A SIMPLE FRENCH COUNTRY MANTEL
A simple French Country Mantel
Besides your tree, your fireplace mantel is the most important visual focal point in your holiday décor. A warming fire makes every holiday seems more special. And...let's not forget that it's also where Santa makes his magical entrance. {fire, out, of course.}
I love decorating with fresh greens and garland during the Christmas season. Real greens are festive, and then there is that smell! It brings you back to the holidays of your childhood, instantly!
I jumped at the chance to bring this fresh green holiday beauty into our FrenchGardenHouse. Today I'm partnering with Lynch Creek Farm, a real family business in Washington. Their products are just gorgeous, and it is such a blessing to be able to share them with you. Not only did they send us some beautiful garland, they sent over the most charming centerpiece, too...you'll see that near the bottom of the post.
And it's always a joy to get together with my designer friends and peek into each other's homes for the holidays! Thanks for coming along.
The Lynch Creek family business began as a hobby farm growing organic vegetables, and selling the produce at a local farmer’s market, in 1980. Over the years, the Lynch Creek Farm business evolved to selling real Christmas wreaths and garlands online. All their products are handmade on site and shipped out each Christmas to families all over the country to use and enjoy. They have beautiful products, so when they asked if I would be interested in using some of their products here at home, and hosting a giveaway for one lucky reader, I said YES!
{Another wonderful thing, they offer free shipping, so you can shop at home and have these beautiful wreaths and garlands shipped directly to your house.}
So let's look at this easy super French Country Mantel:
1. START WITH A FABULOUS GARLAND.
The base layer of every mantel display, holiday greens will fill your mantel with instant holiday cheer. This year, I used the Deluxe Port Orford Garland from Lynch Creek Farm. It is so full and lush, and the smell when I opened the box was incredible! Like being back in my family's forest in Europe!
I added loose clippings from our front garden's Olive tree to add a little more texture and a introduce another color. And as a nod to the French Country look I want.
Don't forget this great TIP: To secure your garland, remember to tap small nails on the right and left side of your mantel. Or, if your mantel is a precious antique, you can put down a wooden board first, perhaps painted the same color as your mantel, so you don't have to hammer nails in the mantel itself. That way you can twist thin florist wire around the garland, and tie it to the nails so the garland doesn't fall down.
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR GARLAND: Location, climate, and placement are all primary factors in how long your garland will last. If you place your garland outside, it will most likely last longer because it's receiving oxygen, unless you live in a warm climate like I do.
Spray your garland every few days with water to keep the plant material moist and healthy. The best time to spray your garland is in the morning, evening, or any time the evergreens are not experiencing direct sunlight.
2. ADD A VERTICAL FOCAL POINT.
Or two. Every mantel needs a little touch of drama, so be creative with your focal point. For this simple French Country mantel, I really wanted to keep things green, to show off the lush, beautiful green garland, so I chose topiaries in black French urns. A pair is a classic look, it always looks orderly and elegant.
3. EMBELLISH WITH ORNAMENTS OR FRUIT.
I confess, I am always a bigger fan of fruit and other natural materials than shiny bright baubles. A country style mantel uses country elements, so what is better than those luscious bright green pears from the farmer's market, you know, the ones with a hint of rosy red?
Our home looks peaceful and filled with joy! Which is the exactly the look I'm always striving for.
Now let's go to the family room kitchen area of our home. Wait until you see the beautiful centerpiece Lynch Creek Farm sent me!
I chose the Hunter's Hollow centerpiece. Named in honor of their founding family, the Hunters, this centerpiece is so heartwarming and charming.
It's exactly like the kind of centerpiece we had growing up in Europe. Early in December, we would go to our family forest to gather evergreen branches, twigs, pinecones, moss and berries and make a centerpiece at home.
Sometimes we added a candle, sometimes we didn't....but the centerpiece was always a joy to our family especially since we made it together.
That's exactly what the Hunter's Hollow Centerpiece is inspired by, that love for the outdoors and family. Fragrant evergreens, moss, pinecones, twigs, and faux berries all make the perfect perch for the mama bird and her nest. I love the container too, it's tin wrapped in real birch bark.
