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414 - Holiday S.O.S. |
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Christmas Mantle |
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One of my favourite times of the year is certainly Christmas, and I would like to share an idea for your mantle. Let's say that, like myself, you don't have a fireplace. Well, I'm going to suggest that next time you're at an antique shop or a vintage store, keep an eye out for a mantelpiece.
Place your mantelpiece up against a blank wall in the house and put a large piece of black paper behind it to give the hearth some definition. Then, in order to treat the top; select your anchor pieces, the items that will have the most prominence on the mantle.
I placed some nice silver candlesticks, almost Grecian in design. Next, I added in some seasonal greens. One thing to keep in mind is that if you have a live Christmas tree, when you trim the bottom, the branches that are left over are perfect for decorating your mantle. A nice, large cedar bough, blue spruce, or scotch pine, you can choose whatever strikes your fancy from the many different greens available. When you start to place the greens on the mantle let them drape over the side, as it creates a nice effect.
I'd like to encourage you to use anything and everything that speaks to you about the holidays. Bright, red, vibrant viburnum berries look wonderful nestled into the greens. Holly imparts a more traditional look.
Talking about the colours of the season, red and green ribbons (feel free to experiment with different colours that will accent your holiday look) look nice woven through the items atop your mantle. Large, satin ribbons are nice because of the shimmer and the shine. Allow them to drape a bit off the mantle to create a nice, inviting look.
The last colour treatment is the placement of three cranberry-coloured candles into candlesticks (green, gold, and silver also look nice). Then, add some pinecones to the display. Lastly, you can place some nice small julep cups accented with some moss and a nice tangerine or pomegranate on top. Nuts or pine cones work well too.
Once everything is attractively displayed and arranged, you won't be able to take your eyes off of your magnificent mantle. Happy Holidays!
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