Traditional colorful Christmas wreath hanging above the fireplace

How to Decorate a Fireplace for Christmas

Courtney Pierce·November 23, 2021

Decorating your fireplace mantel can be one of the most exciting parts of preparing your house for Christmas. You can be bold and use more than just stockings so that your home will have a unique seasonal feeling.

We’ll take a look at how to decorate a fireplace for Christmas. Our tips will apply whether you have an electric fireplace or a wood and gas model!

3 Factors to Consider Before Decorating a Fireplace Mantel

Beautiful decoration of fir tree branches, candy canes, fairy lights and Christmas balls in room

Choosing the right decorations for your fireplace can be challenging, but it is not an impossible task. Deciding on the overall style of your Christmas decorations can help you when deciding what to put on your fireplace.

You should consider the following factors when decorating your fireplace for Christmas:

Always consider the style of your house before decorating your fireplace. This is essential during Christmas, as you want your entire home to have a consistent feeling. For instance, the color you choose for your Christmas tree decorations should also be part of your fireplace ornaments.
Remember that the size of your fireplace is an important factor. If your fireplace is larger than average, you’ll likely need a bigger garland and more decorative items like stockings. On the other hand, if it is a small fireplace, you’ll have less space to work with while decorating.
The type and design of your fireplace are also other key aspects to consider when decorating for Christmas. For example, a rustic style fireplace will not match your modern Christmas decorations.

How to Decorate a Fireplace for Christmas

christmas nutcracker with brick background and decorations with brick fireplace

Now we’ll take a look at various ornaments and decorations you can use around your fireplace this Christmas.

Decorate with Garlands

Natural Gas Fireplace with fully decorated Christmas tree in living room of home during holidays

Here’s how to decorate a fireplace for Christmas using garlands:

You can try a cozy and vintage style combining garlands, stockings, and old family pictures. This combination can achieve a vintage style with the picture frames and other decorative items like white or cream stockings.
You can create a frozen magical scene combining garlands, stockings, and other Christmas decorations. To achieve this look, you need to find the right color, which could be white and different shades of blue.
Turning your fireplace into a mountain lodge room is another interesting way to prepare for Christmas. It provides a cozy and warm environment perfect for family gatherings. All you need are some classic garlands, red and white decorations, stockings, and a fireplace made of wood or stone.
A DIY garland can help you show off your artistic abilities. You can use bright colors, little boxes, and other exciting items to make it look like the perfect Christmas accessory for your fireplace.
Use the garlands to hide beautiful Christmas lights in your preferred colors. That way, you can enjoy the light of the fire or choose the lights, depending on how you feel.
Use your fireplace to store Christmas presents and decorate around it with garlands and stockings. It is an excellent idea if you are not planning to light the fireplace, but you want to fill the empty space with something else.
You can choose a classic style using garlands and pine cones to decorate your fireplace. It is a minimalistic option, perfect for houses and rooms with warm or modern styles.
Additionally, you could use garlands and plastic fruits to turn your fireplace into a natural Christmas scene. Make it eye-catching and choose different color combinations to showcase your style.

Decorate with Candles

A beautiful studio decorated for holidays. Beautiful candles on the fireplace.

Here’s how to decorate a fireplace for Christmas using candles:

Create a welcoming environment combining different-sized candles with garlands and stockings. Distribute the candles along the fireplace mantel until you find the right position for each one.
Experiment with candle holders, glass cloches, garlands, and stockings to create a unique and vintage style. You can even add a complementary wreath to match the color of your decorations.
You can combine garlands, candles, vintage jugs, and dry leaves for a minimalistic finishing. You can play with the color of the candles to create a different atmosphere that matches your house’s Christmas decorations.
You can create a Christmas environment using just white candles, lush garlands, and jute twine. Place them over your fireplace mantel and create a beautiful and classic Christmas scene when the lights are off.

Tip: When using candles, you should consider how you will protect the mantel from the wax. If not, you risk damaging it permanently.

Decorate with Wreaths

christmas wreath with decorations and deer horns over fireplace mantel

Here’s how to decorate a fireplace for Christmas using wreath decorations:

A red and green combination of garlands, stockings, and wreaths will make your fireplace ready for Christmas. It could be a perfect option if it matches the decoration of your living room.
A large wreath hanging over your fireplace can be all you need to decorate. However, you should aim to make the wreath look as abundant as possible with different colors, textures, and decorative items.
You can combine candy jars and a green and red wreath for the ideal Christmas style. It is particularly appealing if you have kids, but be careful they don’t eat the decorations before Christmas! Try to combine candy canes of different colors like white and red or red and green for better results.

Decorate with Christmas Ornaments

Christmas and New Year cozy living room interior with decorated firtree, fireplace and garlands bokeh

Here’s how to decorate a fireplace for Christmas using other Christmas decorations:

A nativity scene and Santa’s workshop are essential parts of the holiday season. They can also be excellent holiday decor for your fireplace mantel. All you need are some figurines, garlands, and cone pines to create these magical scenes.
Turn your fireplace into a beautiful Christmas scene using large-scale figurines. Mid-size polar bears and reindeers, snow-like decorations, and a warm fire can turn your fireplace into something magical.
You can use homemade tinsel and other items like Christmas lights for quick fireplace decorations. It is a perfect option if you do not have time to look for other types of ornaments.
Use your fireplace to show off your Christmas collections like crystal snowballs or Star Wars Christmas decorations. It will not only make your fireplace look unique, but will also show your personality and taste.

Tip: When placing Christmas decorations over your fireplace, it is ideal to create a base. Otherwise, you risk damaging the fireplace mantel, especially if you plan to put many heavy items on it.

Upgrade Your Fireplace with CAPO Building Specialties

Fireplace with christmas decorations standing on it and fir branches and garlands hanging on it

Are you looking to update your fireplace or add one to your home? There’s no better time than just before Christmas! CAPO Building Specialties has everything you need, whether you’re looking for an electric model or a gas and wood fireplace!