A centerpiece like this will last quite some time, especially if you water it with about 1/2 cup of water when it arrives, and then mist it with water daily. Water every 2-3 days like you would flowers.
{there is floral foam inside.}
I am so thankful to Lynch Creek Farm for sending me their gorgeous fresh products to use in our FrenchGardenHouse this year! The "I love fresh green garlands, wreaths and centerpieces - they bring holiday to every home" thoughts are entirely my own. Who doesn't adore fresh greens?!
NOW ABOUT THIS AMAZING GIVEAWAY:
Lynch Creek Farm is allowing me to share the fun with all of you by offering my French GardenHouse blog readers a chance to win one of their truly amazing fresh wreaths or a centerpiece of the winner's choice.
All you have to do for a chance to win a wreath or a centerpiece is visit Lynch Creek Farm and come back and tell me in a comment what item {wreath or centerpiece} you would love to win. {Sorry, this giveaway is limited to residents of the Continental U.S. and Canada.} The deadline is midnight, Sunday, December 3rd. Good luck!! CONGRATULATIONS to Dorothy of Quebec, CA, the winner of the Owl Be Home Wreath she choose.
The give away is now over....thank you so much to all who participated!
AND you have more chances to win. Each of my friends is giving away a wreath or centerpiece, so just by visiting my other 5 friends on the tour and leaving a comment there too, you will be entered 6 times!
BE SURE TO VISIT MY FRIENDS:
Besides your tree, your fireplace mantel is the most important visual focal point in your holiday décor. A warming fire makes every holiday seems more special. And...let's not forget that it's also where Santa makes his magical entrance. {fire, out, of course.}
I love decorating with fresh greens and garland during the Christmas season. Real greens are festive, and then there is that smell! It brings you back to the holidays of your childhood, instantly!
I jumped at the chance to bring this fresh green holiday beauty into our FrenchGardenHouse. Today I'm partnering with Lynch Creek Farm, a real family business in Washington. Their products are just gorgeous, and it is such a blessing to be able to share them with you. Not only did they send us some beautiful garland, they sent over the most charming centerpiece, too...you'll see that near the bottom of the post.
And it's always a joy to get together with my designer friends and peek into each other's homes for the holidays! Thanks for coming along.
The Lynch Creek family business began as a hobby farm growing organic vegetables, and selling the produce at a local farmer’s market, in 1980. Over the years, the Lynch Creek Farm business evolved to selling real Christmas wreaths and garlands online. All their products are handmade on site and shipped out each Christmas to families all over the country to use and enjoy. They have beautiful products, so when they asked if I would be interested in using some of their products here at home, and hosting a giveaway for one lucky reader, I said YES!
{Another wonderful thing, they offer free shipping, so you can shop at home and have these beautiful wreaths and garlands shipped directly to your house.}
So let's look at this easy super French Country Mantel:
1. START WITH A FABULOUS GARLAND.
The base layer of every mantel display, holiday greens will fill your mantel with instant holiday cheer. This year, I used the Deluxe Port Orford Garland from Lynch Creek Farm. It is so full and lush, and the smell when I opened the box was incredible! Like being back in my family's forest in Europe!
I added loose clippings from our front garden's Olive tree to add a little more texture and a introduce another color. And as a nod to the French Country look I want.
Don't forget this great TIP: To secure your garland, remember to tap small nails on the right and left side of your mantel. Or, if your mantel is a precious antique, you can put down a wooden board first, perhaps painted the same color as your mantel, so you don't have to hammer nails in the mantel itself. That way you can twist thin florist wire around the garland, and tie it to the nails so the garland doesn't fall down.
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR GARLAND: Location, climate, and placement are all primary factors in how long your garland will last. If you place your garland outside, it will most likely last longer because it's receiving oxygen, unless you live in a warm climate like I do.
Spray your garland every few days with water to keep the plant material moist and healthy. The best time to spray your garland is in the morning, evening, or any time the evergreens are not experiencing direct sunlight.
