Farmhouse Christmas Mantel

Before I decide how I'm going to decorate the family room for Christmas,   I go back and look at what I've done the last few years.       I don't want to use the same decorations year after year,   but I can't just go out and buy new each year.....well,  maybe just a couple of new things....lol!

I try to create something new and fresh each year..... while still using what I've collected over the years.    I try not to use last years decorations in the same room,   so I rotate decor from room to room each year.    I also might change the fabric or paint them a different color

So,  I'm excited to share my Christmas family room for 2017!

Last year I had a big piece of vintage wind mill blades as the centerpiece for the mantel.   
 I'm loving green this year and I opted for simple farmhouse style wreath as the centerpiece for the mantel       I dressed my wreath up a little bit by adding a pink bow and several paint dipped pink pine cones.

I made quite a few of my Christmas decorations this year.     I made pink and blue pom poms and a few of my Christmas ornaments

When I was looking thru Christmas past photo's,   I fell in love again with the lit rag garland that I made for the mantel in 2014.     I thought about just adding some blue to the 2014 pink garland,  but in the end I decided to make a new one with all the blue scraps I had on hand.   These garlands are so simple to make,   just tie fabric strips onto a string of icicle lights.

I shop the yard sales all year long ....being sure to keep an eye out for something I can use for seasonal decor.   I found this metal windmill a few weeks ago at a yard sale and thought it would be perfect for what I had planned for the mantel this year.

There is a lit metal barn on each side of the wreath.....

Here is the other metal barn......

I plant to give my barns a make over after Christmas and use them year round.      I try to buy items that can be used more than just for Christmas decor

I have a Farmhouse mouse at the end of the mantel.....

Not a creature was stirring......not even a mouse

At the end of the fireplace,   I have a small tree that is decorated with ornaments made exclusively for it by moi....lol!

The stand I have it on is pretty unusual.....even for me!    I used the white wicker lounge as the stand for my short tree.   I wanted my tree to be about the same height as the one I used on the other side,  and this was how I accomplished it!

I covered plastic balls with fabric scraps to create the ornaments for my tree.

Here is the tree on the other side......I'm not going to bore you with close ups of that tree since I've already done a post on it.

Here's a link to that post if you would like to see it......http://penny-pennystreasures.blogspot.com/2017/11/pink-blush-and-pale-blue-christmas-tree.html

I also have a post about my vintage ornaments wreaths above the sofa that sits across from the fireplace.   Here's a link to that post......http://penny-pennystreasures.blogspot.com/2017/11/vintage-ornament-christmas-wreath.html

The mirror that is above the sofa reflects most of the family room.....

And here's the flip side of the fireplace.....

That concludes my tour of the Christmas family room.....2017......hope you enjoyed it.

    Now to spread some Christmas cheer to the dining area of the family room