 Sorry, I got carried away there. But the thing is, mantles do more than just hang stockings in old photos. They enhance the most prominent feature in the room, the fireplace. And updating a mantle is a pretty simple do-it-yourself project. If you can operate a miter saw with confidence, you're good to go. With all the ready-made decorative moldings available, finding a few to put together with plywood is a snap.