How to Decorate a Gardener's Christmas Mantel

A garden-theme Christmas mantel reflects an appreciation for growing and tending to plants. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Things You'll Need

• Bows
• Christmas Tree Ornaments
• Greenery
• Pine Cones
• Plants
• Plastic Sheeting
• Votive Candles
• Watering Cans
• Apples
• Candy Canes
• Adhesive Tape

Instructions

1. Put a protective layer of plastic sheeting on your mantel to protect it from scratches, leaking or other messes.

2. Set cuttings of greenery, such as holly, ivy, pine, privet, boxwood or juniper, around the edges of your mantel, and anchor them with tape if necessary.

3. Add red bows, small Christmas tree ornaments, candy canes, cranberries or pinecones to the greenery for contrast.

4. Decorate the mantel with three to five flowerpots containing topiary Christmas trees of rosemary or ivy, or use Norfolk Island pines. Decorate any of these options with miniature Christmas tree ornaments. Or, put potted poinsettias, paper-white narcissuses or red amaryllis on the mantel.

5. As an alternative, spray-paint three to five galvanized watering cans bright red, put festive bows on the handles, add water, and fill them with branches of the season such as pine (tie on some tiny red bows) or berried holly.

6. Place apple candleholders between each of your potted plants or watering cans. To make them, use a knife to hollow out a cylinder shape in the center of each apple (don't cut all the way through) so it can hold a votive candle.

Tips & Warnings

• If using plain flowerpots, you can decorate them by hanging candy canes so closely together around the rim of the pot that they hide the pot.

• Be sure to keep growing plants well-watered; a frequently used fireplace can quickly dry out the soil in the pots.