No Fireplace Mantle?

I do have a fireplace and a mantle but have not used the fireplace in years. Right now it still has some twigs in it that my grandson brought in from outside one year and he put them in there on the grate. I got tired of smoke coming back in the house and having to open up the house to air it out. To me it was more trouble than it was worth trying to use it. I have used my mantle before to put decorations but now I don't because of the things I have on there, I would have to find some place to put them. I have some figurines on there that belonged to my mother, my mother in law and a couple of mine. I have also used the entertainment center for decorating but don't have that one any longer. I did get my little tree up and decorated though a little while ago. I think using your entertainment center is great for display.

I have no fireplace mantle either. My new home has a modern hole in the wall electric flame, horrible modern fire. I really miss hanging my stockings up and onaments and decorating it with holly. Last year we had to hang the childrens stockings on either side of the door frames and it did not look the same with no fire mantle decorated. There is nothing as nice on a cold winters evening as a beautiful burning log fire. When I have the money I am getting rid of this modern fire as it ruins my christmas. I really can sympathathise with you Bob. We really do need a fire mantle, especially at Christmas time.

There's nothing nicer than having a large fireplace Grandpa Bob! Sadly with central heating and modern heating devices the need for open fireplaces is diminishing and it's very rare to find a home, certainly in the UK with big fireplaces, which is a shame because I love the smell of an open fire and the logs going on, sure it creates a mess but that's half the fun isn't it and I somehow think it's romantic too, with your loved one cuddled up on the sofa with a drink each and the open fireplace in front of you! Guess I'm an old daft romantic, but thank you for conjuring up that image with your discussion!

we don't have a fireplace, i have had one in the past, when i lived in texas. i always loved having the fireplace going in the winter. we have a wrought iron support in the living room, that is where i have the stockings hung, mine, my s/o's, his daughter's and tinker's, our dog. yes, she has her own stocking lol.

I've never had a fireplace I wish we did, I'd love one. We have a very large TV, 55" floor model. We use the top of that for our decorations and we hang the stockings in the archway between our living room and dining room. We also string some lights up there as well.

Hello Granpa Bob I wish I still lived at my childhood home too . We had a huge mantle /fireplace made of deep rich cherry wood. My mom and dad would always make it look so lovely around Christmas and we did hang our stocking there too. I always said when I get a place of my own I want a fire place , well i have that and i dont have one . I tried when house hunting , but we had to make due for now . I would wanna maybe get one of those fake ones , but we really dont have the room.

I lived in a house once that had a wood stove with a mantle. It was very nice looking and the stockings were nice up there. I haven't had a mantle for years and we hang our stockings on the entertainment center.

We do in our rented apartment. I have used it a few times when it's been really really cold early mornings. I have yet to hang up our christmas stockings on there, but we also have a lollie/candy calendar sent from my mother in law, and what happens is that my son gets to eat a candy each day until Christmas day - like a countdown to christmas thing. It's cool!

Alas I live in an apartment and no fireplace...but I get my whole place all "gussied" up with a LOT of decorations for Christmas..looking at that photo...how about getting a video that shows a holiday log burning and you could play it back on the TV....heehee

Can't say that I have a fireplace or a mantle. The cards that I receive I hang around a mirror in my living room every year. So far, I have only received one card.

Awwwww..grandpa bob.... I don't have a fireplace either...I had one when we lived in Arizona...lol I'm sure it isn't the same to use your shelf instead...because the mantle just seems to be the perfect spot during Christmas..

As a child I lived in a house without a fireplace and my parents never decorated for Christmas as we were never at home for Christmas, consequently, Christmas became my favorite holiday and I love decorate (I actually tend to over decorate). I have mostly lived in rental property, but, have managed to live in a few places that have had fire places and all of them have had mantels except the one I am currently living in, which has one of those gas flame hole in the wall, no mantel modern front that is the same color as the wall. But the literature I have read since childhood made me believe all houses need a mantle of some sort so I have always managed to design some sort of "mantle" in every residence I have had even it does not contain a burning fire, but it is a dedicated place to display the most important symbols of my life in any given season. I do miss the fire and I miss the ability to heat my house and cook food in case the gas and electricity gets shut off, which can happen so easily in the area I live. It makes me uneasy from the moment the snows begin to fly until the flowers start blooming in the spring.

Hi GRANDPA BOB, That is so beautiful, I love it, you have done so well and yes I do miss Our lod fair place when I was a child as well and my mother used to make us help her making christmas decorations with coloured papers, what memories. Tamara

Hey Grandpa Bob! You mean to tell me that that perfect little cute country looking house doesn't have a fireplace? It sure looks like it would! I really thought that it did for sure. You could always get one! That's the only thing that you're missing. But, you do have that kick azz home theatre system instead! Really, that house looks like it would come with a fireplace. It's such a cozy looking house. The kind that you would think would automatically have one. Oh, well at least you have a house with land and a garden and everything else! It sure beats living in a damn apartment! I keep telling my friends that if the landlord doesn't do something about turning up the heat then I'm going to start a fire in the middle of the living room and make a fireplace!

No I don't have a mantle, I wish i did. They always look so pretty decorated for Christmas. I have an open stairway that I decorate. In fact I just got done hanging up the evergreen garland. I still have to put the lights up and the stockings, of course hung with care. I have to add another one this year for the granddaughter. The tree is up, not all the way decorated yet but getting there.

I do not have a fireplace in my home and never did. I do wish I had one,it would be so nice to sit in front of it on a cold winter night.

I had a fireplace in my first house, having lived there for only 6 years, I did enjoy it and really miss it now almost 20 years later. We never had a fireplace when I was a kid and we never hung Christmas stockings (maybe that explains my warped personality!), Looks like Mom was pretty talented...how did she make the houses?

Well, now, funny you should ask... I do have a fireplace mantle, just don't have a fireplace...

We have a fireplace mantel. That is one of the main things I look for in a place before I decide to move in, a fireplace Mantel. Even though it's not a real fireplace, Its one of those mock fireplaces where they use to place gas heaters in years ago, but now since this place has been updated some there is no gas heater. So I went out and got a large fireplace candle holders and placed it in the empty space in the bottom center where the gas heater use to be and during the cold winter months we light the candles in the fireplace and turn the lights off and enjoy the pretty candles, we do this a lot during the holidays mostly a week before Christmas. I'm happy that we have a great place to put our Christmas stockings each year. Before when we lived in places with no mantel we usually hung our Christmas stocking on the wall with cup-hooks next to the Christmas tree.

We have a mantle and fire place in our house which is rare for the UK. But we have never ever used it as it is difficult to get the coal that you need for a good fire. As our local coal yard closed down about 7 years ago. Also my eldest son was scared of fire as a toddler. My mum and dad would have a real fire and if we were visiting at the time they had it burning my son would not go in the same room as the fire. When we were staying in Ireland the house we stayed in had a fireplace in nearly every room. It was very cosy sitting in front of a real fire. Even tho i have five children i have never hang stockings from the mantle although i have put decorations around it.