DIY Neutral Christmas Fireplace Decor Ideas

Easy Christmas Mantel Decorating

Many homeowners only bring out rustic touches at Christmas, but it’s an aesthetic that instantly adds warmth, coziness, and the beauty of nature. This year I skipped the bright colors and went back to calm neutral tones with white, green, and natural textures. I love the simple look of this neutral Christmas mantel display. It makes me think of the quiet winters I grew up with in northern Canada, where the spruce trees bent low under the snow.

With one or two DIY projects and a plain white faux fireplace, we created this cozy neutral fireplace mantel for Christmas. Here’s how to duplicate the look for very little cost.

The Faux Fireplace

You don’t need a brick or stone fireplace to enjoy a rustic or natural look. We built our own faux fireplace mantel, but you can start with any electric fireplace or premade surround. Our home isn’t particularly rustic, but by adding art, natural elements (real and faux), and soft lighting, it feels that way at Christmas.

In front of the fireplace, we usually keep a set of wood candle holders with flameless candles. For the holidays, I swapped them for small birch logs, bright fairy lights, and a playful “fire” made from black vinyl flames cut on my Cricut. It’s surprisingly cozy at night ,almost as comforting as our old gas fireplace.

Even Gunter, our Great Pyrenees, loves it. In our previous home, he’d always lie in front of the hearth, and now he does the same here. I had to tighten the bundle of firewood so he wouldn’t knock it loose while rearranging himself in front of the glow.

The Large Wooden Christmas Sign

The focal point os this neutral rustic fireplace mantel is the large wooden sign above it. wanted a simple forest scene with no words, something that would work for both Christmas and winter. We made it from plywood, dark walnut stain, and white mineral paint using a Cricut for the tree silhouettes.

The contrast of the dark wood grain and white trees brings the natural world indoors in a soft, modern rustic way. It took one weekend, including drying time, and it turned out exactly as I hoped, calm, wintery, and classic.

If you’re making your own art, other options could include a wood-framed mirror, a large green wreath, or even a birch-bark print wrapped around a canvas frame.

Christmas isn’t here yet, I may stumble across something I love for the fireplace hearth, but I think it is fab just as it is, and I am just really thankful to have the mantel for Christmas. Unless someone wants to lend me a vintage brass fireplace screen?

The Christmas Mantle Decor Garland

Once the fireplace and focal point were done, it was time to layer on greenery.

The garland is made from a mix of short boughs pulled from different decor stems, including the IKEA eucalyptus I’ve used all year. I cut them into two-foot lengths and scattered them across the mantel, letting one end cascade down the side to display a set of golden bells.

Fresh greenery would smell wonderful, but reusing faux stems keeps costs down, lasts longer, and avoids any fire risk.

To hang everything without marking the new fireplace, I used leftover picture command strips, the Velcro style, to hold florist wire and fishing line. They worked perfectly and can be flipped over to reuse next year.

Cozy Stockings Hung by the Fireplace

I had planned to sew stockings in tan, white, and gold, but when I found sherpa fleece ones at Tim Hortons, I couldn’t resist. They’re fuzzy, soft, and exactly what I pictured for this neutral Christmas theme, and the only thing I purchased new this year.

To hang them, I used a real branch suspended with fishing line. The red loops on the stockings don’t match, but Hubs convinced me to leave them until after the holidays, when I can replace them with white ticking tape.

The Farmhouse Beads

I’ve made many sets of farmhouse beads over the years in different colors and lengths. This strand is white and natural wood, draped loosely across the garland for texture. They’re not attached to anything, just tucked into the greenery, and add a soft, handmade touch to the mantel.

Decorating a Christmas Mantel on a Budget

If you’ve followed Pretty DIY Home for a while, you’ll recognize most of the pieces on this mantel. Christmas decor tends to repeat itself, and that’s a good thing. Reusing decorations from year to year keeps the holidays affordable and meaningful.

I hope this neutral rustic fireplace mantel inspires you to try something new with decor you already own. A personal, handmade touch is what makes Christmas decorating so special.

Have fun decorating and Merry Christmas.

Some Other Christmas Mantel Ideas