Two Mantels…One Meaning~ Vanessa’s Turn!

December 7, 2011

Are you Mantel-ed Out yet? I hope not because I am so excited to be following up Heather’s GORGEOUS Christmas Mantel by sharing with you my own creations!

Hang in there with us this week, we know we are throwing a lot at you but we sure do appreciate you all of you coming by to visit us and the fun we are having seeing your beautiful decor.

So, grab some eggnog and a cookie as I bring to you my two mantels all decked out!

Ahhh…Christmas Mantels. They can be so fun and yet so fear-inducing at the same time. Anyone else out there with me on that one? That long expanse of open space can offer so much promise and yet so much dread all at once!

It was just so fun this year to dream of how I was going to decorate both my Living Room and Family Room mantels for Christmas.

Turning that dream into a reality was another matter entirely! After several attempts and 2 events involving garland crashing to the ground (each mantel!), I think I finally got it just right.

First up is my NOEL Mantel in my Living Room.

I had seen some Moss Letters in a catalog but no-way, no-how was I going to pay the price they were asking…like over $20 a letter!

So, I purchased these cardboard letters from JoAnn’s and got started.

Now, let me just say this. Moss is expensive! Especially when you buy it on a roll. So, in order to save money, I bought a little at a time and always used my 40-50% off coupons so it cut the cost by quite a bit. This is so easy! Just simply cut off the length/width you need and using a hot glue gun, add it to your letters. Be sure you don’t miss the insides but don’t worry about the back…no one will see it if you use it on a mantel or shelf!

I think they look so perfect with my botanical paintings in the background and
the entire mantel has a
garden-y (that is a technical term by the way) feel to it!

The entire mantel was draped with a sage green burlap for texture and to break up the expanse of dark wood. Then I added my tall Mercury Glass candlesticks for some sparkle
topped with a glittery pinecone candles.

I also tucked in some other votive candles I had on hand and used the white mirrored candleholders as little pots to hold my “faux” Paper Whites.

I had purchased 2 pots of silk Narcissus (aka Paper Whites) on Ebay for only $15 and then broke them apart to use in different places around the house.
They add the softness I was looking for and I don’t have to water them!

In French, “Noel” means “Christmas”.

In Latin, “Noel” means “Birth”.

Either way, it all means the same thing to me and I will share more about that below!

Let’s move on into the Family Room now, shall we, and take a look at our Advent Mantel.

Every year I ponder how to incorporate our Advent into my Christmas Décor. Growing up we always had a traditional Advent “Wreath”, but I think it is fun to put new twists on tradition.

Advent means “expectant waiting”. And in our home we wait expectantly for Christmas Day, not only to revel in the stuffed stockings and the gifts under the tree, but to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ by lighting a candle each Sunday leading up to Christmas. In recent years, our oldest son has been the one to show off his reading skills by beginning in the book of Luke, chapter 2 and reading to us the story of the first Christmas one section at a time each week.

To create our Advent Candles, I brought in some pots which are normally found outside on our patio table but worked perfectly for this. I took each candle and coated the bottom with “Stick-Um” before placing them down inside the pot.

Each little pot was then wrapped in greenery with some red berries tucked in and then nestled into some gauzy fabric I found in my remnant bin.

I placed these tall buckets on either end for height and love the punch of color they add. They were a new purchase this year from Tuesday Morning but everything else I used to decorate this mantel were all things I repurposed from previous years.

In my determination not to buy something new, I went hunting for just the right thing to put inside the buckets. As I began pulling my Christmas bins out of the attic, I stumbled (literally!) across these dusty old ivy topiary trees which had been stored up there for probably a good 2 years. I felt like I had struck gold!

I simply stripped them of the dusty ivy which left me with the grapevine form. Next, I wrapped them in this simple berry garland which filled it in nicely and yet still left it with an airy quality.

Super quick…super cheap…and super easy!

I seriously love this ribbon and bought every spool of it I could find at JoAnn’s! For 50% off of course!
It is sweet and simple and fits so perfectly with this theme. I ended up using it on our “family” Christmas tree too but you will have to wait a bit longer to see that one!

So, there you have it. Two Mantels, one meaning…both anticipating a most miraculous event.

All righty, that is enough Mantel Overload for one day, don’t you think?

Be sure to come back tomorrow as the we keep rolling on down the Block!

I will meet you here in the morning all ~~hopped up on caffeine~~ bright-eyed and bushy tailed and ready to show you my Front Porch dressed for Christmas!

And, even better, I will be eagerly anticipating seeing all of your

Doors and Porches

You will not want to miss out on all of the fantastic inspiration as well as the incredible

GIVEAWAYS!

So, be sure to rest up and get ready for this party to roll on!

Thanks so much for joining me at the Fence today,

Also sharing this at these fantastic parties:

From My Front Porch to Yours: 2011 Mantel Party

Home Stories A to Z: Christmas Mantel Party
Funky Junk Interiors: SNS Mantel and Stocking Party
Too Much Time on my Hands: Get Schooled Saturday

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