Winter (Post Christmas) Mantle

It is always challenging to decorate after Christmas.  I love all my Christmas decorations, but after a while, it just looks like I'm lazy and didn't want to take anything down.  Plus, we have a birthday boy right after Christmas and I would rather the birthday pictures not be filled with Jingle Bells and Christmas Trees.  So I searched the ever Holy Grail of all things crafty for ideas.  I realized that in the Winter, we still have snow, we still have cold and it is still appropriate to decorate with greenery, just not "Christmasy," so here is what I came up with...

It's my Monochromatic (sort of) Winter Mantle!

 I put up my silvery candle sticks that I love so much!  I tried to keep with a brown/white/natural and Green Theme with this.  you know, to stay away from the "Christmas" idea, but still be Winter.  The only problem was the red votive candles that were melted in my candle holders that I didn't take the time to get out.

In the center I put up my cream window pane and some of our pictures from our Family Photo Shoot this fall.  I LOVE the picture of the 2 boys!  There is an even better on with them smiling and looking down and all happy with each other, as if there are never any fights and they are best friends.  It is blown up to 20x24 and on canvas in our living room. :) That way I can always "remember when."

I made this rosette out of cardstock and then cut out our family Initial with my new Silhouette that I got for Christmas!  I punched a hole in the top, added some tulle and then taped it to the back of my window above my pictures!  I wanted to have our initial somehow, but the only one I had was bright blue...it did not match my "natural" color scheme...thus this was created!  I love it.  It's just enough femininity that I'm happy, but not too girly that my hubbs complains. :)

 This is the same Christmas garland that I had on my Christmas Mantle.  I just took off the silver snowflakes, and red ribbons. Again, I wanted a more muted color palette for winter.

 

I added some sprigs of pine that had been frosted with a muted silver and some pine cones to keep with the winter nature feel and then also placed some cream berries in the garland also.  I kept the lights on it because I just love the lights!  It makes my mantle look warm and inviting.  like there is a fire going all the time. :)

I also made these "snowballs" out of Styrofoam balls that I got from the Dollar Store. They were in a package of assorted sized and then I stuck a toothpick in them so that I could "attach" them to the garland.  It was very easy! I didn't even cover them or paint them or anything.  The Styrofoam itself looks like little glittering balls of snow already!

And there you have it! My Winter (Post Christmas) Mantle.  It's almost time to start thinking about Valentine's Day! I wonder what I will do for that?...