A garland on the mantel is a good start, but it’s rarely the whole story. The fireplaces people remember use the wall above, the floor in front, and sometimes the empty opening itself. These 14 Christmas fireplace decor ideas show how.
14 Christmas Fireplace Decor Ideas for Mantels, Hearths, and the Walls Above
Every fireplace here has some kind of garland, and none of them stop there. The extra pieces show up on the hearth (the ledge or floor in front of the fire), on the wall above, and in a couple of cases inside the firebox, which is the opening where the fire burns.
You’ll see stone, brick, white paint, and black cast iron, with real fires, wood stoves, and electric inserts. Pick the one that looks most like yours and borrow what fits.
Garland Frames the TV Instead of Hiding It
Hang the garland right under the screen and the TV stops being the first thing you see. Red berries and big bells pull your eye to the mantel, while navy and white check on the shelf backs gives the red something to stand out against. A red mailbox and two mini trees finish the hearth.
Why a Dark Wall Makes Lights Glow
Against a near-black wall, every tiny bulb in the garland and the branch above it shows up like a star. Everything stays in warm white and gold, so the thick greenery, the wreath and the mirror frame read as one idea. Glowing candles in the firebox give the fireplace a flame even when you can’t light a real fire.
One Big Pot Fills the Empty Hearth
Park a big pot of red poinsettias at one end of the hearth and a lantern at the other, and the whole ledge is covered with two things. The rustic metal bucket makes a store-bought plant feel like it belongs, and the cream knit stockings on the mantel leave the red to do the talking.
Color Without a Single Red Ornament
Pink and orange taper candles, the long skinny kind, carry all the color here, set in a row among plain white ones. Dried orange slices tucked into the garland echo the orange, and stacked logs beside the wood stove fill the hearth with no extra decor. It’s an easy swap if you’re tired of red and green.
Turn the TV Into Winter Art
If your TV has an art mode, set it to a snowy landscape and the black rectangle turns into a painting. The green check, tan stripe and cream stockings pull from the brick and wood, so nothing fights the screen. Brass reindeer and a small potted tree add a little shine down on the hearth.
The Theme That Wins With Kids
Oversized peppermints do the heavy lifting, since they read from across the room and turn a mantel into a candy shop. The wreath, the red sign and a basket of lollipops on the floor repeat the idea at three heights. Stick to red, white and green and the cedar and eucalyptus garland holds it together.
Small Pieces for a Small Hearth
The stove sits inside raw brick, so the decor stays on the oak beam and the stone ledge instead of covering it. A light-up pinecone garland runs along the top, while a sled, a jar candle, a mini tree and a log basket fill the floor. The full brick fireplace edit has more ways to style one like it.
Six Stockings That Still Look Tidy
An even line of stockings, mostly plain red with white cuffs, keeps a big family looking organized. Space them evenly like this and everything above can stay a little wild, from the frosted garland to the white mini trees. This buffalo check roundup is worth a look if the plaid touches appeal to you.
Not Much Space? Drape One Garland
One long, loose garland and a single knit stocking do all the work on this white mantel. Let the middle sag toward the fireplace opening so it fills the gap above the black iron insert instead of floating in a straight line. White ceramic houses and two floor lanterns keep the rest quiet.
Bright Candles Make White Brick Pop
A row of tapers in blue, yellow, red, green and orange is the whole color story on this painted white brick, and it’s an easy color fix. Long cedar swoops down the left side almost to the floor, and the tassel garland keeps it playful. Set the candles at slightly different heights so the row looks relaxed.
Gold and Blush Instead of Red
Hardly any red shows up on this mantel, and it still feels like Christmas. Blush and cream carry the color, gold bells and angels add shine, and a row of little white houses works like a snowy village skyline. The pom-pom garland swoops low across the front, which fills the plain space above the electric fire.
Mirror Plus Wreath Doubles the Glow
Mirrors repeat light, so a lit wreath hung over an arched one gives you two sets of bulbs. Gold candleholders on both ends, white fur stockings and two tall lanterns on the hearth keep the palette to white, gold and green. The black and white tree throws on the chairs tie back to the mirror frame.
Hang Wreaths Instead of a Mirror
Six small wreaths on ribbons of different lengths fill the tall white wall above a small mantel, and they’re far lighter than a mirror or a big frame. Bottlebrush trees (little trees with bristle-brush needles) in pink, orange and red line the mantel, with a rainbow felt-ball garland hanging below. It suits a Christmas that leans bright and playful.
Fill an Empty Firebox With Tiny Lit Houses
Fluffy cotton becomes snow, a handful of little glowing houses and bottlebrush trees become the village, and stacked logs sit behind like mountains. Above it, three gold-framed mirrors at different heights bounce candlelight around the mantel. Try the village idea if your fireplace is cold or blocked off, since nothing in it needs a flame.
