Christmas Fireplace Mantel Garland Ideas

---

This year, I’ve created two very different Christmas fireplace garlands at home. One was a commission for Red Magazine, encapsulating on-trend colours in fashion and interiors for 2020. The other was an asymmetrical design, made from mostly artificial foliage so it would last all of the festive season.

When Red asked me to create a fireplace garland in my home for their January 2021 issue, I knew that I needed to push the boat out with the design, so I took it up and over the mirror. The main base over the mantel was created by pushing the foliage and the florals into a long oasis block (you can view a full video on how to create this part below), but to get it up and across the mirror, I used copper floral mesh shaped into a tall triangle that I hung with Command hooks. I then tucked in the flowers placed in flower tubes full of water to keep them fresh.

The colour spectrum for this garland was to range from browns and burgundy colours to peachy pinks. Like previous garlands that I have created, I used a base of Eucalyptus; this time including a lot of the red-berried Euclayptus as this worked with my colour palette. Threaded into the foliage was also some dyed pink fern - a dried flower I picked up at New Covent Garden Market and fell in love with. Also included in this display are roses, dahlias, chocolate cosmos, pink pampas grass, dried wheat, blushing bride and dried coral broom.

I was delighted for the mantel design to get a whole page in the interiors section of Red. For a full tutorial on how I created this garland, stream the video below which I created for Red’s social channels.

With all the fresh flowers, this garland is perfect for an event or a party, but only expect it to live for 5-7 days (the same as if the flowers were in a vase). In contrast, the asymmetrical design that I created will last until you take it down as it is built using artificial flowers and hardy willow branches!

For this mantel garland, I knew I wanted to hang some decorations off the willow branches that I had picked up a couple of months earlier. The design wouldn’t have looked very balanced if it went across the whole of the mantel, so I created a ‘triange’ on one side instead.

As well as paper decorations, I also made some tumbling decorations using raffia and cotton pods. I purchased two packs of the cotton pods and glued them together using hot glue. I made about 20 decorations in total for less than £8! They were great for this display as they are really light, so they don’t drag down the willow and snap the branches.

I stood the branches up in some dried floral foam wrapped in wire to a secure, heavy marble tray. I then inserted a number of faux floral sprays in the foam and wrapped some trailing faux ivy through the branches and across the fireplace. I did also add some real Eucalyptus as I had a lot to hand. This just dried out nicely, but you can also use faux Eucalyptus. As well as the hanging decorations, I also added in bunches of dried peppercorns just draped over the artificial sprays and secured in some fir cones with floristry wire. While these are all very ‘traditional Christmas’ items, don’t be afraid to experiment and make your mantel garland unique and personal to your own style! Some of the best alternative garlands that I have seen have used coloured paper, neon signs (visit NeonSigns.com for great value neon) and fabric samples!

This garland will last as long as you like until you want to take it down, and the cotton pod decorations can be saved until next year!

My Home At Christmas (+ How To Make This Fireplace Garland)

---

I've gone all out this year with a real flower fire surround garland!

Welcome to my house at Christmas! If you are joining me as part of the UK Blog Hop from We Love Home, an extra thank you for joining me here! I'm so chuffed to be part of the first ever UK Home Blog Hop, courtesy of the lovely Kimberly of the ultra-fabulous Swoonworthy. In my Hop, you'll find some crafty Christmas DIYs and tips on having a handmade Xmas. So come on in, help yourself to a mince pie and let me show you around.....

Even though I'm a fan of more contemporary decor the rest of the year, at Xmas I prefer a traditional look (reds, golds, greens, fir cones and berries). However, I like to go BIG! BIG tree, BIG flower displays, LOADS of table decor.

Earlier this year at a Red magazine event I attended, florists had decorated the mantels over fireplaces in the room with these huge pink summer flower garland displays. It was really effective, so there and then I decided I was going to do a festive version in my home this year for Xmas. A few oasis blocks and a few bunches of flowers later, here it is in my living room. It's perfect as a striking decoration if you are throwing a party over the festive season - and at a total of £32 to make (£24 on flowers, £8 on oasis) it looks a lot more expensive than it is! To learn how to make this garland yourself, scroll down to the guide at the bottom of this post...

