Ideas for Autumn Mantel Decorations
Create a Pretty Fall Mantel Arrangement
A fireplace gives a room a focal point. It also gives you a great place to display seasonal decorations.
Usually, the furniture in a room is arranged with the fireplace at the heart of the room. Creating a harmonious selection of autumn pieces is a perfect way to celebrate the season changing from summer to fall.
The great part is that your display can incorporate some Halloween elements and later Thanksgiving pieces to get maximum mileage out of your selection.
Rustic Crafty Pumpkin for the Mantel
Real pumpkins are fun, but you have to worry about one getting rotten and ruining the wood of your mantel. Look for wooden or metal shelf-sitter pumpkins will last for years. These pack away compactly until next season since they are usually pretty flat.
Make the Autumn Mantel Stretch from September to November
Start out with fall-themed decorative items on the mantel in September. By subtracting a few things and adding in bats or black cats or decorative spider webs, it becomes a Halloween-themed mantel in October. Then, it's time to transition to Thanksgiving. Just a few changes (plus removing the spooky touches) and you have your November mantel ready to go.
Decor Items for the Autumn Mantel
Fall
| Halloween
| Thanksgiving
|
---|---|---|
Scarecrows,
| Bats, spiders, witches, black cats, ravens, skeletons,
| Pilgrims, Indians, turkeys
|
Words: Happy Fall, It's Fall
| Words: Happy Halloween, BOO,
| Words: Happy Thanksgiving, Give Thanks, Be Thankful
|
Candles (white, yellow, orange, brown)
| Candles (white, black, orange)
| Candles (orange, brown, gold, yellow)
|
Natural: leaves, gourds, pumpkins, vines like bittersweet, feathers, dried seed pods, sunflowers,
| Natural: carved pumpkins,
| Natural: gourds, pumpkins, leaves, cranberries, bittersweet vine, apples, lemons, pomegranates, pineapples, nuts, dried ears of corn,
|
Lightweight Faux Pumpkin with Silk Leaves in a Narrow Basket
Mother - Daughter Decorating Team
I learned from my mom about adding seasonal touches to the home. She always had the flair for combining a few things she had or making something new just for the season.
I'm not nearly as crafty as she was, but think I inherited her love of display. People usually compliment me on my holiday and seasonal arrangements.
(photo of Mom and me from the family album)
Add Some Seasonal Vines - Like Bittersweet
Sure you could go find some of these in the woods, but why risk getting poison ivy. This faux bittersweet vine adds color and a natural look to your display. You'll get years of use from it.
I remember hunting in the woods when I was a child for these. They make colorful arrangements for fall in the house.
Decorate the Mantel or a Shelf with Bittersweet Vine
Do You Decorate for Autumn?
Vote in the poll
YouTube Video on Decorating the Mantel for the Holidays
I love decorating our home for Autumn time. There are so many gorgeous things to decorate with at this time of year and lovely colours. You have some wonderful and beautiful ideas here.
— RaintreeAnnie from UKFor Variety, Try Gourds and Odd Sized Pumpkins - Display them loose or in a shallow basket
Look at the variety available. These store easily to use again next year. Check your local farmer's market for miniature pumpkins and odd types of gourds. When using real gourds, be sure to put plastic under them in case one should go rotten. You don't want to spoil your wood mantel. (I've had this happen to my dining table, so I know first-hand that you must keep a close eye on natural decorations and protect from possible mishaps).
You can also opt for these faux gourds with no such worries.
Faux Gourd and Pumpkin Assortment
Craft Your Own Pumpkin
The pumpkin below was made with a length of clothes dryer hose (the kind that vents the hot air from the dryer).
- Spray paint the dryer hose orange
- Attach the 2 ends together to form a circle (pumpkin shape)
- Find a short stick in the yard to use as the pumpkin stem
- Use dried fall leaves or artificial leaves from the discount store or a craft store like Michaels.
- Use a craft glue to attach the stem and the leaves.
Pumpkin Made from a Clothes Dryer Hose
You'll Find Inspiring Videos for Decorating Your Fireplace - YouTube Videos
I like quick and easy tutorials on video. Guess I'm a visual learner. Here are some good ideas from YouTube.
YouTube - Ideas for a Fall Mantel Display
Decorate the Fireplace Mantel with a Fall Themed Banner
- Festive Fall Banners :: Amanda @ Dwelling In Happiness's clipboard on Hometalk :: Hometalk
This is a Hometalk pinboard (like on Pinterest) with dozens of ideas for fall themed banners for a mantle or the wall.
Look at the Great Blogs and Tutorials That I Found for You - Check Them Out
- Decorating the fireplace mantel for Fall
Be creative, but frugal with the decorating tips from the Interior Frugalista - DIY Projects and Tutorials for the home - What's Your Home Story: Fall Arrangement
This one looks quite simple but the placement turned out great. A stack of books, a chunky orange candle, a black crow... - Anyone Can Decorate: Fall Mantle Decor
How about a fall mantle with the pizzazz of silver added? This one uses silver and gold for a sophisticated look. - Fall Decorations On My Mantle - Worthing Court
For these Fall decorations, I used metal stars, a lantern, a wooden bead garland, some bittersweet and a chalkboard to decorate this mantle and hearth. - Crafty Texas Girls: Fall Mantle
Tutorial to make an orange burlap wreath. It looks great over her fireplace. - Breida with a B - Decorating for Fall
A swag of colorful fall leaves, a stack of books, and a simple pumpkin put an autumn spin on this mantle.
Add a Mantel Scarf with a Fall Theme
Using Lights, Leaves to Create a Fall Display (video tutorial)
No Plug? You Can Still Add Lights to the Mantel with These Battery Powered Ones
Storing Fall Decor
How long should you keep your fall mantel displays in place? Some people already have their Christmas decorations up by the last week of November, but I wait until after Thanksgiving to put away my fall decor. I love having the fall colors of orange and rust fill the house on Thanksgiving Day.
Tomorrow is December first, so I brought the storage tub in from the garage and filled it with baskets, leaves, and pumpkins. The pumpkins have jack o' lantern faces on one side, but after Halloween, I just turn them backwards to use for the month of November.
There are some burgundy and yellow silk mums in there too. I have to crush the leaves down a bit to close the lid. Now autumn is safely stored until next September.
My Stash of Autumn Decorations
More about Autumn Decorating by Virginia Allain
- Decorate the Dining Room for Autumn
Cooler days, falling leaves and Thanksgiving coming soon. It's time to add some autumn touches to the dining room decor. Besides the traditional colors of gold and orange, baskets of harvest vegetables and some mums, there are many ways to give a...
© 2013 Virginia Allain