Christmas Decorating Ideas for a Fireplace

The fireplace is an important part of Christmas. It’s, of course, where Santa comes barreling down to leave all of his presents under the Christmas tree. To give Santa a great first impression of your home, and a beautiful focal point for guests, decorate it with these ideas.

Starting from Top to Bottom: The Mantel

The mantel is the first place you should start decorating. You can place pine needle garland across it with or without lighting wrapped around it. Most people will also place candelabra in the middle of the mantel that may or may not be lit on a special evening.

If possible, some homeowners will place a wreath just about the mantel using removable tape to the wall or brick to secure a hook to hang it on. The wreath often attracts people to the fireplace, which then leads them to look at the mantel and then the fireplace.

If you don’t already have a mirror above your mantel, this might be another option to consider. Just as you would place a wreath above the mantel, you can place a mirror, but with a much more secure set up. When you have the Christmas lights on, you’ll see them glisten in the mirror, which creates a beautiful ambiance.

Decorating the Fireplace

Underneath the mantel, many people will place a decorative fireplace cover. You can find Christmas themed ones, which greatly enhances the look of your fireplace.

If you are entertaining, you can remove the cover easily to light a fire. The fire is always a comforting, warm, and beautiful piece of décor for a cold, winter night.

If you are unable to light the fire due to medical issues or hazards, consider placing large candles in the fireplace. You can light the candles and create a look of fire.

You can also place candelabra in the fireplace, which holds candles in place when burning them for a long time.

A Christmas Hearth

The hearth is the bottom ledge of your fireplace. Some will be flush to the floor, while others will be raised. In either case, you can decorate it with standing decoration such as a small Christmas tree, nutcracker, or stuffed Santa.

You can also place a basket with wood inside of it to feed the fire as needed. Keep the logs arranged neatly to keep it as a useful decorative piece.

Warnings When Decorating a Fireplace

Always keep in mind that if you are lighting a fire in your fireplace that some decorations are flammable. Keep these decorations away from the fireplace.

Never place anything so close to the opening of the fireplace that can be set on fire when it sparks. Also, never leave a fire unattended, and if you have can’t extinguish your fire before leaving home, install a fireplace cover that ensures the fire stays within the fireplace.

By being safe and having fun decorating your fireplace, you’ll enjoy a peaceful and joyful holiday season in your beautiful home.

Marcelina Hardy wrote this guest post. While she loves the summer, as long as her air conditioning is working with Round Rock air conditioning repair and residential Austin AC audit, she’s also in love with her fireplace during the winter. Decorating it is her favorite Christmas activity, and she hopes you enjoy it just as much with her tips.

What are fireplace inserts?

by Richard Winter - How Stuff Works

Ah, the crackle of a fire in the hearth. There's nothing like a blazing fireplace to create a sense of warmth and comfort. However, there's a major downside to the traditional wood-burning fireplace, whether it's a factory-built fireplace or a masonry fireplace: heat loss.

Fireplaces are, by nature, not very efficient. They pull warm air out of the room and into the fire. A lot of t­hat energy -- heat -- is lost up the chimney and through the material that surrounds it. When temperatures drop below freezing, a fireplace exhausts more energy than it creates. The Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association rates older fireplaces' efficiency at 5 percent to 10 percent [source: Kaufman].

Most fireplace inserts are designed to increase fireplace efficiency. An insert is basically a fireproof box that's surrounded by steel or cast iron and fronted by insulated glass, creating a closed combustion system. The steel or cast iron helps to trap the heat. Some inserts have a blower that pushes the hot air back into the room through front vents. Properly installed, fireplace inserts can be a much more efficient supplemental zone heater than a traditional fireplace [source: Wood Heat Organization].

Inserts can be powered by electricity, gas, propane, wood, pellets or coal.

Electric, gas and propane inserts also offer owners a big time saving advantage. Consider this: To build a fire, you have to gather the materials, which in some cases involve a tree, an ax and a great workout. Even if you buy wood, you will still have to haul and store it. There's also preparation involved in setting up a fire: You need seasoned wood, papers and kindling to get it going. Smoke might get in your eyes (especially if you forget to open the flue!) as you tend to the fire to keep it going. And afterwards, you've got to clean all the ash out of the fireplace.

With an electric or gas insert, all you have to do to start the flames is push a button, which, depending upon the model you buy, might even be on a remote.

Read on to learn about electric fireplace inserts. (CLICK HOW STUFF WORKS TO CONTINUE READING)

Also Check out these suggestions: 

Brick Paint for your fireplace  Fireplace Glass Door Replacement  Economy Mantels

The best ways to heat your conservatory

A conservatory was primarily used as a summer room during the 1960’s and 1970’s. It wasn't practical to use during the cold months as it was a simple frame unable to keep any heat in. Heating systems today are very advanced and conservatories are extremely well built with modern materials. This means that your conservatory can be used all year round like any other room in the home.

The temperature in your conservatory can now be controlled like any other room in the home so even on the coldest days you can feel snug. Conservatories however can still suffer from condensation, damp and cold even with heating installed. This article will look at the best ways of dealing with this, the best forms of heating and the most cost effective forms of heating. 

uPVC conservatories can often be sold with the misinterpretation that they are at the same level of insulation as any other extension made from brick. This however is not the case, as building regulations in the UK don’t apply to the average conservatory. Exceptions can be made for those that are more than 30 square meters or for those where you want to knock through your main living area with no doors in between.

When thinking about building your conservatory you should consider a number of facts and consult with the sales person. These points will determine how much use you get from your conservatory.

