A Nature-Inspired Christmas Mantel

This year, the majority of the Christmas decorations have remained in the attic.  It’s felt better to have small touches of Christmas here and there rather than piles of red and green everywhere.  The simplicity is nice.  Instead of digging out the stocking holders, I used some natural elements in our Christmas decor and created a nature-inspired Christmas mantel.  This year, our stockings are hanging on a log stocking hanger!

I went to our local park and found an old branch that I repurposed as a stocking holder.  The smaller, broken branches make perfect hooks for our knit stockings.

I set piles of sparkly bulbs around the log and decided it was perfect.  It might be my favorite stocking holder ever.  There’s just something about the rustic feel that feels just right to me this Christmas.

I wanted to make a long garland out of pinecones but pinecones are apparently running scarce in our neighborhood right now.  Isn’t that how it always works?  When you want something, it’s nowhere to be found.  Kennedy managed to find a few small ones and I strung them on a piece of twine across the window pane.

I’m loving the natural elements and the simplicity of our decorations this Christmas and our simple Christmas mantel fits my mood perfectly.

For another creative way to hang stockings, be sure to check out this DIY stocking hanger that can be whipped up with just a few simple tools!