The stockings set the tone for this Christmas mantel: pale fabric against dark wood, with stenciled numbers to break up the plain fronts. Oriental Trading Company advertised them as burlap, though the fabric looked and felt more like linen to me. They cost $10 each when I bought them for this display.
I wanted a simple look in the family room beside our slim Christmas tree with a burlap base. Stenciling gave the stockings a personal touch without covering the light fabric.
Red beads, candy canes, and pieces from around the house
Red beads and candy cane ornaments from Dollar Tree added color across the mantel. I mixed them with old books and pinecones collected from the yard to keep the rustic feel.
My Mod Podge votive holders from Dollar Tree also became part of the display. I spent a week adding and moving pieces before settling on the arrangement.
White-painted nutcrackers beside the mantel clock
I found small unfinished nutcrackers on Etsy and gave them a coat of white chalky paint. Their pale finish tied them to the stockings, while the clock, books, and pinecones kept the mantel from feeling too uniform.
The same type of paint also appears in my foam-ball snowman project. Behind this display, the paint I had received is covered in my sponsored Americana Decor paint review.
The narrow tree fit beside the fireplace without taking over the family room. A lantern with a pillar candle and red ornaments carried the Christmas colors down beside it.
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