Danny Berry
I don’t typically have plans for exactly how I’ll decorate when the holiday season rolls around. And, that’s exactly what happened as I started decorating our living room mantel with a classic Christmas and slightly southern feel.
Both of the paintings I’ve had hanging over the mantel had more of a spring/summer feel, so I shopped around the house to see what might be a good seasonal alternative. Now it was just time to add some seasonal greenery and hang stockings to dress this classic Christmas mantel. how to paint a granite tile fireplace surround tutorial | living room rug I hung a faux cedar garland around the portrait and dressed it up with a little bit of velvet ribbon and some small brass bells.
This classic Christmas mantel ended up having a bit of a southern vibe with the addition of faux magnolia leaves, the orange slices, and even some gray whelk shells I collected at Isle of Palms this summer. The addition of the whelk shells came out of my desire to add a little bit of blue to this classic Christmas mantel arrangement.
Even though shells say “summer” more than “Christmas” when it comes to traditional decorative use, it adds to the natural and collected feel of the garland.
I added faux rosemary, olive leaves, and magnolia to the more classic evergreens on this Christmas mantel.
I like how the ribbons and bells are simple, but add a little festive touch and visual interest to the cream knit stockings.
