DECORATING How To Decorate a Spring Mantel

Looking for simple ideas on how to decorate a spring mantel? Here’s my mantel decked out for spring with lemons and flowers.

White fireplace with a tiled surround featuring small square tiles. Above the mantel is a decorative wooden element with vertical slats, resembling a shutter or vent, set against a white wall. Dark wooden floorboards complete the scene.

Can I tell you something if you promise to keep it between us?

I don’t really want to lose my mantel credibility.

Shhhh…..

Before I had a blog, I never really decorated my mantel.

Never.  Ever.

Can you even believe it?

Okay—I did hang the occasional stocking and sometimes I’d add a vase or two and a clock. And there was the year I lined up all the Fisher Price people to try and make a nativity.

I think I was never sure what to put there.

All that blank space was a little intimidating and nothing ever looked like it did in the magazines.

And then one day I started a blog and oddly discovered I loved decorating mantels.

I discovered I love taking a blank, empty, unassuming mantel like this?

And turning it into a mantel that looks like THIS.

A woman in a yellow striped dress stands in front of a decorated fireplace holding a vase of yellow flowers. The mantel is adorned with floral arrangements, baskets, and small decorative houses. She smiles broadly, surrounded by a bright, cheerful setting.

WAIT A MINUTE.

Can you even believe the difference?

Have you ever seen a mantel look so happy

Oh, wait.

What’s that?

Oh—you want to see the mantel without me in it.

A cozy room with a white fireplace decorated with small houses and baskets. Yellow flowers and a lemon-themed wreath accent the space. A wooden chest with drawers and a white stand display more baskets and flowers. Woven baskets are stacked nearby.

Of course.

It’s really hard to see a mantel with a girl standing in front of it with a big ruffled vase full of yellow flowers.

Here’s the mantel in the family room all ready for spring.

A decorative mantel is adorned with miniature wooden houses and a garland of yellow lemons and green leaves. Below, wicker baskets hang, and a bouquet of yellow flowers is seen in the background, creating a cozy, rustic atmosphere.

See what I mean?

I love decorating mantels now.

I’ve come a long way since the Fisher Price people.

And here’s the inspiration for the mantel—this metal lemon garland.

A decorative arrangement featuring a circle of white flowers with yellow centers, placed against a backdrop of green and turquoise stones. The display hangs on a beige, textured wall.

// metal dogwood wreath (use code KARIANNE15  for 15% off) //

A vintage wooden cabinet with a marble top is adorned with stacked books, a plant in a white vase, and a decorative teapot. Above it, a rustic wall art piece displays a floral motif. To the left, there's a wooden door marked "Office.

// metal dogwood wreath (use code KARIANNE15  for 15% off) // metal dogwood garland (use code KARIANNE15 for 15% off) //

Remember when I told you all about the metal flower trend for spring?

I shared this cute little spring vignette a couple of months ago and shared this cute metal dogwood wreath and metal dogwood garland.

You can see the metal dogwood wreath (use code KARIANNE15  for 15% off) here.

And the metal dogwood garland (use code KARIANNE15 for 15% off) here.

Apparently this spring is all about metal fruit now, too, because I found all this cute metal lemon decor.

Decorative display with small, white wooden houses, yellow fruits, and green leaves intertwined with a measuring tape along a shelf. Baskets with handles are partially visible below.

A cozy kitchen shelf decor with hanging wicker baskets, small model houses, and decorative lemons. The shelf features small drawers below, and the baskets hold green leaves, adding a fresh touch to the rustic setup.

// lemon vine garland (use code KARIANNE15 for 15% off) //

How To Decorate a Spring Mantel

Let’s unpack the mantel step by step:

(total aside: I posted a fun video at the end of the post that shows how I decorated it step by step, too).

1. I started with this vintage cabinet that I’ve had for centuries. I got it years ago from a vintage market days type situation and the day we first met it was love at first sight. I added it to the bottom of the mantel to fill in the gap.

2. Then I added the garland to the mantel. I used tiny finish nails, but you could use command strips, too, if you didn’t want to nail anything into your mantel. My mantel is no stranger to nails or a little distressing, so it’s just an easy way to hang garland like this. The garland is really lightweight and has metal flowers and leaves and lemons and it’s so easy to bend exactly how you want it.

