Autumn Mantel

The mantel in our house is very….strange to say the least. About 5 inches wide and 15 feet long. It's the oddest mantle I've ever seen. EVER. I don't love it. The width (or depth), I understand due the wood-burning stove, and clearance specifications. The length? What were they thinking when this was built? They? Them, the construction company that built it years and years ago. The family room is also very oddly proportioned. Oh well, I keep trying to make lemonade with the lemons of this room. The autumn mantel was fun to put together this year.

Autumn Mantel

The half portion, cast iron pot on the right was my method of adding moisture to the air in the family room last winter. Filled with water and set on top of the ledge of the wood-burning stove insert, it worked great without a trivet under it. A little too great, because it got the water a bit too hot and it created too much moisture in that one little spot, causing a huge rust spot on the panel that surrounds the wood stove and the ledge.   Which is how I learned to sand and repaint a wood burning stove and put a new gasket around the ceramic glass. (If you listen closely enough, you can probably hear me sighing heavily.) That's a story for another day.

Pretty and vibrant autumn colors.

The leaves on the burlap covered board were probably my favorite thing this year. I didn't purchase too much extra this year, just used what I had on hand, for the most part. I did purchase the pumpkins on the left….from the dollar store. My plan was to spray paint them white, but the orange looked good, so maybe next year I'll paint them.

Don't fear the blue dots, they're magic.

Have you noticed the strange blue dots on the candles? I did, every time I walked into the room. A great idea, but the wrong place. They are cute little medallions from Hobby Lobby. I found them in the jewelry area, kind of a copper color and made to put something in them. I did just that. A little Mod Podge, then some glitter in coordinating colors, and then the fun stuff. Mod Podge Dimensional Magic for a nice thick, glossy look. I've used this wonderful Magic-In-A-Bottle before, you can read more about that from my Tablecloth Weights post. The medallions turned out great, but I did learn something from this little project. It doesn't like a lot of heat. Well, sitting directly above the wood burning stove wasn't the best place for them. They went back to a cloudy state and to this day have not returned to being crystal clear. A mental note for the future. 

Glittered candle and rustic bling.

It really did have a very autumn like feel to the room. Loved the plaid ribbon and burlap on the large white candle, and the rich color of the glittered candle on the stand. 

Beautiful strung leaves add lots of interest.

Again, the leaves were a very pretty touch. I took them off of a swag that was making its way to the recycling bin. Hot glued the stems to the back of each leaf so that there was a loop at the top of each one, then ran a remnant of ribbon through the loop, then attached it to the the burlap board. Turned out great. I'm using the board again for Christmas decorations.

Becky, did you see the size of her mantel?

This picture gives you an idea of the craziness of the mantel. The lights in the far corner, that's the tricky corner near the television. 

Pretty plaid in autumn hues.

Autumn colors in a plaid, really nice. It gave a pop of color to a very neutral candle. Just enough color, not over powering.

Faithful frame that serves a lot seasons.

Okay, the picture frame just hangs around. It's been used in this spot many times. It's moving for Christmas, but it was used for my Easter decorations as well. Remember those? It seems so long ago. 

Pretty and inexpensive decorations for autumn.

It was a fun season to decorate for, the colors are so vibrant and warm. One of my favorite times of the year. I truly believe that it is the best season for my house. It really is an autumn house. 

Laundry calls and waits for no one. So off I go to laundry land. Enjoy the weather and have a great day!