Winter Fireplace Mantel Decor That Lasts Past the Holiday Season

Looking to decorate your mantel that will last past the Christmas season? Here’s our fireplace mantel decor ideas to last all winter long.

Today I’m sharing a really great tip to decorate your Christmas mantle so that once the tree and the ornaments go away, your mantle can stay in place and still look beautiful for the winter season.

Every Year, we pull out the Christmas decor.

Once Christmas is over, we put all of the decorations back away and suddenly our rooms look bare and empty.

So many people look at the empty space and ask “How do I decorate now that Christmas is over?”

Here is a simple trick to help you decorate your Christmas mantle that lasts all season long!

Winter Fireplace Mantel Decor

(Some affiliate links are provided below. Full disclosure here.)

Last year, right before the Christmas season, we gave our fireplace an update.

We put a new finish on the brick called Lime Slurry and then we replaced our gas log lighter with some gas logs.

It was so wonderful being able to sit in front of the tree with the fire going!

And it was so perfect!

But once we took the tree away, my room felt so empty!

With the season we have faced personally, I knew I wanted simplicity this time of year.

And what would be easiest for us is to set out winter decor that will last long after the Christmas decorations have been put away.

So I knew I was going to have to fix that empty feeling and find a solution that would work all winter long.

I went on a mission to make that change so that way this year everything can stay in place.

To begin, I started with some artificial cedar garland.

Adding Cedar Garland

I love the look of realistic gedar garland and this garland I got from Hobby Lobby.

Now here’s a tip: Hobby Lobby does sell out of this Garland very quickly.

So once they start rolling out their Christmas decor, and if you’re in the market for some quality cedar garland that looks real, I suggest you grab it quick because it’s gone very fast!

I do have some alternates that you can check out!

Once I had the garland in place, I wanted to add some lights.

But there’s one small problem with our fireplace. We don’t have electricity around the fireplace!

That means pre-lit garlands aren’t an option for us.

So I had to come up with something creative.

Every year, I love the tradition of going over to my mother-in-law’s house and helping her set up their tree.

Last year, she found a box of battery-operated fairy lights with a remote control and she gave them to me.

Incorporating Fairy Lights

They last a long time, so I decided to add these fairy lights to the garland.

And it as that perfect little ambiance.

You simply add batteries to the pack and then string lights into the garland.

I placed the battery packs right in the middle.

They have some little sensor wires that you can use the remote to turn it on and off.

So I just made sure that those sensor wires were facing out.

Just one click of a button and both come on at the same time!

This is something that you can leave in place for Christmas.

But when Christmas is over, typically all of the lights go away.

For me, I’m going to leave the lights on on the garland.

I just love that look!

It’s a great way to add that perfect cozy feeling.

Twinkly lights make everything special!

I have these two wooden lanterns that I sit on my fireplace hearth.

I made sure to add fairy lights to one of those.

For some reason I could not get the battery pack hidden properly in one lantern, so I only added the lights to one.

So just one of them has lights and that’s okay!

When you are decorating your mantle, you want to make sure that you have varying heights, usually with the large pieces somewhat centered as the main focal points.

The mirror acts as the grounding point.

I wanted to add another layer of height, so I put this iron candelabra on one side of the mantel.

Placing the Candelabra

I got it at Target at their end of the summer sale. It’s from Hearth and Hand.

I love the look so much!

I just filled it with white candles and it helps add that height on one side of the fireplace.

To match my neutral color scheme, I opted for white candles for my seasonal decorations this year, but you could easily add red candlesticks and swap them out once you put the Christmas decor away.

There are also battery operated candles you can purchase that put off a soft glow.

For the other side of the fireplace, I just filled a vase with some evergreen greenery.

Adding a Vase with Greenery

If you are looking for quality winter greenery, check out this post where I rounded up some of my favorite faux greenery I use!

This vase is a DIY project that I made earlier this year. I used the same Lime Slurry Paint to create a fun textured look on an old terracotta vase I had.

You can read the full tutorial here.

Such a simple way to set up your holiday decorations once so that lasts all the way through – probably till the end of February.

I’m always looking for ways to save time, save money and save energy.

Substitutions

Here are some other decor ideas for your winter mantel decor.

• Add natural elements: Something that can easily transition from a christmas theme to a cozy mantel for winter are things like pine cones, birch logs, and evergreen branches.
• Incorporate baskets: A perfect way to create a cozy living room for those cold winter months is to add a large basket to the side of the hearth filled with warm blankets.
• Create a winter village: Add mini houses painted white to your mantel with some warm candles for the perfect winter look.
• Add your own personal style: If you love to collect vintage treasures from thrift stores, then create a winter mantel display that shows your favorite items.
• Keep it simple: Remember, a little goes a long way, so a simple mantel is one of the best design ideas to keep in mind.

So these winter mantel ideas are definitely a hack that you should try for your fireplace!

Leave me a comment below and let me know what some of your favorite time saving Christmas hacks are that last thru the New Year in your own home!

More WINTER DECOR IDEAS

• 8 Vintage Winter Printables
• Easy Knit Winter Wreath
• The Very Best Artificial Evergreen Greenery