Thursday, September 27, 2012

Fall Mantel


Fall is in the air - not so much outside yet, after all we do live in the Deep South! But, in my heart and home - Fall is definitely present!

A couple of weeks ago, I had fun bringing out the Fall decorations and the only thing I've finished so far is to decorate the mantel and fireplace area for Fall. As I was pulling things out of the Fall boxes, and moving things around again and again - I just needed a couple of new things to pull it together.

It was a Sunday and I didn't want to venture out, plus didn't want to spend anything - so had fun using what I had on hand!



The first thing I made was a bunch of these paper flowers!  They were easy to make and just used brown paper bags! The only difficulty I'm having with these is getting them to stay up on the bricks - any ideas or suggestions for how to hang them? 

I used the tutorial found here


Next I needed something with a little height for the other end of the mantel - and I thought I might make a sign, but it evolved into a chalkboard! 

Wondering what I could use for a piece of wood, I saw this cabinet door laying out on my porch from the kitchen re-do when I removed a couple of doors and left some of the cabinets open. Perfect! I painted and distressed the edges of the board using the same Annie Sloan Chalk Paint I had used on the kitchen cabinets and then painted the middle with chalkboard paint. 

Chalkboard paint is a wonderful thing to have on hand! I bought one quart of it years ago and have used it for probably a dozen projects!

Next, to figure out what to write on the chalkboard - after much deliberating and re-writing, I came up with this:

Oh, Lord of the harvest
thank You for the changing of the seasons!
Just as the earth enters renewal, rest and transformation,
draw our hearts into this season as well.
Let the coziness of home
shine the light of Your love.


 
Have you been decorating for Fall?

12 comments:

LynnMarie said...

Very nice Mantel indeed. I have had my decorations up for a while, I live in the North so it feels like fall up her.

Valerie said...

Looks lovely!!! Yes, I use "September 1s" as my go to date for decorating for Fall. Like you in the Deep South, I've had enough of intense heat and humidity from our Midwest summer that I am more than ready to think "cozy"! I've done a couple of pinterest projects...but I love your chalboard idea!

Mrs. K said...

I had a similar pumpkin to yours in the bottom pic (mine is smaller) that said "Thank You God for the Harvest" but I dropped it last week and it broke :o( I did drag my decorations out of the basement last week but they haven't made it very far. That's on my list of things to-do before the weekend is over.

Gottjoy! said...

I love how you put this together...especially the chalkboard! Have you tried hot gluing the flowers to the fireplace? How glue works for me and just peels right of (maybe not on your flowers, but on the fireplace).

Gottjoy! said...

I love how you did this...especially the chalkboard! Have you thought of hot gluing the flowers to the fireplace? It usually just peels of for me. Have a great day!

angie said...

Perhaps duct tape will hold the flowers to your firplace since it has some texture to the stickiness.
I've been eyeing up these brown paper bag flowers since you pinned them. I hope to make a few this weekend~hope they are easy as the tutorial looks.
I've done some fall decorating, but not much. The dining room table is done, but I will add more in Oct, and even some that I save for Nov. I like to layer it on as we get more into fall. Besides, I think I have too much fall decor (my fave season) to use it all at once!

Karate Mom said...

Decorating for Fall is my absolute favorite! Have you thought of using clear (fishing?) wire & hanging the flowers from the ceiling or that woodwork? Or maybe you could put the flowers on some type of stick and stand the stick in clay so that they would stand up.

Anonymous said...

I have a tray on the kitchen table that I decorate with each season and something for the front door. Right now the tray has gourds, a pumpkin and beautiful red leaves on a vine framing the whole thing.

Abbi said...

We have had fun decorating for fall but I would like to do more.
I love your mantel! The flowers are very fun but unfortunately I don't have any good tips for hanging them.

Denise said...

Lovely! Questions, questions, I have questions! I'm hoping you will do a follow-up post: What is the garland? What is the plaque by the clock? What's in the jar? I like to ask questions. grin Your family is blessed to have a talented wife/momma!

Monica Wilkinson said...

Hi Denise!

:) Here are a few answers to tide you over! The garland is metal tags that look old and it spells Be Thankful - I've put it up for several years!

In the jar is a bunch of those mini pod pumpkins - Target clearance a few years ago - hooray!

The plaque near the clock is a wood sign I've had since before getting married - it is primitive in style and says As for Me and My House We Will Serve the Lord. LOVE it!

Happy Fall!
Monica

Kelly said...

Have you tried Glue Dots (found with scrapbooking supplies) for the flowers on the brick? Beautiful mantle! :o)