When I came home with bags full of tiny, glitter covered trees on Monday night, I told my husband I wasn’t decorating for Christmas. 

“No, no, no, these are WINTER decorations,” I said (also trying to convince myself).

This post contains affiliate links. Links to shop are at the bottom of the post.

If you follow me on Instagram then you might have seen that I failed my 1-hour glucose tolerance test and got the call on Monday afternoon that I would need to do the 3-hour test on Tuesday morning.

I was extremely bummed about this for many reasons, but mostly because I was afraid of being diagnosed with gestational diabetes and because the extended glucose test is a nightmare.

So, I decided I needed to do something to lift my spirits and decorating our mantel for Christmas … I mean winter … was exactly the mood booster I was looking for.

I envisioned a cozy space with white and gold bottle brush trees, lights, and lots of candles.

I found most of the bottle brush trees in the Target dollar spot for $1 and $3 (sorry, can’t link them for you). 

In the store, I thought these green ones were gold. However, when I got them home I realized different.

I love how they add a subtle pop of green to the white and gold assortment, though, and they allowed me to easily incorporate the pre-lit trees I used on our front porch last year.

I also grabbed a set of 4 small white bottle brush trees for $5 and a set of 2 large white bottle brush trees for $5.

The gold glitter trees are my favorites, though, and really pull the entire look together. I opted for one large (in the middle) and two small (one on each end) to create symmetry on the mantel.

When you’re decorating any shelf or mantel, you want to create balance on each end. For example, if you put something tall on the left end of the shelf, you will want to also add something tall to the right end to please the eye.

The antique-style brass candlestick holders add a touch of elegance to the arrangement and also create balance across the mantel. 

They come in a set of 3 and each set has a small, medium, and large size.

My exact battery-operated bubble lights aren’t available anymore, but the ones linked at the end of this post are comparable.

For our cozy reading corner next to the fireplace, I draped this faux fur snow leopard throw blanket over a chair and added a velvet white pillow that I already had.

The assorted pillar candles are leftover from our wedding 2 years ago, but I like how they look in front of the fireplace.

I am so happy with how this little corner of our living room turned out. Working on it definitely boosted my mood, and now I have a lovely space to enjoy while I sip my coffee each morning.

SHOP THIS POST