If you’re looking for an easy idea to update your mantel decor this spring, I have all the ideas for you. How about a spring fireplace mantel with a focal wreath and some lights for extra atmosphere.
Spring is here, and with it comes the time to refresh and update our home decor. I always like to start by updating my mantel decorations to reflect the new season. This year I kept it simple with a combination of two wreaths, fresh flowers, and some fairy lights.
I love adding lights to my home decor because it instantly creates a warm and inviting mood that is perfect all year but also for those chilly early spring evenings.
Let’s talk about how to decorate a mantel with lights and some of the options you have and the things to take into consideration.
Why You Should Use Lights in Your Spring Mantel Decor
Spring is when the light returns to our lives. The clock gets reset, the days grow longer and the sun gets stronger every day. But in my neck of the woods, spring also means rainy days, chilly nights, and the occasional day that feels like fall.
If you recognize that you’ll know that adding some extra warmth, light, and ambiance to your home is just what you’ll need to tie you over until the warmth of summer.
Here are 4 reasons why I love to use lights in my spring decor.
1. Create ambiance: Soft, warm lights can create a cozy, inviting atmosphere in any room, and my mantel is no exception. I am not talking about work lights and overhead lights here, but I am referring to string lights used as a garland on my fireplace, tall candles on the edge of my fireplace mantel to anchor a symmetrical display, or little votive tealights scattered around the room.
2. Highlight your decor: By strategically placing lights around your mantel, over your bookcases, and in your room, you can draw attention to your favorite pieces of home decor and add an extra layer of visual interest.
3. Add a touch of whimsy: I never take my decorating too seriously. I do what feels good, brings me joy, and feels like fun. Hanging string lights in every corner and stuffing fairly lights into vases, lanterns, and bottles is my kind of fun decorating.
4. Emphasize your fireplace: If you are the lucky owner of a fireplace you’ll probably want that to be the focal point of the room. Adding lights to your mantel can help draw attention to your mantel and its decorations. Frame the fireplace with lights, accentuate a beautiful fireplace beam with a lighted garland, or add some lights inside the fireplace if you are not going to burn a fire anymore.
How to Decorate a Mantel With Lights
Adding lights to your spring mantel decor can create a warm and inviting atmosphere in your home. However, choosing the right lights can be overwhelming. Here are some tips to help you choose the perfect lights for your spring mantel decor.
Choose the Right Kind of Lights
Many types of lights can be used for spring mantel decor. Some popular options include:
- Fairy lights
- String lights
- Candles
- LED candles
Fairy lights are a great option for a soft and whimsical look, while string lights can add a more modern touch. Candlelight creates a cozy and romantic atmosphere, and LED candles are a great alternative when safety issues arise from burning real candles.
Pick the Best Color Tone for Your Lights
When choosing lights to decorate your home pay special attention to the color tone of the lamps inside your lights. These days many string and fairy lights have tiny LED lights in them. That is the best frugal option, but especially the older generation of LED lamps have a rather harsh color tone. When decorating with lights you want the glow that real candles bring so make sure you choose the warm white option when buying your decorative lights.
Warm white lights can create a cozy and inviting atmosphere, while cool white lights can provide a more modern and sophisticated look. Multi-color lights can add a playful touch, and pastel-colored lights can create a soft and delicate display.
5 Ways to Add Fairy Lights to a Fireplace Mantel
Let me give you some ideas for using (fairy) lights in your mantel decor. I’ll add some links to examples of how I have used lights on my mantel year-round.
- Stuff the lights in lanterns, vases, or under cloches. It’s even fun to weave them in and out of decor items.
- Hang the lights from the top of the mantel, letting them drape down on or both sides.
- Light up a wreath with string lights and make it a true social point
- Attach the lights to a garland and hang it on the mantel shelf.
- Use adhesive hooks to hang the lights in a zigzag pattern or a Christmas star pattern to form a background above your mantel.
