How To Style A Festive Christmas Mantelpiece

A good Christmas mantelpiece has three layers: something across the shelf, something standing on it, and something hanging below it.

Get those three right in that order and it looks considered rather than crowded.

Honest note: we make cards, pin badges, prints and party decorations, not garlands or candlesticks.

Layer one: the garland

• Buy a garland roughly the width of the mantel plus a third, so it can swag slightly and trail at each end.
• Sit it towards the back of the shelf, not the front edge, so there's room for everything else.
• Let one end trail longer than the other. Perfectly symmetrical mantels look stiff.
• Weight it with a heavy candlestick or a book at each end rather than fixing it - no adhesive on a mantel.
• Push the foliage back where it would sit over the fire opening.

Layer two: what stands on it

• Brass candlesticks in three heights, grouped in an odd number, off to one side.
• A mirror or a framed print leaning against the wall behind everything, to give the layers depth.
• Christmas cards propped along the shelf rather than strung across the wall.
• A small clock, a jug of eucalyptus or a stack of two books to vary the heights.
• Leave a third of the shelf empty. That gap is what makes the rest look deliberate.

Layer three: stockings and hanging bits

• Stocking holders if the mantel is thick, adhesive hooks underneath the lip if it isn't.
• Hang them evenly spaced and all at the same height - uneven stockings are the thing that makes a mantel look messy.
• Two or three baubles on ribbon, hung at different lengths under the shelf.
• Keep everything hanging clear of the fire opening by at least 30cm.

Lighting and colour

• Warm white fairy lights only - blue-white kills the whole look on a wood or brass mantel.
• Battery lights avoid a cable running down the chimney breast.
• Pick two colours plus green. Red and gold, or white and brass, or burgundy and cream.
• Real candles are fine on the shelf, but never behind or below the garland.
• If you light a real fire, take everything flammable off the front half of the shelf first.

Making it work with what you have

• No mantel? Run the same three layers along the top of a bookcase or a sideboard.
• Cheap garland looks far better with real eucalyptus or ivy pushed into it.
• Swap the stockings for a paper chain if you've got small children who'll pull.
• Shelves and sideboards - Read the guide

Shop party decorations

How to write it so it lands

• Three layers, in that order.
• Leave a third of the shelf empty.
• Warm white lights only.

Where to shop next

• Party supplies
• Bunting and banners
• Christmas cards
• Wall art and prints
• Funny pin badges
• How to decorate a banister with garland
• Christmas bay window ideas
• Hanging garland around a door frame
• Christmas shelf decor ideas
• Christmas porch ideas
• Christmas gift ideas
• How to hang prints without damage
• Gallery wall ideas
• Christmas card messages
• Secret Santa generator
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Birthday cards for kids
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

How do you style a Christmas mantelpiece?

Three layers: a garland across the shelf, candlesticks and frames standing on it, stockings hanging below. Leave a third of the shelf empty.

How long should a mantelpiece garland be?

The width of the mantel plus about a third, so it can swag slightly in the middle and trail at each end.

How do you hang stockings without a mantel hook?

Removable adhesive hooks under the lip of the shelf. Space them evenly and hang every stocking at the same height.

Is it safe to put a garland on a working fireplace?

Keep everything at least 30cm clear of the fire opening, use battery lights, and take flammable decorations off the front of the shelf before you light a real fire.

What colours work on a Christmas mantel?

Two colours plus green. Red and gold, white and brass, or burgundy and cream. More than that and it starts to look jumbled.

Do you sell Christmas garlands?

No. We design and print greetings cards, enamel pin badges, prints and party decorations in the UK. Garlands and hooks are recommendations from elsewhere - the only things linked to our own shop are ours.