Christmas Mantel Decorating

 You guys! I have such a fun post today decorating my mantel, and to disclose, in order to keep this blog running and free to our readers, we occasionally partner with brands.  Today, we have partnered with CJ Affiliate’s VIP Content Service and want to thank Pier 1 for sponsoring this post.  While this is a sponsored opportunity from Pier 1, all content and opinions expressed here are my own. (And be sure to read to the end to enter the giveaway!)

I have really been enjoying decorating for the holidays this year!  I will admit my tree went up about November 4th!  Right on!!  No shame here.  We even had 2 Thanksgiving feasts- one with my extended family and one at home with just our little family.  So much to be thankful for, and having this whole holiday season last even longer has been great.  My neighbors literally think I’m crazy!  (I know this because when I posted my Christmas tree decorating videos on personal Facebook page they told me…)

Okay that said, I FINALLY decorated my mantel last weekend and I wanted to share with you some of my thoughts about how I and possibly you could do it.

1. Adding vertical or tall items

2. Adding horizontal or low elements

3. Plane breaking object/s

4. Thinking in terms of triangles

5. Simple color pallet

6. Adding Light!!

7. Use all your senses – Add Something that smells good too!

8. Use holiday and NON-holiday items together!!

Our mantel has a TV above it and so for us that had to be brought into consideration when decorating.  Also our Christmas tree covers half of the mantel so one side has a bit more of a presence than the other side.

When starting to decorate, I hopped on Pier1.com first, and found at the bottom of the page there is a little tab that says “Be Inspired“.  I looked through the holiday looks they created.  This was so important for deciding the direction I wanted to go with my decor because when I went into the store I was literally like a kid in a candy store grabbing everything I saw.  But I soon realized I couldn’t have it all and I needed to choose wisely- as Indiana Jones would say (or whoever that guy was)

Having a direction really helped me narrow down my selections.  My Christmas tree is decorated in a woodland style right now, and obviously I wanted it to coordinate with my mantel.  So when I looked around the style look they created called “The Magic of Glimmer Strings”  and this picture in particular spoke to me.  The warm light and the woodland creatures basically sold me, I just knew I wanted to add some pops of red!!

 Here is my mantel before I started.  Basically, we have our tree decorated and I had socks that matched my tree so I used them.  Our mantel is long and we have a huge TV in the center…  (which we are hoping to move to our family room soon and I can’t tell you how happy I will be when it gets moved!!)

Like I mentioned in the steps above and in the video, I am going to start with the main vertical items (which are the canisters and cake dome – and rattan star, but I didn’t get that photographed right then!  Sorry)  Once those are in their basic position, you can move onto to the next elements.

Now start filling in the horizontal plane.  For this I am using the beautiful glitter berry garland and the berry sprays.

You will notice on each side of the TV I have a triangle that is created by the items that I have placed there.  (it is a little harder to tell on the tree side, but it does create a triangle shape. ) This just helps to make things feel balanced.

Next step for me was filling in with some of the small contrasting items, in this space the little star ornaments, that I used more sculptural and the adorable penguins.  I tested out a few items in the image below that I didn’t end up using, and moved things around.

Lastly the crowning event was adding the glimmer lights.  Seriously I want to go buy 30 more sets I LOVE these.  I want to use them everywhere!!  They are dazzling, truly!

 Every single item I used is beautiful in it’s own right!  I love that the rattan star, the canister and cake dome can be used year round, and not just at Christmas, and of course the glimmer lights and berry sprays can be used for other holidays as well!!  Well the glimmer stars can be used any time, I am TOTALLY in love with them!

Here is a list of the items too, if that is easier for you to browse through:

 And then.. dun, dun, dun, duh…. (sing that don’t say it- and hold it out at the end with jazz hands for full effect!)

You have an adorable, Woodsy, Christmasy mantel!  (without a green garland which I think is even more fun…)

 We are having a fun (and I will admit sort of sloppy) 12 projects of Christmas, and I am counting this as part of it! Click here to see the other projects.

One lucky winner will receive a $150 Pier 1 gift card so you can decorate your mantel or update your decor wherever you want! Enter below by subscribing to our YouTube channel (and please watch some videos and give a thumbs up while you’re there — and tell us what you’d like to see more videos of!)