55 Christmas Mantel Decorating Ideas

The holidays are upon us — time to deck the halls! What better area to showcase your seasonal style than your living room's natural focal point: the fireplace? From magical mantels to farmhouse-style fireplaces, keep clicking for our best fireplace Christmas decor and DIY holiday mantel decorating ideas.

Is a roaring fire not in your fireplace's future? Take a cue from designer Caitlin Wilson and fill the firebox with stacked wood. The woodsy display is the perfect backdrop to buffalo-check + faux fur stockings and a fresh cedar swag. Our friends at HGTV Magazine take you on a tour of this cheery holiday home that was made for big family get-togethers, below.

If your Christmas tree and mantel will be near each other, as they are here, create a cohesive look by selecting a single dominant shade. Our choice? Restful shades of blue that we repeated in the stockings' embellishment, tree's ornaments and even the gift wrap and bows. Picking a palette, then using variations of that same color again and again, is the easiest way to create a cohesive design.

Get crafty to get your fireplace ready for the season's festivities. To create the pom-pom trees, temporarily attach a pre-made garland to the overmantel using removable hooks (or thumbtacks) attached to the wall in the shape of a tree. You can even simplify the process by outlining cone-shaped trees for an easier fix. Finish dressing the mantel with clipped evergreen branches, topped by your most colorful wrapped gifts.