How to Decorate a Mantel with Fresh Greens & Fruit

IF YOU HAVE A MANTEL IN YOUR HOME, you can have great fun making a festive scene there. I do just that each December for the fireplace in my parlor, arranging the marble ledge with evergreen boughs and lots of colorful fresh fruit.  Would you like to see the procedure?

First, gather together great bunches of evergreen boughs. These can be branches of cedar, pine, hemlock, and yew, or long stems of boxwood — use whatever you have on hand. If you don’t have evergreens on hand, your florist definitely will. Be sure to candy-coat the boughs or stems with a “Wilt-Pruf.” Wilt-Pruf, an anti-transpirant, will keep the greens  fresh for weeks.

I should probably mention that my florist attached the greens to a metal frame. The frame is cut to the length and width of my mantel.

Next, arrange a focal point. My focal point is a pineapple. Did you that a pineapple is the ancient symbol for “Welcome?” I want all who visit my house to feel welcome.

To give a pineapple extra height, place it atop an upside-down custard cup or a small urn. Arrange the boughs so that your custard cup will be hidden. Or, set the pineapple atop a small black urn, as I did.

Now grab a pair of candlesticks…

And place one at each end of the mantel. Of course, if your silver candlesticks are tarnished like mine, you’ll want to take 5 minutes to polish them first. Tarnished candlesticks do not belong in an elegant mantel setting.

Consequently,  you’ll want to grab a  pair of blue rubber gloves…

A couple of green terry cloth rags…

And a bottle of pink silver cleaner.

Clean the candlesticks with one rag…

And buff to a shine with the other.

Set the newly-polished candlesticks at each end of the mantel. Oh – set a tall, tapered candle in each.

We now have a nice, balanced arrangement.

But the fun is only starting.

Now grab some oranges, and place a few near the candlestick on the right.

Take more oranges, or perhaps tangerines, and arrange them around or near the candlestick on the left.

And by the way, as much as I hate the color orange, I feel it is essential in a mantel display. The color adds an amazing amount of “pop” to a setting of evergreens.

Now grab some ‘Golden Delicious’ apples. Arrange them somewhere near the oranges.

If you have a Bosc pear, you would not be wrong to place it between the apples and the oranges.

A pine cone would make a good substitute for a Bosc pear. We’re merely trying to add a touch of brown to the mantel-picture.

I arranged one  pear at one side of the mantel, and a pair of pears at the other.

As you can see, one of my pears decided to stand upright. This is what I call a “performing pear.” I’m happy to give him a stage.

You might like to add a pomegranate to your scene. I placed one near my pineapple…

And another near one of the candlesticks.

We must have grapes. These provide a fountainous effect, as they cascade like water over the greenery.  I placed bunches of green grapes near the apples…

And more green grapes near each candlestick, and also around the pineapple.

Should you find yourself holding a big bunch of red grapes…

You can always cut the bunch into smaller bunches.

Then you can arrange them here and there along the mantel.  They look well among oranges, apples, and pears.

They also look  dashing between a pomegranate and a cluster of green grapes.

Frankly, grapes steal the show.

If Margo Channing was a pineapple, Eve Harrington would be a cluster of grapes.

That last sentence refers to this Bette Davis film.

Well, that’s one way to achieve a merry mantel.

Now,  if you don’t have a mantel, you can make a similar display on your dining table. Just lay a cloth runner along the long center of the table. Lay some greenery atop the runner. Then arrange candles and colorful fruit among the boughs. I think you’ll like the decorative effect.

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