How to Decorate a Mantle With Pictures
- 1). Frame your photos, or art pieces, and lay the frames on the floor so they are all visible. The frames should be of the same color family and the same shape family; square and rectangular frames, or circular or oval frames, but not both.
- 2). Select which picture you want as the centerpiece of the design and place it in the center of the mantle. Leaning the frame against the wall is the simplest way to set the centerpiece, but you can also hang the picture from the wall above the mantle.
- 3). Arrange other pictures around the centerpiece and work your way out to the edges of the mantle. Layering pictures of different sizes in a 3-D like effect is an effective way of creating an eye-catching design. Create this effect by placing the larger frames in the background and the smaller frames in the foreground.
- 4). Space the pictures out evenly, with larger frames at either side of the centerpiece and smaller frames toward the edges of the mantle. You may choose to place some smaller frames in front of the larger frames, as described in the step above, but do not layer all the pictures in one area as this will look cluttered.
- 5). Step back and examine your work. Make adjustments as needed. Take note of any large gaps or color incongruities.
- 6
A mantle design is anchored by a strong centerpiece.pictuire frame image by Lovrencg from Fotolia.com
Add accessories to mantle. Some additions might be candles, ribbon or small vases. The accessories should off-set the pictures, not the other way around.
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