Festive Christmas Mantel Decorating Idea

Layla and Kevin over at The Lettered Cottage are having a Christmas Link Party for mantels.  I linked up my festive Christmas mantel that has a special story associated with it.

This mantel in my dining room is just the mantel, it is not attached to the wall, there is no fireplace behind it. It was the mantel in my hubby’s father’s boyhood home.  When the house was sold, all my father-in-law wanted was this mantel – as it carried fond Christmas memories for him.  As a child who grew up during the depression and came of age during WWII, money was scarce in his home and at Christmas there were not many presents under the tree, but there was always an orange hidden in this mantel for him to find on Christmas morning.   There is a shelf on the back under the opening.

Today we take the availability of an orange for granted, but back then it was a very special treat.   When my girls were little, we started a new tradition- the mantel  became a great place to hide Easter eggs for them to find.

When my husband and I first got the mantel, it was dark brown with chipped veneer.  I sanded it and spackled and sanded it more, then painted it white and it came to life for us. It has moved into five different houses with us and has been part of our home since we were married.

I like my Christmas decorating to be eye catching, yet simple. The only theme I follow is from my heart and of course purple.

Every year I like to use a different color with the purple accents. This year it is lime. I bought  a box of classic ball ornaments in lime from Walmart for $5.00.  They have every color imaginable all lined up along the aisle in the Christmas decorations department.

I found the wide lime ribbon at Michaels.

I like the classic traditional look of Christmas, tweaked.  It still says Christmas to me – warm, festive, nostalgic – plus I can create merry in minutes.  I love the touch of shine, it adds simple elegance.

 I found the glass candle holders at HomeGoods a few years ago.

The real fireplace with a mantel in my home is in my family room.  I can’t make it very pretty as there is a flat screen TV hogging all the space.  Does anybody have any good ideas on how to decorate a festive Christmas mantel when a TV is mounted on the wall?  I hang the stockings and that is about it.

For more creative and affordable festive Christmas mantel decorating ideas, click over to my —-> Holiday Project Gallery