Using Garlands on Fall Mantles

I have a white wood mantle with a large print of Niagara Falls over it (from a Hudson Valley school painter...an old print).

This year the ONLY thing I am using is a fall maple leaf garland. I use an ivy garland in the spring and summer, the fall garland and a pine garland with natural pinecones for winter.

I think that garlands tie other pieces together, especially if you have a large mantle.

I have an antique, dark mantle with an attached mirror that runs the length of it. The fireplace is dark red brick.

I find that a backdrop of just autumn leaves works for almost any type of Fall décor and doesn't take away from the decorations. It adds enough color to call attention, but it does not overwhelm the mantel or individual items. Just my thoughts.

Although I've yet to start my decoration, I'm planning on doing a bit of Halloween first, then going for the purely autumn items after October. I have some lovely pheasants I got from Cracker Barrel I think and I add those to a variety of pumpkins.

Sometimes, I wonder why I do all this "nest feathering" when it is just me and my husband, but I find it makes me happy to look at it so each year, out it comes and I'm never sorry I took the time to decorate!

Sometimes, if I can't decide whether something looks right or not, I will take a picture of it and then look at the picture. For some reason, seeing the two-dimensional image gives me a better perspective than when I'm in the room with the decor.

Witchy Woman, It's just hubby and me too (with our dogs), but I love nesting....and the fall is the perfect time to nest.

My problem is that our mantle is not only oversized, but has windows over it as well, so I don't have an option to have a mirror or something large to anchor the center of it. I bought a large frosted twiggy tealight holder with 5-6 tealight arms a long time ago at Kirklands, and found that it works well in the center of the mantle year round, and is very versatile for every season simply by changing out a few articles around it.

I love the look of fall garland until I start working with it...just this morning I finally opened the box with VPH's pumpkin and pinecone garland only to find over 1/2 the Styrofoam berries were either damaged or had come off and were loose, so back it goes and I'm not reordering that one. I liked the simplicity of the one she presented with Mary Beth which was only the maple glittered leaves but don't want to wait for it, so thought maybe I could find something similar locally.

I like the idea of mixing the rustic appeal of the birchbark, with the sparkle of beaded pumpkins and the mercury glass, but I agree that it needs something to pull both together, so garland it shall be!!!

My small LR mantel:

Hooty - I LOVE your idea of a wreath leaning on a mirror!

Very nice!!!!

On 9/13/2014 terrier3 said:

Hooty - I LOVE your idea of a wreath leaning on a mirror!

Very nice!!!!

Thanks terrier!

Hooty, your mantle is lovely. Just enough without being too much.