Layered Christmas Mantel

by Kelleysgirl

I love decorating my house any time of year, but I especially love doing it at Christmas time. One of my favorite things to decorate is the mantel. Wreaths are in my blood, I love making them. Most wreaths that I make are pretty fancy with lots of bows and ribbons on them. But when I make one for my house, I go more for the simplified version. My style is more Rustic Farmhouse, with some shabby chic thrown in- so I enjoy trying to figure out how I will decorate the mantel year after year.
I am not one to just throw a wreath above the mantel and call it done. I prefer the layered look

layered christmas mantle, fireplaces mantels

Last year a friend gifted me with some used cedar pickets and it didn't take me long to make a large 'backdrop' for my mantel. I love the worn, old look of the wood, and had it up for a year before deciding to lighten it up a bit for Christmas this year. It is attached to a screw in the back so it is secure. So I just began dry brushing some white paint onto it. I added some splotches, and lots of paint as I wanted it to look wintery.

This is what it looked like when I was done. Messy, and perfect for what I had planned. So that became my first layer. I have a large metal decorative piece I bought several years ago at a yard sale, which I somewhat repainted that I knew would look perfect in front of it.

This is the second layer. I secured it with a well placed nail. I needed a wreath for the third layer, and didn't have one the right size, so I made a new one. A grapevine wreath, some adorable bells, a bit of ribbon, greenery and some berries is what I used.