Martha Stewart says the mantelpiece is the 'most obvious place in the room' – her technique has changed how I'll decorate this misunderstood space

As the holidays approach, many of us are already hard at work prepping our homes with seasonal decorations. The mantel, often left unattended during the spring and summer months, comes to life with holiday accessories in the fall and winter. However, making a mantel look stylish yet effortless is a skill.

That's why we entrust Martha Stewart with some tips on how to style a mantelpiece. In a clip posted to the Martha Moments Instagram account, the all-around domestic expert shared some of her top tricks to make a mantel look seasonally appropriate.

'The mantelpiece is probably one of the hardest things to decorate,' she says in the video. 'But as the seasons change, I like to add something from the outside onto the mantelpiece, because not only is it difficult to decorate, but it's also the most obvious place in a room. This one takes up a whole wall, has a great shelf, and it is a nice place to display unusual things.'

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Her mantelpiece is dark and handsome, with a dark wood shelf framing the brick fireplace. It's a cozy corner, and as such, it is primed for the fall/winter season. Her first pick as a mantel decor idea? Fruit.

'These are quince, picked from the quince tree in my garden,' she says in the video, as she shows off the green fruits. 'They still have their summer fuzz, underneath the fuzz is a beautiful, smooth green skin. That same bright green skin is going to turn a wonderful golden yellow after the frost.

She continues, 'I like to mound these up. These iron urns are generally on the mantelpiece, they're nice for flower arrangements, or for fruit arrangements like that. They're sturdy and they're not going anywhere.'

Gourds also make a great seasonal accessory, with pumpkins being a popular choice.

When dealing with draping holiday decor, Stewart cautions against anything that can easily get caught when there is lots of activity in the area, as is the case of a friend of hers who accidentally knocked all her mantel decor down.

'I remember one Christmas I had a wonderful arrangement of evergreen boughs, and I had them hanging over....make sure what you put here is secure and can't be easily toppled or knocked off,' she says. 'Especially any kind of covering, make sure that it is pinned down with little push pins, or don't do it at all. You can put leaves on your shelves, but make sure they don't hang down anywhere in front of the fire. It could be a fire hazard.'

While those are things that you should never put on a mantel, there are some alternative options. Additionally, try adding some mood lighting via candles – a timeless addition to any living room.

'If you wish, you could put votive candles here and there if you're having a dinner party and illuminate what you've arranged,' Stuart states in the video. We are also partial to scented candles with seasonal scents such as cinnamon or pine. 'Tis the season, after all.