You Can Decorate Your Fireplace for Christmas

‘Tis the season to decorate your home for Christmas!

With Thanksgiving past and the Christmas Advent season here, hearts and homes are turning to all things holiday. You may have put up the tree, hung festive lights and put out the family heirloom nativity scene, but what have you done for your fireplace lately? Fireplaces are literally the heart of the home, the centerpiece of your family room, living room or dining arhttp://www.letsrenovate.com/home-improvement-magazine/wp-admin/edit.phpea.

Let’s examine ways you can help your fireplace “pop” this Christmas season:

Clear off the mantel –Start from scratch by removing everything from the mantel. Put the clock to the side, move off the art displays and remove picture frames. Dust the mantel and apply a fresh coat of furniture polish for a wood mantel. If painted, touch it up with a fresh coat. Box up everything you won’t be displaying at Christmas and place these items where you’ll find them in January.

Center a picture or a mirror — Is there a family portrait that you want to showcase? If so, center it above the mantel. Consider a mirror instead as it will make your room appear brighter and larger. You can hang garland around the mirror, keeping it up through the new year.

Include seasonal artwork — This is where your imagination can run wild. If the garland around-the-mirror-idea seems too busy, then place garland along the top of the mantel. Strategically place candles on top and hang stockings over the edge. Large families can quickly clutter the mantel with stockings, while small families and couples will have just a few to put in place. If you like the “filled” look, you can always buy or make decorative stockings and hang these as well.

Be cautious — If you have an active fireplace, then you must ensure that the chimney is clean and that sparks cannot escape behind the screened meshing. Anything hanging down is subject to getting burned, possibly causing a house fire if it ignites. You won’t have this problem with a natural gas fireplace, however.

Once your mantel is decorated, then you can take stock of the rest of your fireplace. For inactive fireplaces, decorating the hearth comes next, an ideal place to put all of your stuffed animals or whimsical creatures that make your home a Christmas place to remember.

See Also — Excited Kids: Christmas Eve Sanity Tips!

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