Most of our home is neutral, so having this colorful holiday mantel is so fun for me this time of year! The days are short and dark this time of year and having something festive to look at for a month makes me so happy. Here’s how to create a colorful holiday mantel with layering and texture and color.
Colorful Bottle Brush Trees
These bottle brush trees are sold everywhere! And they are super inexpensive. Having them clustered together in a small space makes such an impact. I love the rich, saturated jewel tones against the white walls and greenery. The key here is having trees at different heights and tones to give a layered look.
Faux Green Garland
This faux greenery was such a find back in October! It sells out quickly because it’s so good for the price! I used five strands of garland here. Most of it stayed put by just layering it, but I did add two command hooks to stabilize the heavy parts. There is no trick here, just start adding and layering! I used real greenery for years on the mantel and it would get crispy and dead and make a mess. This faux garland is the right solution for us! It is worth it to me to spend money up front because I know I will never tire of this and will use year after year.
Stockings
I love the look of clustered stockings! These are hung with little white eye hooks screwed up into the lip of the mantel (that we unscrew after the holidays and you can’t see the hole). We have two chunky knit and two faux fur stockings. The knit ones came with red pom and tassels already attached. This look is easy to recreate with any sort of hanging decoration. You can get this clustered effect with any stockings you own, just hang the tight together and add some embellishments!
Layered Garlands
Can you tell I’m into layering? Ha! I grabbed every last holiday garland I had laying around and just started stringing them across the mantel. These are also held up using those same white eye hooks. The different textures and colors look so festive together! You can create this look with absolutely any garland you have laying around. Here is a round up of similar garlands.
How to Hang Garlands and Stockings
As mentioned earlier, I use white eye hooks screwed right into our wooden mantel. We have a lip on the mantel so when the hooks are unscrewed you can’t see the holes. When they are screwed in, the stuff around it is so busy, you can’t really see them.
Holiday Mantel Accessories
To add some interest to the left side of the mantel I added the JOY artwork. It’s simply leaning against the wall. It’s a random older purchase from Joann Fabric. I love a disco ball for some whimsy. This is easy to add to any holiday decor. A disco ball is a little unexpected and adds some shine.
Holiday Mantel 2023
I first posted about our holiday mantel from 2022. In 2023, I basically did the same exact thing with one swap. I added candlesticks instead of the JOY print. That print will be leaned in the dining room this year. These candlesticks can be found here. They are so versatile all year long!
I hope this colorful holiday mantel gives you a little inspiration when thinking about how to decorate yours! This year, I added lots of reds and pinks in subtle ways in my holiday decor with ribbons and pillows. Wishing you all a wonderful and festive holiday season! Check out all of my past seasonal posts here! XO