Spring Mantel Decor With a Combination of Wreaths and Fairy Lights
Let’s take a closer look at my two wreaths spring mantel that was the inspiration for this post about adding lights to your mantel decor.
I changed up my mantel/shelf/radiator cover in the living room.
I reused my homemade twig wreath because I still love it to pieces. But to add a bit more spring to her I nested a simple feather wreath inside her.
To make this feather wreath I wrapped a feather boa around a straw wreath base and then cut away the feathers that were a bit too much.
I had to cut the feather wreath back to make it work. I am sure you can understand what kind of mess that made. I started inside and then quickly took that little job outside. When my guy came home and he saw the condition of our terrace he asked where the dead pigeon was. I guess we will be seeing feathers floating around in our garden for weeks to come.
The Helleborus flower was marked down at the store. As far as its blooms are concerned it is on its last legs. But the beauty of it is that I can then plant it in my garden for years of early blooms.
The little grape hyacinths will live in my garden as well.
And psst see that book underneath my flowering Helleborus?
It is a nifty little trick to is hiding an eyesore.
In that corner of my mantel shelf, there is a blasted radiator knob. That knob is the most irritating thing in my mantel-decorating life!
Hihi. I just hollowed out a book and now everything that I want to put in that corner will have a little pedestal. Love it.
A mantel decorated in white and fresh green with wreaths and fairy lights. Now if that doesn’t say spring to you, I don’t know what will…
I love my spring mantel this year. I hope you do too.
So what is your decorating life like at the moment? Have you started to decorate for spring? And does that include bunnies and little chickens? Or are you like me and does spring mean fresh greens to you too?
And are you into adding lights all over your home too?
Marianne Songbird is the founder of Songbird, where she hopes to inspire everyone to create a home they love, one DIY project at a time. She shares anything from craft ideas to home decor inspiration and from DIY projects to decorating hacks. Originally from the Netherlands Marianne and her husband Lex are currently renovating a 250-year-old farmhouse in Germany.
Debbie refresh restyle says
Your mantel is beautiful! What a great idea with the book!
Debbie
Marianne@Songbird says
Thank you! And thank you for the FB love.
Katie @ Wildwood Creek says
Love your green and white spring mantel! Using a hollowed out book is genious!
Elizabeth@BlueClearSky says
Your mantel is very pretty, Marianne. The carved book is a brilliant idea to deal with the knob.
Jane says
Very pretty and refreshing, Marianne! It really reminds me of spring! I love your wreath among everything and your carved book!
XO,
Jane
Marianne@Songbird says
Yeah that book trick is pretty neat, isn’t it. I can’t imagine why it took me so long to come up with it. That know on that shelf has been so a major irritation factor for so long. Finally got that fixed.
Debi says
The white hellebore is beautiful on your mantel. Looks like spring is on it’s way to your house.
Lori says
I love the combination of the wreaths…They look great together !!! I enjoyed my visit & I invite you to visit mine…Blessings Lori
Lorrie says
I love that white hellebore. And the book idea is brilliant. Isn’t it fun playing with decorating your mantel? It turned out so well. Spring is well on her way!
Marianne@Songbird says
Yes, fluffing and nesting like that is so much fun. It is may personal therapy. Keeps me from going crazy and becoming a stressed out bird.
lucy says
very pretty! i really love the lantern with the little lights, I’m brainstorming how to copy that with what I have 🙂 And for me it’s also green for spring….no bunnies or eggs!
Marianne@Songbird says
These are simple Christmas lights. I stuff them in all kinds of containers. They work well in vases, apothecary jars, bottles or basically anything that has ‘see-through’ bits in it. I am sure you will find something wonderful to stuff some lights in.
Jodie Lynch says
Thanks for the inspiration today. Little white lights in the lantern. So cute. I’ve just painted some pots white getting everything cleaned and ready for spring that will look perfect with some numbers cut out of vinyl in a fun color. Spring fever is definitely here.
Terrie says
I would love the instructions for making the “base” mantel piece. I like the idea of changing thing with the seasons! Thank you!