The Frugal Homemaker

Your guide to turning your house into a home... one DIY project and yard sale find at a time

LOVE… is in the air and on the mantel {Valentine’s Mantel}

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Ok, so yesterday I sort of confessed I was having the winter blues.  Well, you know what I found the cure! Winking smile

Scrub your bathroom literally from ceiling to baseboards for 3-4 hours till it is sparkling clean (you know so clean that it makes you open the door again and look in and smile cause it looks and smells so good? Winking smile), spend the evening recuperating while gluing hearts and red ribbon on everything in site, decorate a super-cute Valentine mantel, and wake up to a gorgeous sunny day! ;)  Ok, well it worked for me at least, and for today at least – so maybe give it a try! Smile

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I typically don’t do an all-Valentine themed mantel.  I usually do a winter mantel and throw in a little red.  Because usually once Valentine’s Day is over, it sort of seems funny to still have Valentine themed stuff up in the house?? But since it is almost the end of January and I am just now decorating my mantel, I decided to go all Valentine’s this year and just deal with it at least until the end of February when I can’t contain the spring fever anymore.  And I am so glad I did, cause this mantel is cheery and fun and I love it! Smile

So here is my fun, romantic, black and red . . .

Valentine’s Day mantel!

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I don’t always have a vision for the entire finished product, although I always have some definite ideas of some things I want to do.  I knew I wanted a subway type print and I knew I wanted to use the red lanterns (more on that below).  I didn’t plan to have it all black, red, and white, but as soon as I got the lanterns and the black frame with the red bow up there, I knew that was going to be my “theme!”  So I rummaged through the house to find any and everything black or red.

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Here’s how the lanterns were inspired…  During Christmas I saw a display at Kirkland’s where they had used a lantern hanging over a mirror on a mantel and I loved it!  Then I realized I had already seen that same idea on Sarah’s Christmas mantel and the red lanterns she had used were perfect for Winter leading into Valentine’s Day. 

They are from IKEA and they are only $3.99.  Our store didn’t have the red ones in stock anymore, but you know there is always a cure for that, right?  Winking smile (Yep, spray paint!)  They are the only things I bought specifically for this mantel, but they will be used over and over again I am sure! Smile

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Here’s the rest of the details:

Lanterns – IKEA, $3.99 ea.

Shutter – Goodwill

Small black frame  -  50¢ yard sale frame with a wedding picture in it

“LOVE” sign – $2 from Target dollar spot bought sometime last year

Roses – from my stash

I added the red bow on the frame (idea from here).  I also added the red heart in the “O”  – from a dollar store pick bought last year.

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Large black frame – Goodwill, $1.01 (already black, no spray paint needed Winking smile)

Print in frame – from Peppermint Plum (you can print your own too!), matte is just red paper

Roses – from my stash

Candle holder and berry ring– yard sale

Red + silver frame – borrowed from guest room 🙂

“XOXO” sign on mirror – I made from burlap just like my “FALL” sign

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I need to pick up some battery operated tea-lights to go in the lanterns, but I have real candles lit in the pictures.  They are fun and romantic at night Smile

So there is my fun Valentine’s Day mantel!    I LOVE it! Smile  I think I am inspired to add a some more Valentine touches to my house …. hmmm.. I am off to browse Pinterest for some ideas! Smile

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How about you?  Do you decorate for Valentine’s Day? 

{cj}

Linking to:

Beth’s Valentine’s Day mantel party on Thursday

Comments

    • Thanks, Debbie!! I love playing with it! Even though I did buy the lanterns this time, it is fun to challenge myself to find things around the house that I can use to decorate it with. 😉

      It is my “furniture re-arranging fix” on a much smaller scale – LOL! 🙂 For which my husband is grateful 🙂

      Reply

      • I know I should to get great deals, but I HATE shopping, so spending my Saturday morning doing that sounds like torture. So I go to Goodwill, which is not as inexpensive as yard sales, but still cheaper than buying new, and not as painful to me as yard sale-ing would be.

        Reply

        • too funny, Sheila!

          Can I tell you that I don’t go to yardsale after yardsale all Saturday morning either?! 🙂 I found one parking lot yardsale (it is at a antique place, people pay $10 to rent a parking space, and it is open all year round). I just pop in there 2-3 x’s a month and that is where I have found most of my deals 🙂 So look around and see if you can find something like that. Maybe it will be just be a once a month sale.

          Reply

    • Thanks, Annie! 🙂

      Thanks for making the print available! I will probably link to it again in a Valentine printable post I am working on 🙂

      Reply

    • you know, those 2 touches are my favorite part (other than the lanterns)! and they were a total, it’s midnight-rack my brain inspiration 🙂 I love the ribbon on the frame and think I might have to borrow that for some more frames. 🙂 and the heart in the LOVE – it just dawned on me and I was like, yes, I can so do that. 🙂

      I find the more I decorate my mantel/the more practice I get, the easier it is to be more creative. I would have never thought of anything like this 2 years ago but that was pre-TDC and decor blogs time 🙂

      Reply

  9. Beautiful!!! Oh my mercy, I just love it all. Those IKEA lanterns and the shutter has to be my fav. And hanging them? Genius I tell ya. Love the tall candle stands on the hearth and I want your oval mirror. LOL

    Reply

    • haha! the shutter was a goodwill find. and the mirror was $8 at a kids consignment sale of all places??? 🙂 I am actually looking for another oval mirror to go in my bathroom now that I have pretty much decided this one belongs over my mantel 😉

      keep your eyes peeled at yard sales this spring 😉

      Reply

    • Thanks, Kristal. I think the lanterns are my favorite too.

      already thinking I can use them again for 4th of July 😉

      Reply

  14. Oh my goodness Christina! I love your mantel!! I was at Ikea yesterday and saw those lanterns and thought, “how cute would those be painted red for Valentine’s Day?” I bought 3 of them and I’m painting them today. How funny is that?! I guess great minds….

    Reply

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