A mantelpiece is the one shelf everyone looks at, which is why a bare one feels unfinished and a crowded one feels like clutter. The good news is that styling it follows a few simple rules: vary the heights, mix materials, add a little light and leave some space. Here are ten easy ideas, then how to dress the same mantelpiece for Christmas. Prices were correct when we published this guide, and each product page always shows the current price.
The short answer
Start with one tall piece slightly off-centre, add something of middle height and something low, so the three make a loose triangle, and leave clear space around them. Mix glass, wood and greenery, add soft light, and change one or two things with the seasons. If you light the fire, take candles, foliage and dried stems off first.
1. Build a triangle of heights
The most reliable arrangement is a loose triangle: one tall piece, one of middle height, one low. A tall vase with a single dried stem, a tealight holder and a small bowl will do it. The eye travels from the top of the tallest piece down to the lowest, which feels settled rather than flat.
2. Start with one tall, sculptural vase
Height does the most work on a mantelpiece, so begin there. The molten glass vase on wood (£31), about 27cm tall with a narrow opening, anchors one end, and a single pampas stem or eucalyptus branch adds more height without bulk.
3. Let one piece stand empty
Not everything needs filling. A strongly shaped piece reads as sculpture on its own, and an empty vase with space around it looks deliberate. The V-shaped vase (£52), about 24.5cm tall, is made for exactly that.
4. Go asymmetric
Put your tallest piece about a third of the way along rather than dead centre, then balance it with a low group at the other end. Asymmetry feels relaxed and lived in, and it suits a mantelpiece with a mirror or picture hung off-centre above it.
5. Or make a pair
A matching pair at each end, with something low in the middle, gives a calm, formal look that suits period fireplaces. Hand-blown pieces vary a little from one to the next, so two of the same design read as a pair without being identical, which keeps the look soft rather than rigid.
6. Lean art instead of hanging it
A mirror, print or small painting leaned against the wall at the back gives the mantelpiece depth and lets you change things without new holes. Layer one or two objects in front so they overlap the frame slightly.
7. Add dried stems
Dried grasses, bunny tails and seed heads bring texture and height, need no water and last for months. The large glass vase terrarium in dark tung wood (£45), green-tinted glass set into a solid block of wood about 32cm tall, holds a few stems beautifully. For more ideas, see what to put in a vase without flowers.
8. A row of tealights
Low candlelight along the shelf softens the whole wall in the evening. The triple candle holder (£30) holds three tealights or small candles in a low row on one piece of wood, and a single candle holder (£11) fills a gap between larger pieces. Keep foliage and paper well clear of the flames, never leave them burning unattended, and keep them off the mantelpiece while the fire is lit.
9. Bring in something green
A sprig of eucalyptus laid along the shelf, a trailing ivy or a small glass terrarium adds life to an arrangement of objects. Our glass terrariums suit air plants and moss, and the small flower vase on wood (£12) holds a single stem at the low end of the triangle.
10. Leave space, and swap with the seasons
Empty space is what makes the pieces look chosen. Three to five pieces is usually enough for a standard mantelpiece. Keep the larger pieces all year and change the smaller things with the seasons: tulips in spring, shells in summer, seed heads in autumn and pine cones in winter.
How to dress the mantelpiece for Christmas
- Run a garland along the shelf. Fresh fir, eucalyptus or a good artificial garland, laid flat or draped slightly over the edge, is the base for everything else.
- Thread battery fairy lights through it. They glow without a flame, so they are the safe way to light foliage.
- Add a bowl of pine cones or baubles. The molten glass sweet bowl (£29.50) holds a handful of pine cones at one end.
- Keep one tall piece. A vase with a bare branch or a few stems of eucalyptus stops the garland looking flat.
- Tealights only when the fire is out. Keep candles well away from the garland, and never leave them unattended.
- Hang stockings with care. Keep them clear of the fire, and take them down before you light it.
For the table, see our Christmas table centrepiece ideas.
Safety around the fire
If you use the fireplace, take candles, garlands, dried stems and paper decorations off the mantelpiece before you light it, and use battery LED lights instead of real flames while the fire is going. Never leave a lit candle unattended, and keep candles out of reach of children and pets.
Caring for glass on wood
Our molten glass pieces are hand-blown glass fused onto wood. Keep them away from the prolonged direct heat of a lit fire or a radiator below, keep any water inside the glass and the wood dry, and dust or wipe the glass with a soft, damp cloth.
Common questions
What do you put on a mantelpiece?
Three to five pieces of different heights: one tall piece such as a vase with a stem, something of middle height such as a candle holder, and something low such as a small bowl, with a leaned mirror or print behind and some greenery.
Should a mantelpiece be symmetrical?
It can be either. A matching pair at each end looks calm and formal; an off-centre tall piece balanced by a low group at the other end looks relaxed. Choose the one that suits the room and what hangs above it.
How do you decorate a mantelpiece for Christmas?
Lay a garland along the shelf, thread battery fairy lights through it, keep one tall piece for height, and add pine cones or baubles in a bowl. Keep candles and foliage off the mantelpiece while the fire is lit.
How many things should go on a mantelpiece?
Usually three to five. Fewer, larger pieces look calmer than many small ones, and the space between them matters as much as the objects.
Browse our vases, candle holders and bowls, see how to style molten glass bowls and vases, or read what to put on a coffee table.
