Festive Holiday Mantel Decor

It brings me so much excitement to participate in The Home Depot Holiday Style Challenge. Christmas is, by far, my favorite time of year. Each year, I look forward to decorating for Christmas in my own unique way. The most important part of decorating is to stay true to one’s style. Personally, I love a vintage feel, decorating with French touches, handmade items, using neutral and soft tones. When my Style Challenge item arrived, I was so excited to see that I had received the Snowy Pine Wreath. The overall quality and look of the wreath exceeded my expectations. This wreath is, in a word, beautiful.

This wreath was going to look perfect hanging on a chalkboard over my holiday mantel. I live in a small home, about 1,000 sq. ft., so my mantel is one of my go-to places to decorate for Christmas. Not to mention, chalkboards are great for decor all year round. In fact, you can make a chalkboard to your exact specifications, color and all. You are no longer limited to the traditional schoolhouse green or the common black chalkboard colors.

The first step is to measure the Snowy Pine Wreath. It measures just about 30-in. round. If you’re cutting the plywood yourself, leave a total of 4 in. on each side, about 1 in. for the edging and 3 in. for the chalkboard to show around the wreath. If you’re having the wood cut at The Home Depot, ask for 34 x 34 in. I cut it at home with my Ryobi Electric Saw. Measure and cut the sides for the lattice. There should be two identical long sides and two identical small sides.

After cutting everything down to size, the second step is to paint the base coat for the chalkboard. This is chalk paint not chalkboard paint, so there are two steps to making this plywood into a chalkboard. I applied two coats of Rust-Oleum Chalked Aged Gray for the paint color of my chalkboard. It’s a beautiful soft gray that I’ve used many times on other projects. I knew it was going to look great as the backdrop for the wreath.

While the chalk paint is drying, the third step is to stain the lattice. I applied two coats of Minwax Wood Finish Dark Walnut. I have to say, this color is exactly what I wanted and it is a perfect rustic stain color. I’ve used it many times on furniture projects and I’ve always been happy with the results.

Now it’s time for the fourth step. While the stain is drying, and after the chalk paint has dried, apply two coats of Rust-Oleum Clear Chalkboard Finish. Make sure you follow the directions on the label. Drying and handing times are very important!

After everything is completely dry, it’s time to assemble the frame onto the chalkboard.

Here’s my tip: measure twice, cut once. DIY projects don’t always go as planned. The key is to not give up but rather, adapt to the situation. It turns out that my measuring had been a tiny bit off.

I sanded down the plywood just a tad and the edging fit perfectly. Problem solved and the next step was to staple the edging onto the chalkboard. I chose staples because I didn’t want to use clamps for gluing on my freshly stained frame.

The DIY chalkboard is framed and ready for some chalk and the beautiful Snowy Pine Wreath!

I absolutely love the finished results! The color of the chalkboard perfectly complements the gray and white ribbon on the Snowy Pine Wreath. Also from The Home Depot is the Snowy Pine Garland laying on my large basket, coupled with the Inglow Flameless Candles on the edges of the mantel.

In addition to The Home Depot Christmas items, my vintage candelabras, handmade stockings, antique architectural pieces and door, vintage step stool, birdcage and books, truly make this space ready for the Christmas season!

With this simple DIY Chalkboard, you can make your Christmas decor special and one of a kind. Don’t forget to shop the Home Accents Holiday line at The Home Depot to help you decorate your home for this Holiday season.