DIY Craftsman Boxes for Christmas Mantel Decor

The attractive DIY craftsman boxes are a wonderful addition to this traditional Christmas mantel decor. The boxes give a more rustic look to the two small Christmas trees that frame the fireplace hearth.

The DIY and the styling are by Katie Alberter, of Little House of Four. She put this all together for our Holiday Style Challenge. We sent her a few boxes of Home Depot Christmas decorations, and she did the rest.

Read on to see how she built the craftsman-style boxes and to enjoy the cozy look she gave her fireplace mantel for Christmas.

Merry and Bright Christmas Mantel Decor

I am so excited to be working with The Home Depot for this year’s Holiday style challenge! I was assigned the task of turning my mantel into the perfect holiday display and could not wait to see what items The Home Depot was sending for me to work with.

It was like Christmas morning the day I came home from work to see a pile of boxes from The Home Depot. It was so much fun to go through everything and come up with a plan for my mantel.  Among the many items they sent were two pre lit potted porch trees that I absolutely loved. I knew right away they would look amazing sitting on my hearth inside white craftsman style boxes.

DIY Craftsman Boxes

Materials

• (3) 1 in. x 12 in. x 8 ft. boards
• (4) 1 in. x3 in. x 8 ft. boards
• Elmer’s Wood Glue
• Nailer
• Chop saw
• Caulk
• Wood putty
• Sandpaper
• Paint brush
• 4 in. foam roller 
• Semi gloss white paint (I used Behr Marquee)
• White spray paint

I started by cutting down my boards to size. I wanted the box to be large enough to fit around the pot, but not too large that the tree got lost in the box. I ended up cutting four pieces that measured 12 x 13 in.

After I had my pieces cut it was time to build the boxes.

Before nailing I applied wood glue to each piece in order to reinforce the nails. I then nailed all the sides together before finishing with the base.

Once I had the sides and bottom nailed together, I cut the 1 in. x 3 in. boards and then glued and nailed them to the front and sides of the box. (I did not do the back.)

After building both boxes I caulked all the seams and puttied all the nail holes. I let them sit overnight then sanded and covered each box in two coats of white semi gloss Behr Marquee paint.

While the boxes were drying I applied a few light coats of white spray paint to the planters to help them blend in better with the boxes. These planters came with the 4 ft. artificial Christmas trees that will be placed in the boxes.

The Rest of the Mantel Christmas Decor

The best part was moving the boxes to the hearth and setting up the trees.

I added a bit of torn flannel to the bottom of the trees and I love how it ties in the red from the Christmas ball wreath.

Flannel was also added to the cute gold deer figurines— you know, so they don’t get chilly.

A few vintage Christmas ball ornaments, greenery, a vintage window and Christmas countdown calendar finished off the mantel.

A huge thank you to The Home Depot for inviting me to participate in this year’s challenge! It was so much fun and I could not be happier with how the space turned out. Spending the evening with the mantel and hearth all lit up really puts you in the Christmas spirit.

Katie Alberter says her blog, Little House of Four, is her space to share thrifty decorating ideas, DIY projects, organizing ideas and a bit of randomness in hopes of inspiring others.

Browse The Home Depot’s Christmas Decorations Department for everything you need to brighten up your home for the holidays.

Follow our Holiday Style Challenge board on Pinterest for more holiday inspiration and ideas from some of the best design bloggers on the internet.

The post DIY Craftsman Boxes for Christmas Mantel Decor appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.

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