A Bevy Of Trees Christmas Mantel
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Instead of putting up a large or tabletop Christmas tree, I ended up with a bevy of small trees on my Christmas mantel. I didn’t intend to do that. It just happened.
I started putting the bottle brush and wooden trees up there, and I just kept going.
A bevy of trees was what I ended up with, without any planning involved. I decided I liked it. And that was enough to satisfy my desire to decorate the holiday mantel. Sometimes less is more.
I’m usually a bit OCD, so it’s odd for me to be lackadaisical when arranging decor. I can’t handle a crooked lampshade, for heaven’s sake.
My only strand of lights didn’t cover much of the mantel. But I ordered a few more lights that I might add up there. I haven’t decided on that yet for my bevy of trees Christmas mantel.
Less is More:
Do you know how the phrase “Less is More” was coined?
It was popularized by the German-American architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Mies van der Rohe adopted the phrase to describe his modernist architectural philosophy. This was stripping designs down to their essential elements for greater impact and beauty.
It was his way to define his minimalist aesthetic, which emphasized simplicity, functionality, and clean lines.
He was ahead of his time because the term “minimalist style” is now widely used. However, there was a racial overtone to his architecture. Sadly. So many things boil down to the association of race.
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe:
Mecca Flats, a hotel-turned-residence built in 1892, was significant during Chicago’s Black Renaissance.
It was inspired by the jazz composer Jimmy Blythe and the poet Gwendolyn Brooks, as featured in their song “Mecca Flat Blues.” It had a glass-roof atrium and was publicly accessible through open courtyards. The residents there shared an active communal life in this black metropolis.
But despite a decade of resistance by the tenants there, they were eventually evicted. In 1952, Mecca Flats was demolished to make way for Crown Hall.
Much of Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood was leveled as part of an urban renewal project, the ITT campus expansion.
And it was designed by Mies van der Rohe. It was due to his architectural design that an entire neighborhood was demolished and its people were displaced.
Didn’t know you were going to get a small history lesson in a Christmas decorating post, did you? Well, neither did I.
I guess you’ve figured out that I like to collect what my daughters like to call “Mom’s little factoids.” It’s customary for me to move toward something and end up down in a rabbit hole, digging deeper and deeper.
I line my “little factoids” up in my mind like a row of soldiers standing at attention, postures erect and fingers curled.
The military calls it “chin up, chest out, shoulders back, stomach in”.
Sometimes Random Is Better:
Sometimes randomness is better than precision.
I’ve learned that simplicity is sometimes best when decorating a long surface, such as a mantel.
I put the tall trees in the back of my bevy of trees Christmas mantel scenario. Then I just sprinkled the other trees in, not really paying much attention to shape or size, or to how far apart they were.
Some of the trees are rather wonky. But I think it gives them “character.” Trees in a real forest aren’t perfect. They’re often wonky, too— misshapen, uneven, and leaning to one side. They differ in composition and structure.
I considered adding candles and maybe greenery in the back. But somehow this simple mantel captured the mood I wanted.
I love nature. And a forest is a part of nature.
The Planting Of Trees In A Forest:
It could be that a squirrel dug a nut into the earth. And up sprang a tree. Or a bird dropped a seedling, and it found its way to germination.
A forest is a complex ecological system characterized by a high tree density.
The forest becomes a habitat for plants and animals, occurring naturally. Indigenous trees grow naturally; there’s no need for human planting or intervention.
The forest is characterized by a diverse mix of native species that are well-adapted to the local climate and soil. This supports local biodiversity and maintains ecological balance. This purifies the air and water and protects the soil.
Life within the forest is driven by instinct and the natural order of things that unfold in the universe.
What Occurs Naturally:
I didn’t know I’d grow up to cherish nature, to find my spirituality there among the trees, plants, and wild animals.
However, developers have destroyed the forests that creatures call home —the very forests that provide shelter for many animals, birds, and insects.
Clearing forests negatively impacts wildlife. This results in damage to the habitats where the animals reside.
Did you know that the world’s wildlife populations have declined by almost 70% in the last 50 years? This is because their habitats have been polluted and cleared by humans. We have interfered in “the natural order of things.”
Efforts to restore forests have often focused on trees. But studies have found that animals play a key role in the recovery of tree species by carrying a wide variety of seeds into previously deforested areas.
Is that more than you really cared to know? Well, it’s a primary focus of mine, Mother Nature and all things that come naturally.
Back to the Bevy of Trees on My Mantel:
But of course, I’ve gotten off topic. Again. My thoughts tend to roam. They swirl up into the ether of my brain and bounce around like a tennis ball.
My thoughts have once again meandered and strayed. My apologies.
