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Mantel Decor: A Study in Metal and Greenery

Oh, how I love to decorate for Christmas!

The mantel is always first. 

It's a difficult mantel to decorate because it's very large and has to be flame resistant because we use our fireplace a lot during the winter.  And did I mention, it's large?  No hanging stockings, no draping garland, and no sparkly tinsel allowed for fear of it going up in flames.


I used the same fake greenery I've been using for years, adding large pinecones to beef it up.  With the addition of new lanterns left over from my daughter's wedding, I decided to just use metal and natural elements this year.  I used three rustyish stars that hubs strung onto a piece of barbed wire.  I love how they fill the ackward space between the mantel and the firebox. 


See the top of my fireplace tool holder?  It's actually a small weather vane that I found in my uncle's basement about 20 years ago.  We screwed it onto the top of the tool holder that the previous owners of our home had left on the fireplace.  The tool holder was black and brass so I spray painted it with high heat black spray paint before adding the weather vane.  I have to repaint the tools and holders every few years as the paint tends to wear off from repeated use.




The Lettered Cottage
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Comments

  1. Musings of a HousewifeNovember 30, 2010 at 4:10 PM

    Ooooh! I need your help. (And I haven't forgotten the laundry room.) But I just got these gorgeous silver metal angels (mom got them for me in Williamsburg) and I want to use them on my mantel this year. I usually use greenery but not sure it will fit now. My mantle is very shallow.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MelissaNovember 30, 2010 at 4:39 PM

    Beautiful! I love the lanterns & the stars. My mantle is tiny...just large enough to put stocking holders & stockings. We rarely use our gas logs, but I just move the stockings when we do.

    I want to see more goodies!

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownNovember 30, 2010 at 6:14 PM

    I love rustic and your mantel decor is great. You should see our living room mantel shelf, our style is quite similar.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AlexiaNovember 30, 2010 at 11:33 PM

    Cute! I really like those lanterns!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Linda@Coastal CharmDecember 1, 2010 at 12:32 AM

    It all looks so pretty...love the lanterns.

    Blessings,
    Linda

    I’m hosting an Christmas Open House on 12/9…would love to have you come by and join in on the fun!

    ReplyDelete
  6. kristinDecember 9, 2010 at 8:31 PM

    I love this mantel and your home, its so pretty!

    ReplyDelete

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