Vintage Rustic Christmas Mantel Decorations

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Putting together our Christmas mantel decorations every year is always a challenge.

Because we have one of those fireplaces that serves as a dual focal point in our keeping room.

There’s the beautiful stone fireplace, with flickering gas logs, a large stone hearth and mantel. And above it, a cabinet for our main television.

In years past, I have made the mistake of adding too much garland to the mantel, obstructing our view of the TV and making remote channel surfing virtually impossible.

This year, I kept things simple and uncluttered (for me!) with these vintage rustic Christmas mantel decorations.

I’m thrilled to be sharing them today as part of the Christmas Ideas Tour, organized by my friend Kathy at Petticoat Junktion. Over the next several days, 28 bloggers will be sharing our Christmas mantels, tablescapes, wreaths and thrifty crafts. You can visit them all at the end of this post.

Since I can’t add much to the top of our mantel, I focus on the space below it and the fireplace hearth.

I used a pinecone garland along the mantelpiece, then hung a trio of burlap stockings below it. (If you have a stone mantel like I do, you can put a thin piece of wood on top of the mantel. Ours, a leftover piece of trim, has screws and cup hooks drilled on the side so I can hang things from it. Zip ties help secure the bulky garland to the piece of wood.)

I was able to add a pair of rustic owls to the top of the mantel, flanking each side of the TV cabinet.

I had forgotten all about these stockings until I started digging through my Christmas decor bins. I can’t remember where I bought them — somewhere on clearance after the holidays for $8 each. (I only know that because the price tags were still attached!)

But they worked well with the red and vintage theme I’ve used to decorate the keeping room for Christmas.

Here’s just a little sneak peek. Do you spy that buffalo check pattern on the sofa? I’m completely smitten.

Here’s a little glimpse of the ornaments on the keeping room Christmas tree, which sits just to the left of the fireplace, nestled near the sofa.

I pulled out a lot of vintage elements, like my chippy column, tobacco stick star, my mom’s quilt and a toy truck, to dress the hearth.

Would you believe my mom paid $2  for that quilt at a yard sale, probably 30-something years ago?

I also also added a metal bin and the snowshoes that I used on my Christmas front porch last year to the hearth.

I’m really pleased with how the mantel turned out and how the keeping room, which is our main family hangout space, came together. You’ll get the see it all during my full home tour next week.

Until then, I hope you’ll visit the other bloggers in the Christmas Ideas Tour.

Monday – Mantels

Petticoat Junktion
My Creative Days
2 Bees in a Pod
Restoration Redoux
Atta Girl Says
Art is Beauty
Cottage at the Crossroads
Housepitality Designs
Shabbyfufu

Tuesday – Tablescapes

Postcards from the Ridge
Town and Country Living
Hunt and Host
Savvy Southern Style
All Things Heart and Home
HighStyle Restyle
This Makes That

Wednesday – Wreaths

Domestically Speaking
Our Southern Home
Mad in Crafts
H2O Bungelow
Sweet Pea
Around The Watts House

Thursday – Thrifty Crafts

Dukes and Duchesses
Confessions of a Serial Do-It-Yourselfer
Prodigal Pieces
The Interior Frugalista
Cupcakes and Crinoline
Girl in the Garage