"JOY" Christmas Mantel 2012

Hey Y'all!!

I'm so excited to share my Christmas Mantel with you today!! Well, faux mantel....most of you know that my "mantel" is actually a little shelf in my kitchen! Some of us don't have fireplaces, but that doesn't mean we can't be festive!!

Well, what do you think?! Do you like it?!

I LOVE it!! This might be might favorite display to date! :)

Do you see anything different with this mantel display vs. my previous ones?! That's right! My shelf got a fresh new coat of paint! If you've been following along for awhile, then you know that my shelf is usually blue, but I after working on this display for a few days, I thought it would look better cream, so I gave it a few coats of paint yesterday! I'm kinda LOVING this neutral color palette!

This "JOY" sign serves as the background for the display. I got an idea to make this sign weeks ago, but wasn't really sure what I was gonna do with it or where I was gonna put it. Then, when it came time to start thinking about the mantel display, I knew that it would make the perfect backdrop!

The "O" in "JOY" is covered in lots of little white pearls that I hot glued on ONE BY ONE! (Don't even ask me how long that took!) I added a little bit of greenery, pinecones, & a burlap ribbon to the top of the sign just because it looked a little bare. I like the little added touch the greenery adds & how it ties together with the greenery on shelf. I will be sharing a full tutorial on how I made the sign within the next week or so.

Once the sign was made, I just started bringing in other neutral pieces to coordinate with it.  The shelf is adorned with these adorable book page trees.....

And these fabulous little Santa's that my mom let me borrow....

I love the vintage look they have & the fact that they aren't wearing the traditional red Santa get-up! They work well in my neutral color scheme. Don't you agree?

The middle of the shelf has a couple of layered frames that I already had on hand. I lined the one in front with a little bit of fabric & then just leaned that little star ornament inside it.

Another book page tree & Santa also sit on the opposite end of the shelf.... 

These trees were so easy & fun to make! I'll also be sharing a tutorial on them soon! And because we had everything we needed to make them, they were a FREE addition to the mantel! Woot woot!

A closer look at the other vintage Santa....

And another look at the smaller of the two trees. Aren't they cute?!

The bare areas of the mantel got a little filler of greenery, pinecones, & ornaments! 

Simple & Pretty! :)

These jingle bell stockings were from last year's Christmas mantel and I love them this year just as much as I did last year.....maybe MORE! I don't have a tutorial on the stockings...my mom just whipped them up for me!

A look at the display from a different angle....

And one last full shot....

Do you have a mantel that you decorate for Christmas? 

How about a shelf?! :)

Do you decorate with the traditional red & green or do you opt for something a little different?

As always, THANKS SO MUCH for stopping by!! Have a lovely day!

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