When you begin to decorate your home for the holiday season, remember that the purpose and parameters of holiday d?cor are the same as decorating your home any other time of year ? creating a comfortable space for your loved ones to gather, enjoy each other, share old memories and create new ones.

There are no limits when it comes to decorating ideas for the holidays, given the myriad of traditions that vary from one home to the next. However you and your loved ones will be celebrating the holidays, your Christmas decorated fireplace mantel can be a main display in your overall d?cor. Whether you are trying to create that cozy feeling of home, or you are going for an over-the-top theme to wow your guests, your fireplace can be the focal point of any room that it occupies.

Because your Christmas decorated fireplace mantel is such a strong element, the d?cor you choose for the fireplace should be echoed all around the room for consistency. And if your holiday tree and fireplace share the same room, you definitely want both to duplicate a similar theme, because you don?t want them to compete with each other ? rather, you want them to complement one another.

Keep in mind that your theme will be influenced by the room where your fireplace is located. For example, a fireplace in the den is going to have a different decoration style and create a different kind of mood than a fireplace in the bedroom. In other words, you do not necessarily have to duplicate the same theme and/or design on every fireplace mantel.

As you begin to review possible ideas for your fireplace mantel Christmas decorations, from celebrating a different culture to showcasing your own family traditions over the years, below are a few themes to brighten any room in your home.

Holidays Around the World

Do you have a favorite country that you have visited or would like to visit? Are you from another country and want to incorporate your heritage into your mantel decorations? You can use your Christmas decorated fireplace mantel project as an opportunity to learn more about celebrating the holidays in a different country, whether your family has visited there or not. If you have visited the country that is central to your theme, you can incorporate your souvenirs into the fireplace mantel?s decor. If you have emigrated from another country, use this space to display any keepsakes or novelties of sentimental value, or items that are unique to your culture.

Travel Back in Time

Take this idea one step further by not only focusing on a different country, but also a different time in our history. For example, you can focus your d?cor around the theme of Colonial America, French Provincial or the Victorian era. If you have more than one fireplace mantel in your home, you can choose to focus on different time periods for each one.

Just One Thing

If you want a very clean, scaled-down look for your Christmas decorated fireplace mantel, you can choose one type of item, such as candles or flowers, and add some Christmas mantel scarves and some garland, to create an elegantly simple display. You can personalize this idea by specifically choosing your favorite type of plant or flower, or choosing an aromatic candle with a scent that speaks to you. And don?t limit yourself to traditional holiday greenery and aromas, such as poinsettias and pine. You can use any plant or flower from bamboo to orchids to roses, and any candle aroma from gardenia to sage.

Gifts Aplenty

Your fireplace mantel can serve as another place to display gifts ? think of is as an extension of the space under your Christmas tree. Use your mantel to display gifts you have received, or some gifts you intend to give. Putting gifts around the room, not just under the tree, creates unexpected surprises.

Artifacts of Christmas Past

Dedicate your fireplace mantel Christmas decorations to a collection of handmade crafts, sentimental gifts or special items from holidays your family has shared in the past.

? Perhaps a relative sent you a special gift one year that relates to your family?s cultural history ? if so, place it on the mantel with some relevant accessories.

? Maybe one year you and your family decided to visit a major city during the holiday season, such as New York or Washington D.C., and you have an exquisite souvenir that would make a beautiful centerpiece for your Christmas decorated fireplace mantel.

? You can share a traditional family recipe for sweet treats such as cookies or candies, making them the centerpiece or part of your display, accompanied by a picture frame that contains a brief written history of how the recipe has been enjoyed for generations.

? A simple photo gallery, with several picture frames, can include photos of how your family has grown and changed over the years, from one holiday season to the next.

Your Favorite Christmas Scene

Your Christmas decorated fireplace mantel can be an opportunity for you to display your favorite holiday scene. Many of us are familiar with the Christmas Nativity scene celebrating Jesus? birth, but there are other scenes that remind us of the holidays as well. You can expand your scope to the many scenes that are known from age-old Christmas stories, such as Santa on his sleigh or on the rooftop with a sack of toys. You can display a scene from a more specific story, such as the battle between the Prince and the Mouse King from the Nutcracker ballet, or when the Grinch meets Sally Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas or when the children follow Frosty as he sings the theme song from Frosty the Snowman.

The holidays are a magical time, and your holiday decorating activities are an opportunity to capture some of that magic in a space where your family, friends and guests feel comfortable. Get creative and have fun, combining your imagination with your own signature style, and your fireplace mantel Christmas decorations will be an important part of creating a memorable holiday experience.