Celebrate fall with the best mantel you have ever created! Bring in the bounty the season inside using green cuttings from your garden to create a beautiful fall mantel that is easy, stylish and fresh.
Fall is when we really start decorating our homes for the upcoming season of warm welcomes and gathering people we love around our fireplace. I know it’s when I feel the inspired to create pleasing decorations for my home and I usually start with my mantel! A mantel is the perfect canvas to create a beautiful design element for the season. If you don't have a mantel, this will work wonderfully on any horizontal surface, a shelf, your buffet, your entrance hall table.
WELCOME TO MONDAY MORNING BLOOMS!
HAPPY MONDAY! This Monday, Mary, Pam and I are doing something crazy, we're creating arrangements without any flowers at all! There are so many times that flowers aren't available, or you don't have any flower money left in your budget. Especially during fall, green leaved branches, or other clippings from your garden will give you a fabulous effect, without flowers! Whatever your own personal style might be, including natural elements that you clip from your garden is a fresh, timeless look that always looks amazing.
Not everything has to be fresh - if you can't find enough cuttings to your liking - I've been known to sneak in a few glorious faux here and there! Gleaning interesting branches or cuttings from your garden or your neighborhood {ask permission if needed please!} is such a great way to stretch your decorating budget. My French Country Natural Mantel is easy to do, and costs nothing...how wonderful is that?!
For this fall mantel, I used a few eucalyptus branches I cut from a tree on our street in front of our house, some ivy from the back garden, and silver sheen cuttings from the front garden. Then I raided the vegetable and fruit bin in our fridge for my "accents" to add a little fun.
HERE ARE THE STEPS FOR CREATING A NATURAL FALL MANTEL.
1. DECIDE ON THE BACKDROP.
Every mantel needs a backdrop to set the stage. A backdrop fills in the space between the mantel and the ceiling, which in many homes today is quite high. I love my antique French Mirror that hangs above my mantel, it reflects the lights in our French chandelier at night. To be honest with you, I usually don't have the time or energy to change it out for something else. BUT....there are so many things that could be the backdrop for your mantel arrangement - a large painting, a large clock, an antique French bread board, really, the sky is the limit.
2. CHOOSE DECORATIVE ELEMENTS THAT YOU LOVE.
When you decorate with things you love, you can't help but design something beautiful. I use our antiques in every season here at home. Sure, I might pull out the brown French antique glass and the paisleys during fall, but I stay true what I love, I use our everyday objects for all the seasons {and holidays too} and just embellish them a little. For this mantel, I used these marvelous antique French apothecary jars and bottles to display the bevy of green branches from the garden.
3. VARY THE HEIGHT.
One of the most basic design "rules" of decorating is to vary the height of your decorative objects. You want your eyes to travel up and down over objects differing in height, it is the most pleasing, and also the most interesting. The jars and bottles I used for this mantel are different heights, and I put three on them on an antique book for an added layer.
4. USE DIFFERENT TEXTURES.
Texture is design's best friend, using different textures in your home is the secret weapon of beautiful decorated rooms. This is where branches and leafy green clippings really shine, they all have different textures! The little seedpods on the seeded eucalyptus really stand out amongst all those silvery leaves, the ivy has a totally different color and texture all together.
5. THROW IN SOMETHING FUN!
After looking at my arrangement, I still felt it could use a little something. Something unexpected, and fun! {I'm a huge fan of fun} The three white pumpkins are "expected", and the pears I added were fun, but not fun enough. I looked in our vegetable bin and saw these baby eggplants - yes! There is something cute about their plump smallness, and that deep rich aubergine color is always a winner. And your antiques like to have fun - they've survived over 100 years and are up for seeing something unexpected and amusing. : )
The antique French glass apothecary jars and bottles are always an enchanting addition to your home decor, simply because they are so versatile!
{ SHOP OUR LATEST FRENCH ANTIQUES HERE > }
Be Sure to visit the inspiring posts from my friends Mary and Pam...and please keep our beloved Shirley in your prayers!
and me, LIDY at FrenchGardenHouse
Our Autumn Floral Collection has launched!
I wish the most beautiful fall week ahead! Thank you for joining us today- see you soon with lots more autumn inspiration!
28 comments
There is so much beauty in the simple greens nature offers. Love your combination of the pears and amber bottles, Lidy. Very pretty, very fall. FINALLY, it’s fall here in my area!
Your mantel looks beautiful! Thank you for all of the great tips and the inspiration, my friend! Happy Monday!
Pam, this was such a fun challenge, wasn’t it? (As you know, I love to have “fun”!!). Sadly, the big eucalyptus trees on our street are being replace with crepe myrtles (although those are wonderful too!) so my “cutting” days will be over soon. Wishing you a beautiful Monday sweet friend!
Lidy, the antique French bottles are just fabulous as is your mantel. Your tips for creating the perfect mantel display are spot on, yours is perfection for the autumn season. I agree with Mary, being able to cut eucalyptus nearby would be a dream. The pears and baby eggplants are a great seasonal addition. It is always a pleasure and “fun” to join with you for Monday Morning Blooms, sweet friend! xoxo
So enjoyed your beautiful display, so fun with the smallest of detail, one of your best.
Beautiful post for fall, You inspired me to go home and work on my mantle… :)
Have a nice week!
Lidy, Your mantle is delightful! Thank you for the design tips. Could you come to my house please!
I love your choice of garden clippings and those antique bottles are extremely striking! Adding the pears and eggplant along with the small white pumpkins was the perfect touch. Very creative and fun!
Your photography is excellent and your collage graphic design is so pretty. You have wonderful light in your room.
Shirley is missed and in my prayers! You girls all reflect your distinct personalities and creativity so well. Monday Morning Blooms is so enjoyable.
Lidy, I adore your antique French bottles and wonderful vignette on your mantel…the varying height, textures of the greenery, amber glass, books and wee baby eggplants! Oh to walk outside and have eucalyptus branches to cut and use for an arrangement! The graphics on your bottles are so beautiful, especially the striking Pharmacie label and sweet Savon one. It’s always a treat to join you for some flower therapy. Happy Monday. <3