Christmas mantels

Christmas decorating is finally in full swing around here. Today I'd like to share my Christmas mantels with you.

We're blessed to have two fireplaces, so that's double the Christmas decorating fun!

Our living room fireplace is in one of the most visible spots in our home. Around this fireplace is where we gather most every evening, and it's where we spend Christmas morning. So it has the honor of being the place where "the stockings are hung by the chimney with care."

No fashionable neutral stockings here--these are the stockings that we bought each of the boys when they were babies, and these are the ones that get stuffed each Christmas Eve.

The Flemish floral oil painting above the fireplace is one of my favorite pieces of art in our house, and it stays here year-round. So at Christmastime I simply decorate around it.

I made the moss topiaries--click here for a tutorial. This year I added the double topiaries made in the same way; I simply added a smaller sphere to the top. I like the fact that these are really tall.

I wanted lots of chunky candles on the mantel, but I only had three big candlesticks that matched. When I dug through my candleholders, though, I discovered that I had three more that I wasn't using because I no longer liked their color. That's an easy fix! I spray painted them with oil-rubbed bronze spray paint so they'd all match. A couple weren't quite the height I wanted them to be, so I elevated them. (The truth is that I didn't have anything pretty to set them on, so I turned ramekins upside down and set them on those. I knew that the ramekins would be hidden in the greenery. Shhh. It's our secret, okay?)

The greenery is my favorite part of the mantelscape. I don't use a garland in here; I just stick in clippings from our Christmas tree and from arborvitae, white pine, and boxwood in our yard. The red berries are fake, but I can't resist having pops of red amid the greenery.

This year I added some decorations to the hearth, too--more greenery in an old bottle:

and our collection of Christmas books in a basket. B is for Bethlethem is one of my favorites. I bought it the Christmas that I was expecting our first child. I think the story of Christ's birth is particularly poignant for expectant mothers.

A large mirror (so large that it won't fit above the fireplace!) hangs at the opposite end of the room; I love the way you can see the mantelscape reflected there.

Our second fireplace is in Jack's study. This room is his sanctuary, and I keep the decorations here pretty simple. I don't remove any of his things--he chose most of the accessories in this room, including the artwork, the photos, and the picture frames.

Here's the other side of the room:

The stacked stone of this fireplace is one of my favorite features in our house. I simply add a garland and a few red pieces to the mantel:

I also add a poinsettia to the hearth, right beside the Lego Imperial Warship that Lee built for Jack. Jack is a history buff and particularly loves to read about the history British Imperial Navy. The artwork above his fireplace and sofa are antique prints of British ships. Lee is proud that his dad showcases the Lego ship in his study.

Our fireplaces are ready for Christmas. I wish I could have you come sit by the fireside with me!

I'm joining these wonderful parties:

Holiday Home Mantel Party at Southern Hospitality

Mantel Link Party at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Mantel Party at The Stories of A to Z