3. As soon as I saw the lemon garland I knew I’d never find anything like it again. It was a splurge for me and it’s a good thing I like lemons because I’m going to be pulling out this lemon garland for years to come.

A rustic wooden wall with a wreath of yellow lemons and green leaves. Below is a fireplace mantel adorned with miniature houses, yellow flowers, and lemon garlands. Two small baskets hang beneath the mantel.

// lemon vine wreath (use code KariAnne15 for 15% off) //

4. Next, I added this lemon vine wreath to the vintage air vent I have hanging over the mantel.

5. I also used a nail to hang the wreath on the air vent, but you could use a ribbon to hang the wreath from the top of the vent, too, if you didn’t want to nail anything. The wreath is really lightweight and has metal flowers and leaves and lemons and it’s so easy to bend exactly how you want it.

You can see the metal lemon wreath here.

6. Then I came up with the idea of adding those little vintage houses that we all love so much. I added them to the top of the mantel and inside the drawers and on top of the piece with the drawers mixed in with some baskets.

Three woven baskets with handles hang from a white surface, each containing green leaves. Above them, yellow lemons and greenery are intertwined with the display, creating a rustic, decorative scene.

7. And speaking of baskets—I hung these miniature baskets with measuring tape ribbon from the mantel.

8. I looped the ribbon around the handle of the basket and then just tied a ribbon in a around the finish nails holding up the garland.

9. I was going to add little vases with flowers in each of the baskets—but they weren’t steady enough–so I added pieces of fresh eucalyptus that will just dry in place without any water.

A white vase with vibrant yellow flowers sits atop a table. In the background, wicker baskets hang among decorative branches with lemons. Small model houses, some glittery, are placed on shelves and hang from the branches.

// larger white ruffled vase (use code KariAnne15 for 15% off) //

A mantel decorated with miniature houses, yellow flowers in a vase, and garlands of yellow lemons and leaves. Above, a wreath of lemons and flowers hangs on a rustic wooden backdrop. A small basket hangs below.

// smaller yellow ruffled vase (use code KarIAnne15 for 15% off) // larger white ruffled vase (use code KariAnne15 for 15% off) //

10. I added these ruffled vases next. Have you ever seen anything so cute?

I have never seen a vase with ruffles before. It comes in two different sizes and in several different colors including white, yellow, green and blue.

You can see the smaller vase here.

You can see the larger vase here.

A cozy, rustic shelf decorated with yellow flowers in vases, a small wooden house, and a garland of faux lemons and leaves. Below, wicker baskets hang, adding charm to the white-tiled background, enhanced by tall candlesticks and bright yellow blooms.

// lemon vine wreath (use code KariAnne15 for 15% off) // lemon vine garland (use code KariAnne 15 for 15% off) //

A single white candle stands tall in an elegant brass holder adorned with decorative white leaves. The holder is placed on a wooden surface, adding a rustic touch to the scene.

// candle cuff (use code KariAnne15 for 15 % off) //

11. And I finished off the mantel with my favorite battery operated candles and these candle cuffs.

Have you ever seen a candle cuff before?

How have I lived my entire life without a candle cuff?

Seriously.

Talk about making a candle so much cuter. They come in four different colors and the leaves are bendable and you just put them on the top of any candle holder and add the candle.

You can see the candle cuffs here (use code KariAnne15 for 15 % off).

12. In AMAZING NEWS—I have a code for all of us. You can use my code KariAnne15 to shop the entire Terrain website and get 15% off your order. It’s only good for this week so be sure to shop now.

A woman in a yellow striped dress stands in front of a decorated fireplace holding a vase of yellow flowers. The mantel is adorned with floral arrangements, baskets, and small decorative houses. She smiles broadly, surrounded by a bright, cheerful setting.

I’m so happy I found out about that I love to mantel decorate.

It’s so much fun to challenge yourself to hang a few baskets or add a vase or put a cuff on a candle.

Spring is HERE.

And I know a mantel that’s ready.

PS Here’s the step-by-step on how I created the mantel.

disclosure: affiliate links are used in this post.

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Posted On: March 17, 2025

Written By: KariAnne Wood

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