Thursday, December 24, 2015

2015 Christmas Mantel

Christmas is such a special time of year.

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Family and friends gather together. 

Children are filled with joy and anticipation of the upcoming day.

We find ourselves immersed in the spirit of giving.

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The world seems a bit gentler and kindness plays a much more important role in our lives.

It serves as a reminder as to the true meaning of Christmas.

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For this years mantel, I opted for a 'Festival of Trees' theme. I love the concept that groups organize a tree decorating gala with the sole purpose of raising money for charity.

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DIY came into play for this mantel as I created a trio of trees out of wood shims. The largest tree was given a herringbone pattern.

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Pine boughs always seem to find their way into our Christmas decor.

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I chose a graduated look for the middle sized tree and the smallest tree got a shadow box style with a simple garland of wooden beads.

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For the other side of the mantel, I kept it simple with a gathering of stacked books, an iron sphere and a bit of greenery.

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A single ornament found its place on some antlers.

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It's always a challenge to decide how to deck out our very long mantel. I have found that using 'less' seems to be the key.

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We watched 'A Christmas Carol' the other day and I am always taken aback by the transformation of Scrooge in the end.

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."

~ Charles Dickens

May the blessings of Christmas bring peace and joy to all of you today and throughout the year.


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5 comments:

  1. I love the simplicity of this mantel decor. Any idea where I might find some instructions on how to construct the trees? Have a Glorious Christmas.
    Pammiebear in Texas

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    Replies
    1. Hi Pammiebear - I don't have any instructions on the trees, but they were very easy to make. I played with the arrangements of the wood shims until I liked the design. I then cut the pieces as needed and used hot glue to hold everything in place. Hope this helps.
      Merry Christmas!

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    2. I forgot to mention that I used a 1x4 for the back of the largest tree and trunk. A smaller piece was cut for the base and screwed into the 'trunk'.

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  2. A pleasure to see your handcrafted and unique trees decorating your mantel - lovely and what talent! We've watched 3 different versions of A Christmas Carol this year - so fun! Wishing you and yours, a very Merry Christmas!

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I love reading each and every comment and welcome any questions or feedback you may have.