A Holiday Mantle and DIY Faux Log Set

I LOVE living right around the corner from my sister, Ali! There are the obvious amazing reasons, but I also really love that we get to help each other with decorating and house projects all the time. Our girls have been begging to let us decorate for Christmas already, and we were happy to get started last weekend!

We picked out a few gorgeous holiday pieces at Pier 1 to use in Ali's living room. Isn't this color combo gorgeous?!

beaded gold // clear glass tear drop // gold star // pinecone snowflake // pink mercury glass style // white starburst // rose gold orb

Here's a reminder of what her new house looked like before we painted.

We started hanging some of the new Pier 1 items (this white garland is beautiful!) and it was starting to look so pretty that we were inspired to tackle this faux stacked log project that Ali and I had been talking about doing in here for months! Does that ever happen to you? Sometimes I need a little encouragement to get going on a project! :)

I made a paper template of Ali's arched fire box and cut a piece of 3/4" plywood to fit inside it snugly and painted the plywood black. I bought just a few dollars worth of eucalyptus logs from a tree service company and cut them down with a miter saw in random lengths and used Liquid Nails to attach them to the black plywood backing.

Isn't this a fun project? It was pretty easy to do and it makes such a statement in the room! It looks so cozy with all of beautiful holiday decor we used here!

You guys know how much I love a good layered garland! I started with the white garland hung on removable hook strips and then added in a bit of greenery and sparkly leaves, as well as this adorable star garland.

I also hung a few of these pretty gold ombre stockings. I love how these look against Ali's white fireplace!

Also, how cute is that faux snow leopard pillow on Ali's navy blue midcentury modern chair? It is gorgeous in person and it only cost $25! Such a score.

The space above Ali's mantle is big and tricky to decorate around. I decided adding some bigger pieces up there would help with the scale. We propped up a giant mirror and layered on a few pieces, like this cute wooden horse (we added his little neck decoration) and this adorable 'Tis The Season chalkboard sign.

We wanted to hang a wreath on top of the giant mirror and this mixed-metals ornament wreath was the obvious choice! I picked up some extra wide hot pink satin ribbon and tied a bow the Martha way, which is easy and fool-proof!

Instead of the around-the-tree-and-through-the-hole method, she recommends the two-bunny-ears method.

It's easier to make the bow symmetrical this way!

I used a couple of picture hanging strips to hang the ribbon on top of the frame of the mirror. I love how it adds a layer of color and texture!

Also, guys, how amazingly great are those agate slice stands?! I LOVE them and think they look so great in the holiday mix!

The little pre-lit gold tree is another favorite. I just added a few starburst ornaments to make it even prettier!

We also used this faux shearling runner as a mini tree skirt. Cute, right?

After Thanksgiving, we'll go pick up our live Christmas trees and add the rest of these pretty ornaments to the room. I'm loving how everything looks so far though! Pink is such a pretty Christmas color!

This post is brought to you by Pier 1 Imports.