with an odd number of items on the mantle. Now if you used a tureen or basket put some grocery plastic bags in the bottom and then add a layer of greenery on top and put the sparkly ornaments on top of the greenery. Some bling for the basket! Now you're ready to add greenery all around the edges of the mantle and just tuck it into the cracks and crevices until it suits you. Stand back and admire your creative Christmas mantle. Ta da! Just 3 things to remember: Different height and textures, sparkle and shine to project light and use an odd number of items. How easy is that.

[ladyebug]

The one thing I must do at Christmas is my mantle. It's made to be decorated, after all.

[Paula A]

I LOVE decorating mine...just not the un decorating for the next season! I have a picture over mine and try to decorate around the colors. For Christmas I have a picture of Mary in three poses with baby Jesus and the pictures have a lot of blue and the edgeof the frame is silver so that made a big difference in the colors I worked with. I have a sheer scarf with crystals on the corners that I put down first and tehn build up with vines and flowers and sparkly things and pearls all on wires, and have some clrear glass ornaments and candlesticks at each end. If I can get pat to put the picture up for me, I will see. It is on Facebook.