Let’s talk about making the house feel festive. She had some fun with the mantel—something she’s known to do—and, true to form, she shared the step-by-step changes around the house for the holidays. So get ready: the mantel, the console table, and the built-ins all got a little seasonal attention.
The mantel makeover was simple and effective: stockings hung with care, a few faux presents stacked for height, and a sparkly stag perched on top of the pile. The faux gifts were made earlier (details on how they were made appear in an earlier post), and the glittered stag is an inexpensive ornament picked up during a shopping trip.
I bought two so they wouldn’t be lonely.
In case someone wonders why there are only three stockings: Burger didn’t get left out. The grown-ups share a stocking, and each child has their own—everyone is covered.
Next up was the console table by the door. This was a fast, cheerful swap. I pulled a few feather trees from storage and added a small faux evergreen that’s been around for years. Grouping mini trees creates a layered, cozy look that’s perfect in an entryway.
To bring in sparkle, I filled the base of a glass lamp with silver ornaments for instant shine and reflected light.
I also filled a shallow bowl with ornaments and placed it on top of a couple of silvery-blue books for color and contrast.
Under a glass dome I tucked a ceramic bird and a large green ornament to echo the greens in the trees, artwork, and the console itself—small details that help the vignette feel cohesive.
Feeling merry, I took my bag of holiday accessories into the kitchen to make a few seasonal tweaks. On the fridge I used a handful of hot-pink ornaments that had magnets glued to them a few years back to hold up holiday cards—an easy way to add color and function.
On the open shelves I filled the top cake plate with silver ornaments and added another small ceramic bird. Repeating shapes and finishes—like the silver ornaments—keeps the styling feeling intentional rather than scattered.
Then I moved to the built-ins. Rather than overhaul everything, I introduced a few subtle holiday touches: pops of red that play nicely against the deep teal backing, a red book, faux poppies, and a large round ornament for scale. On the lower shelf a large green orb and a hurricane vase filled with silver balls balanced the arrangement.
On the opposite side I mirrored the approach with red coral, a small knitted red cactus, another hurricane filled with silver balls, and a faux clam shell holding smaller ornaments. I even added a tiny ornament in honor of Burger to bring a personal touch.
Up close: that little chihuahua ornament in the green bowl always makes us laugh. It’s a small, clever detail that adds personality to the display.
We actually styled this side of the built-ins for a magazine shoot in October. Since it was for their holiday issue, we added some festive touches for the background; the result was similar to what’s now on our shelves, though not exactly the same.
That little Burger ornament isn’t just entertaining to us—he helped keep Clara’s attention long enough to capture the shot, which made the photo session much easier.
With these surface updates done, my holiday to-do list has shortened a bit. Progress feels good.
set up the big tree (gradient, baby!)- get a live tabletop tree again (like we did last year, but with a new ornament idea this year)
decorate the mantel, the built-ins, and the entryway console- hang the outside lights and decorate the front porch
shoot a Christmas picture of Clara and Burger for our annual holiday card- make an advent calendar for Clara (I’m running a little behind)
- shop for and/or make the remaining gifts on our list (about 80% done and counting)
We already have our annual Clara and Burger photo in the can, and we’re excited to share it once the cards are mailed and the surprise is safe. Just to be clear: it’s not a pregnancy announcement.
Who else is decking the halls? Tell me what you’re doing—any special boughs of holly or unique holiday touches this year?
You can find many holiday craft and decorating ideas in our past posts (a collection of projects and tips from previous years).
Update: We also put together a list of favorite holiday decor finds—many affordable—if you’re looking for easy ways to add festive flair to your home.