The older I get, the more my thoughts tend to take an unexpected stroll. So, back to the subject of the bevy of trees on my mantel.
Sometimes it turns out best when you don’t plan how things will look. If you plan everything to the last detail, it might end up looking contrived.
So my Christmas mantel is a bevy of trees that resembles a forest. And I’m pretty happy with how it accidentally turned out. In the bigger scheme of things, it fit my needs perfectly.
Oh my goodness I am crazy about your bevy of trees! So understated and yet drop dead gorgeous!
I love your mantel forest! I created a shelf vignette by cutting a used Christmas bunch with a variety of flowers & textures apart then weaving among objects I chose. I used some fox figurines & things on hand so it was both inexpensive & easy to assemble. Like your trees, a bit random but lovely overall. I voted for more lights! I added an extra strand outside my front door last night!
Happy Holidays! I’m off to bake oatmeal lace cookies!
Perfectly simple. Simply perfect.
I love bottle brush trees and I love the wood trees mixed in with them. Lovely Mantle! I wish I had a mantle because I would steal this look from you, lol. I love it.
Dawn P. Albany, GA
You could do it on a shelf or console table.
I think your mantle looks charming as you’ve done it! I wouldn’t add a thing.
Leave it as is. Looks great!
I like the mantel as is. The lights look like stars in the sky and I think if you added more it might change that feeling. I say, always listen to your first instincts.
Then there’s my answer. Thank you.
It’s lovely and it fits beautifully with your interest in using nature in your decorating!
Brenda, the mantle looks beautiful! I love the trees and the lights!
I like the trees.
I love this look! Very pretty. Funny thing is – it kind of resembles my mantel this year. I’ve done mine in trees (bottle brush, then some modern wood and glass trees) and Putz houses.
I’m sure it’s beautiful!
I think it looks perfect, just the way it is! I love it!
I love it!!
Your mantel has inspired me to add some miniature Christmas trees to my collection. I finally donated my old 7′ tree. It was too much to lug into the house and too dangerous to climb a step ladder to decorate. I now have a 4 footer, which holds a surprising amount of decorations. It looks great on my dining table.
I’m not putting up any tree other than what’s on the mantel.
WOW! Brenda, I think your mantel is gorgeous. I LOVE IT! I like Christmas lights on at night so my personal preference would be to add another string of twinkling fairy lights, but it looks beautiful just the way you have it right now. Starting around November I begin looking at Christmas decor/decorating/decorations on YouTube and I love decorating my mantel for Christmas. But it seems to me that as the years have gone by so many of the most popular channels on YouTube have devolved into creating extravagantly decorated mantels that are overflowing with garland, artificial flowers, picks, stems, lights of all different kinds and candles and – whew! Just overwhelming. This year I looked at a few YouTubers’ extravagant mantels and said to myself “Self, you’re not going there.” And I didn’t (not that I really ever did – too expensive and too exhausting). My mantel this year is simple but I think it’s pretty with not a garland, pick or stem in sight. I agree with you on how things can get to a point where they are just over-decorated and, frankly (I think) look ridiculously overdone. Ach! Thank you for letting me vent.
I agree. I’ll watch some decorators on YouTube who say they’re getting budget deals. But they don’t seem budget to me.
It is a perfect winter scene with just the right amount of lights. Enjoy your beautiful home.
Your mantel looks fantastic just the way it is. Your talents continue to amaze me and inspire me!!
I like it, plus just a few twinkly lights look like star shine. I love random and not contrived spaces! Marilyn
Then I won’t add more.
Just right the way it is. I love the mix.
Love the natural world also – Sir David Attenborough is my hero-his documentaries are amazing. Check them out if you have missed them. The camera work is incredible and his depth of love and wisdom of Nature is wonderful.
It’s time for all of us to stop buying “stuff”. Learn to use what we have and use the time and money saved to do some good.
Oh that is so pretty. The mix of bottle brush and wooden trees is wonderful 🎄🌲🎄
Looks really good, Brenda. I don’t have a mantle, but I do have a shelf I can decorate, for the trees and a few little Santas. I have the old-time brush trees too, will get them out from the closet today. I didn’t know what to do with them, till I saw your mantle arrangement. Thanks for your ideas. Have a Nice day, Hugs from WI.
I love it! I’m wondering where you got the ceramic houses. I see them online, but never sure of the quality. Yours look so nice.
One I ordered from Target last year. It was $5. The other two I ordered from Walmart this year. They were a little higher. They are a good quality.
Thanks, I’ll look there.
It looks GREAT!!
Love the forest with the little houses tucked in there. So cute.
Very cute, I love bottle brush trees, and also have a collection…the wood trees in the back add a bit of weight to a lovely, simple mantle….