For our classic Christmas mantel, this year we started with a large wreath. It's artificial but it looks absolutely real!
What holiday mantel is complete without stockings? We went with knitted wool stockings in green and white.
Gingerbread houses and potted Paperwhite bulbs help fill out the rest of the mantel.
On the mantel we used cedar garland, which drapes better than other types of evergreen garlands.
While there are many accents on the mantel, they are all minimal and classic (such as the bead garland) which keeps it from looking too busy.