Putting together the table decor is one of my favourite parts of Christmas. I make flower arrangements a couple of days before (usually with foliage I've cut locally, like holly and rosemary), then go to town with candles and red and gold table wear. A few years ago I made these gold leaf pear place name holders after seeing the idea on a Kirstie Allsopp Christmas craft program. They went down pretty well at a dinner party that year, so this year I've made them again:

This fruit bowl is the LOTTA glass and ash base bowl from LSA International.

For tree decorations, I'm all about glass and birds! I bloody love a faux-bird on my Xmas tree. Joining the pheasants, robins and peacocks this year will be a 2016 interiors classic - a flamingo! (A purchase I made in October when I stumbled across him in John Lewis.)

I brought this peacock decoration in Liberty. I pimped him up for the top of the tree by sticking on real peacock feathers from Hobbycraft on the back.

I also love real glass decorations which I make by filling with feathers, pom poms and glitter. You can find out how to make these yourself here.

These glass and feather tree decorations are easy and cheap to make.

I always make my door wreath for Xmas. Learn how to make this wreath here.

Once boxing day has passed and we move towards New Years Eve, I move away from traditional Xmas decorations to something more fun and colourful. Having a child and getting old means I hardly go out NYE anymore (no-one wants to babysit NYE, and I now baulk at the extra charges for a drink/cab), so NYE is usually spent at home with friends. I'll therefore change up my decor to something like this fun pom pom indoor wreath!

These super pretty bird and butterfly decorations are from Pom Pom & Twiddle

I handmade this Pom Pom garland for a guest post on the Mia Fleur blog which is coming soon!

For my top present wrapping tips click here.

HOW TO MAKE THE REAL FLOWER FIREPLACE GARLAND

You will need:

• Oasis blocks and an accompanying tray. I measured the length of my fire surround and discovered that I would need 5 blocks of oasis to make a garland the required length. You can buy oasis blocks in craft stores for around £3 for a pack of four. Alternatively, a local florist will sell you single oasis blocks. You will also need an oasis tray to keep topping up your oasis with water if you are going to have your garland up for a good while. These trays cost 80p each from my local craft store.

• A selection of flowers and foliage to make up your garland. For my garland, I brought two large bunches of eucalyptus, 20 red roses, 4 stems of cotton flower and one large bunch of thistle. I brought my flowers from Columbia Road Flower Market and it cost me a total of £24 for everything! Flower markets are great for getting a large choice of cut flowers. Go later on in the day and you'll also get yourself a bargain as they slash prices to clear stock.

• Some garden secateurs, a plastic bag and some protective gloves to go foraging with! To bulk up the display, cut greenery from hedgerows and evergreen plants. There are loads of holly berries around this year as well as snow berries. Take a few cuttings where you can!

Start by filling a bucket/the sink/bath with water and submerging your oasis blocks in it for about 15-20 minutes so they suck up loads of water. Remove them into the oasis trays and put them in a line across your fire surround. 

Start with your eucalyptus/chosen foliage and stick it in the oasis blocks, concentrating on creating height. Stick your tall eucalyptus sticks towards the back of the oasis blocks, saving the front for your floral display.

Place some shorter, single eucalyptus sprigs at the bottom of the front of the blocks so it creates a trailing effect over your fireplace.

Start to add in your other flowers at the front, larger flowers first, leaving smaller flowers like roses and berries until last. Position them evenly across the garland.

Once your brought flowers are all used up, use your foraged greenery to fill in any gaps. The aim is to not see the oasis blocks or have any gaping holes in the garland.

My garland took about 30 minutes to put together and was easier than I had anticipated. My top tip is just to shove it all in! If it looks bad in places move some stuff about, cut away anything that looks too long, have fun with it!

So that's all from me, and Bowser my King Charles Cavalier (doesn't he look so happy being made to wear a doggie Santa hat for this post??) Thank you for taking the time to look round my home at Christmas - we've loved having you!

You can find all my Xmas DIYs here if you want to get crafty at Christmas this year. Otherwise, hop on over to Fresh Design Blog tomorrow from 11 am to continue the Hop! A full list of other bloggers’ houses from the week can be found below - just click on the links! There have been some great posts this week full of crimbo inspiration, so enjoy! And Merry Christmas!