A mantel fit for Fall (+ spray painted mirror)

 

I am excited to share this as my first post!  I promise that I will eventually share non-fall themed posts!  But since fall officially began last week, the weather is starting to cool down, and I am finally in the “fall-decorating-mood”, I will have lots of fall-themed projects and posts over the next few weeks.

Just for fun, here was last year’s fall mantel.

I really liked it, but I wanted to just rearrange it a little and make a few changes this year.

The one thing I wanted to change was the center object – should I re-use the rectangle mirror with a dark frame from last year, use a vintage window, or shutters??

But every fall picture that I was drawn to on Pinterest or other blogs had white chunky mirrors or frames and lots of white accents and I knew what exactly what I wanted (and it was free!)

I had this beautiful, brassy mirror that I got at a thrift sale for $8.00 last year.  The gold was spotted and stained, but that’s ok cause it definitely wasn’t staying brassy gold.  I bought it to use in my 1/2 bath, but since that project is not done yet it was just in storage.

A quick coat of primer and 2 coats of white spray paint and it was perfect!

Almost didn’t recognize it, did you?   Spray paint does wonders.

The only other thing that I made new for this year was the linen banner.  I had some scraps (literally scraps!) of linen that I cut into 4 triangles.  I had wanted to try this method using freezer paper to print on burlap, but I didn’t have any freezer paper.  So I just free-handed F-A-L-L with a permanent maker onto the linen and it worked!  I hot-glued the linen triangles to some twine and it made the perfect banner for my mirror!   Cost me nothing, took about 10 minutes, and it is my favorite part of the mantel!

We don’t burn logs in our fireplace, but I do love to light these candles at night.  So pretty and makes it even seem more like fall…

I love how there is plenty of fall colors, but it is not screaming pumpkin orange either.

Now for some details on the other items:

*skinny white vase – clearance at Michael’s this summer $2.02

*verse plate – bought last year at Hobby Lobby

*clock – Kirkland’s and it stays on my mantel a good portion of the year

*leaf garland  – clearance at Hobby Lobby a few years ago – 90% off for $1.99

*white glass candlesticks (you will see them all throughout my house in different seasons!) – yard sale purchase this Spring – $5.00 for the set

*metal urn – 50¢ yard sale purchase (used to be bright purple)

*leaf stems, etc. – bought at Hobby Lobby last year

The large white candlesticks on the floor are from PartyLite, but were a $8.00 yard sale purchase (and received some spray paint love) this past summer too.  The baskets hold my husband’s favorite car magazines!

I think this mantel and my Christmas mantel from last year would probably tie as my favorite mantels of all time.

(LOVE the crisp white in this picture!  You did know white was a fall color, right? )

And one more picture by candlelight… all I need now is a cup of coffee and a good book!

Have you caught the fall decorating bug yet?  What is your favorite fall color?  ( I wrestle between brown, WHITE, and brownish-orange. 🙂

I am linking this post up at Layla’s for her Fall Mantel party.  Lots of inspiration for fall there!