Fall Mantel

The fall decorating bug finally hit me this week...

I must say it has taken long enough.  But the temps finally dipped down to 58 the other night and the next day it was gorgeous -  Open the windows, let the breezes in kind of gorgeous. And I got the fall decorating urge almost immediately.

I had already been painting pumpkins, lots of pumpkins and I had my ideas of how I wanted to do the mantel this year.  I had in my head that I wanted whites and neutrals with little pops of metallic color. But alas - best laid plans of mice and men. When I began to do the mantel - things just sort of started popping up there that were unplanned. And... the weird thing was I really liked it and so did the rest of the family. So my mantel looks a bit far from whites and neutrals...

There are a few whites but there is also a lot more color than I had planned to have. But I really like it this year. Simple, colorful and looks like fall without the whole season falling on my mantel...

Starting on the left side I placed some empty wooden frames picked up at a thrift store for $.50 and $1.00 that I painted with my DIY white chalk paint. I was leery of placing empty frames on the mantel because I have a very critical group living here and I could just hear them saying

"What's with the empty frames - aren't you going to put something in them?"

However they totally surprised me and actually liked them empty. You just never can figure these guys out some days. The little bronze pumpkin is a Dollar Tree pumpkin I painted with craft paint then glued some twine I twisted on to it for a vine and two drop cloth fabric leaves. The little blue pumpkin is one from years ago that I painted with blue craft paint then dry brushed with white craft paint.

The center of the mantle needed something low so as not to compete with the resident book page wreath. I simply painted some old spaghetti sauce jars in antique gold, bronze, blue and white craft paints using the same method I did for these vases.

You can read that tutorial here

These are fun to make and I am saving jars and checking out thrift store glass like crazy now.

The right side of the mantel is a stack of old books sans their covers and tied with raffia, an old gold frame we had, and a tall candle stick I've had for  awhile with a deep orange candle tied with raffia. The blue pumpkin is another Dollar Tree pumpkin (what would we do without Dollar Tree?) painted with blue craft paint then dry brushed with white. The little pumpkin is another we had that I painted with antique gold craft paint.

And there you have this years fall mantel. I love it and the family really likes it...

So, have you gotten your mojo on yet and started your fall decorating?

A lot of mine is still sitting in several tubs scattered throughout the living room and dining room/I am going very slowly this year and changing my direction as I go. Ah, well hopefully I will finish soon...

You all have a great day

and

go out there and create something you love...

Click here to see the parties I am linking to this week.

Please visit them and see all the great projects and inspiration found there....