• Glass – Pilkington K Glass in a specially formulated glass that has a metal coating on one side. This allows heat from the sun to enter the conservatory but it reflects heat from things such as fires. Condensation is also reduced as the surface of the glass is warmer.
• Roofs – glass roofs are far more expensive than a poly carbonate roof however they allow sunlight in and look fantastic.
• Argon filled units – this is where the windows units are filled with argon gas to help insulate the conservatory.
• 25mm Poly carbonate – the majority of conservatories come with 10 or 16 mm of poly carbonate. You can however get 25mm poly carbonate for an additional price. It is an excellent choice of roof insulation.

There are many other ways to insulate your conservatory so be sure to discuss your options further with the sales representative.

An excellent way of insulating your conservatory and making it usable all year round is through the use of under floor heating. This form of heating is extremely effective and worth every penny. You can heat your floor either by hot water or electric heat mats. When considering which form of heating you would like to use make sure you take into account these points.

• Using water needs to be planned before the conservatory is built as pipes need to be lain.
• The cost of using water pipes is initially more expensive however in the long run it is more cost effective as gas is cheaper to run that electric.
• Electric heat mats can be laid after the conservatory has been built.

A new boiler should be able to cope with the demands of under floor heating, if this is the case it will be your most cost effective option. If your boiler however cannot cope a new one will need to be fitted. This can significantly increase the expense of your conservatory. This can be controlled long term though by having a separate thermostat fitted so that you are able to control the sole temperature of that room.

Electric under floor heating costs less to install, it is however expensive to run. Electric heating can be controlled though by a switch as it is connected to your fuse box. A thermostat will also help to control the temperature of the conservatory.

The fantastic thing about under floor heating is the advantages that become available. The floor in the conservatory will always be warm meaning tootsies don’t become cold. You can also make better use of the space in your conservatory as there are no radiators mounted onto the wall. This also means the room looks neat and tidy as wires have been eliminated.

As well as under floor heating you can heat your conservatory with wall mounted radiators, storage heaters, radiant heaters and oil filled heaters. You could even look into installing a fireplace somewhere, even if it just for decoration it will make all the difference during those cold winter evenings.

Whichever form of heating you choose to go for depends on your budget and how much use your conservatory is going to achieve. It is however under floor heating that will be the most effective if you want to enjoy your conservatory on those cold winter days.

GUEST POST BY: Katy Quinn

Awestruck With My Brick Fireplace Painting Results

Here are photographs that you may use if you like. It really has made such a difference in our small living room. I had the Regency Stove we purchased painted Surf-Sand color to match the Twilight Taupe colorway. Even the guys putting in the new stove were awestruck that I did the painting myself. They put stoves in day in and day out and were really impressed. Thanks again for all the help. I am so proud of our "new" living room!

Pam and Mike B., Chico, California

Used for this project

Brick Paint Kit

Twilight Taupe Brick Paint Theme

Black Firebox Paint

Picking Out Fireplace Décor for Christmas

Come Christmastime, decorating the mantel makes for a festive family tradition. Whether you hang stockings o'er the chimney, as in the classic holiday poem, or use pine boughs to create an evergreen Christmas mantel, getting your home ready will bring on the holiday spirit. Try some of these tips this December for a holiday treat!

Holidays are a time to show off family heirlooms and treasure those homemade classics, like the stockings your children decorated for Santa. Props to consider adding to your mantel include:

• Stockings , Evergreens, Holly berries, Poinsettias, Pine cones, Christmas lights, Stars, Ornaments, Candles, Holiday figurines

Evergreens, holly berries, poinsettias and other wintry plants add a breath of freshness to the wintry scene. You may choose silk versions of the real deal, or purchase fresh greens and flowers each year. Evergreens can perfume your home for a special treat! Elements like pine cones or pomegranates add texture, color and mood to the scene. Miniature Christmas trees or rosemary shrubs cut to resemble miniature fir trees add a perfect Christmas feel. If you aren't going to have a large tree for space reasons, a mantel tree ensures it still feels like Christmas!

If your mantel is too shallow to support plant pots or greens, consider creating a display of ornaments. Of course, ornaments can be added to a display of greens as well. Some pieces, such as angels, animals or Santa figures, may be able to stand alone. You might be able to nestle spherical ornaments in the greens. For a contained display, fill a tall glass vase with ornaments, then place it atop the fireplace. Incorporate other seasonal elements, such as family figurines or candles.

Classic red and green make a perfect color scheme for any holiday fireplace decor, but don't feel limited to these two colors! Festive plaids incorporate reds, greens, golds and other hues. If you're prefer a subtler holiday fireplace, consider pristine white and gold, for a snowy, sophisticated color palette. Ornaments, miniature lights, candles, and white and gold stars are all elements to incorporate in a white and gold mantle. As another variation, try white and silver, or an all-metallic mantelpiece theme with bronze, gold and silver. Don't forget to leave space for the stockings! Stocking hooks allow you to slip the Christmas stockings on so they hang down over the fireplace. If you prefer a functional fireplace, place the stockings to one or both sides of the mantel.

Finally, tie the mantel decor into the rest of your home by using decorating elements also found in other rooms. If you have a poinsettia on the dining room table, add a miniature poinsettia to the mantel. If you decorate the kitchen windowsill with holiday cards your family has received, save some cards for the mantel too. Or if your family has themed ornaments that are a Christmas tradition, such as Santa figurines, trains or bells, add this decor to the mantel too. 

There are so many festive elements to add to the holiday mantel, so pick a couple of your favorites and get going! If you create a display you really love, be sure to take pictures so you can do the same thing next year if you want. And happy holidays!

Holly is an Indianapolis native who loves decorating her home for the seasons. She already has her Halloween decorations in full force and is carefully planning out her next few months' decor. In her spare time, she loves blogging on behalf of Sears and other great brands she uses.