European Inspired Christmas Mantel Decor

I wasn’t planning on decorating for Christmas quite this early, but here we are. It all started with trying out my new artificial garland and seeing how it looked on our mantel and then I just couldn’t stop! We don’t have many spaces to decorate this year since we are still getting settled, but this room IS READY! I I spent the past day putting together our European Inspired Christmas Mantel. It was such a surreal and different feeling styling a different mantel for the first time, knowing our family’s stocking will hang here this year. Our first Christmas in this home. Our first time waking up Christmas morning here. So I wanted it to be special.

I am sharing a video at the end of the post so you can see it come together!

European Christmas Mantel Decor

I started with playing around with the garland and mixing three different types together. Then worked on adding simple and elegant Christmas decor that would give it a festive look but also not being too busy. This was definitely trial and error while working with a brand new space. It’s a little bit more traditional that I would normally go with, but I also love the pope of color against the large neutral space. I think this will evolve over the years as we get more furniture in here and have it feel a little more like us.

I’d love to find a gorgeous, larger armoire for the space directly to the right of the fireplace. I have my eye on one but it’s delayed right now. In the mean time, we will put our Christmas tree in that corner this year for a nice little Christmas scene.

Mixing Multiple Garlands Together

When putting together a Christmas mantel, I’ve learned that one of THE most important parts is styling the garland. I want to share a few tips I’ve learned over the years to get the lush, full, designer looking garland that you see in magazines.

1. Invest in quality, real-like garland. I bought this Norfolk Pine one this year and it is GORGEOUS. Hands down the best garland I’ve purchased. I bought two and would definitely buy more.
2. Twist in a secondary garland. Using a secondary garland that is a different kind and slightly different shade will make your mantel feel fuller and also add a bit of dimension. You will be amazed how much it makes a difference! I used this artificial cedar garland for this mantel. It is definitely not as real looking as the base layer, but it’s a good filler one.
3. Add a third decorative garland. Lastly, add in a third decorative garland such as bells, beads, ribbon, etc. Even add two fo these if you want a real festive look! I added my DIY Bell Garland on mine.

The bowls were a little bit of a stretch for me. I’m typically not a bow person. But I actually liked the pop of red it gave the space. It needed a little color (which is rare for me to say!). I found this burgundy red ribbon for a good price and need to buy more! I added a little ties of it onto the stockings as well.

Transitional Christmas Mantel

I really like the transitional decor style that is happening right now. It’s been around for a bit now but I see it sticking around. I think it’s a great mix of classic design elements with a modern touch and I think it’s a perfect look for this house. To add a little bit of modern in here, I previously updated the sconces to these forged black colonial style ones, I found the industrial candle holders at a local holiday store that I put on the ground in front of the fire place and also went with a black modern style mirror.

I love seeing this space all dressed up for the holidays and I get even more excited to see the space evolve over the years.

You can watch a video of me styling the mantel on Instagram! You can also view a full tour of the living room and get sources to all the furniture here.

SHOP THIS SCENE

Quick Links

1. Norfolk Artificial Pine Garland (my base garland)
2. Artificial Cedar Filler Garland
3. Cedar and Eucalyptus Wreath
4. Vintage Bells
5. Faux Taper Candles with remote
6. Black Modern Mirror
7. Industrial Tripod Candle Holders (Large here, small here)