Christmas Interior Decorations (Fireplace Mirror, Mantle and Staircase)

Decorating our Fireplace Mirror and Mantle

I love leafing through the decorating magazines and mentally get a picture of what I can do with my own home.  Several years ago, probably 14 or so, I saw this very lavish entry hall picture in a magazine that had magnificent decorations around the mirror and also on the entry table below the mirror.  I had obtained a large & lovely mirror when my home in Joplin had been used on the Historic Homes Tour.  So I purchased the mirror at cost since that is the way you can acquire beautiful items if you allow your home to be utilized for the tour...and all at cost.

So I took that idea from the magazine and for many years I've been decorating the mirror with Christmas decor and I've also added lights to the garland. Over the years I've updated the decor on the old garland with new, bright and shiny flowers and fruit but the white balls (string of lights have lasted through the years.  So here is the finished project, one taken at night with the lights on the garland and the other in the daytime without the lights.

Night time with garland lights plugged in

Daylight with garland lights unplugged

The iridescent and see through bows were made from a spool of ribbon I bought back in 1988 and each year I fluff them up and use them over and over.

Staircase Garland, Bows and Lights

When we moved to Tulsa in 2002 I was thrilled to have an open staircase once again and so totally remembered the beautifully decorated staircases from the home decorating magazines.  This picture is not the best angle, as my husband brings in from the outdoors in the winter, the 15' Ponytail Palm which stands in the open ceiling area at the base of the stairs.  So that blocks taking a picture of the entire staircase.  He loves his plants and I love him so the palm tree stays.

Stairway with lighted garland

I simply wrap inexpensive green garland with gold garland and I was fortunate to find the white ball lights again in a bigger size than I used on the fireplace mirror. I use the wire inside the green garland and wrap around the electrical cord to hold the lights in place. I made the large red bows from a large roll or ribbon purchased, of course, after Christmas on the 1/2 off specials. 

 I have large plastic totes where I keep one marked fireplace/mirror & mantle and another tote marked staircase decor.  

 I love the festive look of the staircase and fireplace/mirror decor.  I just put on the beautiful Christmas DVDs, light the fireplace, plug in the lights and my world becomes peaceful and golden in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of this time of year.