I got so many comments from you on the step-by-step decorating post I showed you with the built-in decorated for fall in the living room.
Just between us? I kind of forget about the step by step.
I just hop right over from the before to the after.
You know.
I show you the before.
We all blink.
And an after that’s finished and ready for cozy and fall and a Hollywood agent….
…hops onto the pages of this blog.
But today?
By popular request, I thought I’d share another fall step-by-step.
Here’s a before and after.
With a whole lot of during.
// similar wheat stack //
Step 1: Add something tall on either side
Okay. Before I start the step-by-step —I have to talk a little about mantels and a big decision you have to start with.
All mantel decor starts with this decision.
Do you want to be symmetrical or not?
That’s really decision number one. You start by deciding if you want both sides of your mantel to match? Or do you want to put more stuff on one side than the other side?
Me? I’ve done both—but I really lean toward everything matching. I think it’s a little easier to decorate if you aren’t really a professional mantel decorator or if you haven’t gone to school for mantel decorating—like me.
Symmetry. Check.
Something tall on each side in approximately the same location. Check.
I chose these wheat and corn stalks that I got so long ago I can’t remember where they came from. I found some that were super similar here.
// eucalyptus stems// similar wheat stack //
Step 2: Add some matching greenery
Now that you have tall things on each side, you need to find something that kind of fills up the space and drapes over the side.
I chose greenery.
I had these old sprigs of eucalyptus which is actually the superhero of greenery because eucalyptus’ superpower is that it morphs into any season depending on what you add to it.
For spring, you can add flowers and it turns into spring. For summer you can add hydrangeas and it turns into summer. For winter you can add cedar or pine and it turns into winter. And for fall? You can add maple leaves and that EXACT SAME EUCALYPTUS turns into fall.
There are different types of eucalyptus, but I really like silver dollar eucalyptus. I added two stems of eucalyptus on each side.
You can see silver dollar eucalyptus here.
// similar neutral maple leaves // eucalyptus stems// similar wheat stack //
Step 3: Add some seasonal greenery
This is my favorite step.
This is where you see the mantel coming together. It’s getting cuter and cuter.
You might be tempted to stop here.
DO NOT even think about stopping. Onwards and upwards to cuteville.
I wanted to connect the wheat stalks to the rest of the mantel so I added neutral maple leaf stems like these. There are two stems on each side.
One quick note: don’t worry about fluffing the stems too much. Wait until you get all the mantel all in place and then the fluffing is so much easier.
// cream faux pumpkins// similar neutral maple leaves // eucalyptus stems// similar wheat stack //
Step 4: Add in pumpkins
You have your greenery.
You have your fall greenery.
Now you need pumpkins. The key to adding pumpkins? Vary the height (remember we talked about this in the built-in post). It’s actually a main mantel decorating axiom. Whatever you put on the mantel? Vary the height. Zig-zag all your mantel pieces so it looks professional.
Here are my favorite cream pumpkins. The stem is brushed with gold and there’s a little bit of gold on the top so they look super high-end.
You can see them here.
Add some more greenery and pumpkins
Just between us?
I’m kind of making up this whole mantel decorating as I go along.
I didn’t really plan it out. Mantel decorating to me is kind of like Italian cooking. A pinch of this. A pinch of that and you keep adding things until you know it looks right.
I knew I needed to connect the two sides, so I added some more pumpkins and greenery to connect both sides of my mantel.
Then I put a stool in the center of the mantel and added a few more pumpkins.
// similar eucalyptus wreath //
Step 5: Add a wreath
Were you waiting for me to add a wreath?
Were you thinking that shutter looked empty?
Please come sit by me because that’s EXACTLY what I was thinking, too.
The wreath was added to the vintage shutter and it ties the entire mantel together. Then I added a basket with a throw and pumpkins.
You can see a super similar lambs ear and white pumpkin wreath here.
// similar eucalyptus wreath //
That’s it.
Five steps from before to during to after.
The mantel is ready.
The mantel is finished.
Or is it?
// set of three pumpkin candles //
Can you see this?
It’s a FAUX PUMPKIN CANDLE.
I know, right?
I wish this was flickeravision so you could see the flame flicker.
It looks so real.
These are pumpkin candles that I already had, but I found a super similar set of three pumpkins.
You can see the set here.
One more look at a little before and after.
Here’s the before.
Now blink.
Here’s the after.
A mantel is just a mantel.
Until you decorate it for fall.
Pumpkins and greenery and wheat and a little fallspiration are the perfect combination.
Here’s to adding a little extra cozy to the mantel to truly make it feel like fall.
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