2. ADD A VERTICAL FOCAL POINT.
Or two. Every mantel needs a little touch of drama, so be creative with your focal point. For this simple French Country mantel, I really wanted to keep things green, to show off the lush, beautiful green garland, so I chose topiaries in black French urns. A pair is a classic look, it always looks orderly and elegant.
3. EMBELLISH WITH ORNAMENTS OR FRUIT.
I confess, I am always a bigger fan of fruit and other natural materials than shiny bright baubles. A country style mantel uses country elements, so what is better than those luscious bright green pears from the farmer's market, you know, the ones with a hint of rosy red?
Our home looks peaceful and filled with joy! Which is the exactly the look I'm always striving for.
Now let's go to the family room kitchen area of our home. Wait until you see the beautiful centerpiece Lynch Creek Farm sent me!
I chose the Hunter's Hollow centerpiece. Named in honor of their founding family, the Hunters, this centerpiece is so heartwarming and charming.
It's exactly like the kind of centerpiece we had growing up in Europe. Early in December, we would go to our family forest to gather evergreen branches, twigs, pinecones, moss and berries and make a centerpiece at home.
Sometimes we added a candle, sometimes we didn't....but the centerpiece was always a joy to our family especially since we made it together.
That's exactly what the Hunter's Hollow Centerpiece is inspired by, that love for the outdoors and family. Fragrant evergreens, moss, pinecones, twigs, and faux berries all make the perfect perch for the mama bird and her nest. I love the container too, it's tin wrapped in real birch bark.
A centerpiece like this will last quite some time, especially if you water it with about 1/2 cup of water when it arrives, and then mist it with water daily. Water every 2-3 days like you would flowers.
{there is floral foam inside.}
I am so thankful to Lynch Creek Farm for sending me their gorgeous fresh products to use in our FrenchGardenHouse this year! The "I love fresh green garlands, wreaths and centerpieces - they bring holiday to every home" thoughts are entirely my own. Who doesn't adore fresh greens?!
NOW ABOUT THIS AMAZING GIVEAWAY:
Lynch Creek Farm is allowing me to share the fun with all of you by offering my French GardenHouse blog readers a chance to win one of their truly amazing fresh wreaths or a centerpiece of the winner's choice.
All you have to do for a chance to win a wreath or a centerpiece is visit Lynch Creek Farm and come back and tell me in a comment what item {wreath or centerpiece} you would love to win. {Sorry, this giveaway is limited to residents of the Continental U.S. and Canada.} The deadline is midnight, Sunday, December 3rd. Good luck!! CONGRATULATIONS to Dorothy of Quebec, CA, the winner of the Owl Be Home Wreath she choose.
The give away is now over....thank you so much to all who participated!
AND you have more chances to win. Each of my friends is giving away a wreath or centerpiece, so just by visiting my other 5 friends on the tour and leaving a comment there too, you will be entered 6 times!
BE SURE TO VISIT MY FRIENDS:
Housepitality Designs | Savvy Southern Style | Duke Manor Farm | Maison Decor | Home is Where the Boat Is |French Garden House
Thank you for joining me today! I'm sprinkling more Christmas decor throughout our FrenchGardenHouse, and will be sharing more home decor inspiration, table settings and our Holiday Entertaining Series. Please sign up to receive my blog {upper right hand corner- just scroll up!} or newsletter {on the website, first slide, little box in my signature Versailles Orange color.} I hope I've gotten you excited for decorating your home! Let's get the Holidays started!
100 Responses
How to Enjoy Small Holiday Moments
Today I'm sharing a small holiday moment and little area we enjoy here at FrenchGardenHouse.
Read More
Grateful for Friendship Tea
Raise your cup to friendship and welcome to November's Tea on Tuesdays! You'll find table inspiration and all things tea.
Read More
How to Set a Beautifully Welcoming Thanksgiving Table Setting with Antiques
Learn how to mix and match antique with new items and how to use simple decorations to make every guest feel special. Here's How to Set a Beautifully Welcoming Thanksgiving Table Setting with Antiques.
Read More
Lidy
December 05, 2017
Thanks so much Barbara! Happy Christmas time to you, too, friend.