5 Fall Mantel Decorating Ideas (While on a Budget)

Dropping temperatures and changing leaves are a sure sign that fall has arrived. Whether your Shea community is in an area that experiences true seasons or not, one easy way to bring the essence of fall into your home is by decorating your fireplace mantel. We understand that between preparing for holiday get-togethers and hosting family, your time and budget tends to be limited this time of year. Here are some easy and budget friendly decorating tips to spruce up your fireplace décor for the season.



1. Create an eye-catching centerpiece
Create a focal point on your mantle with a festive centerpiece. Choose an object, such as a sign or chalkboard, that is large and eye-catching. If you do not have one big object laying around your home create your own centerpiece by grouping together a few small items. Utilize items that you have around your home to avoid having to buy expensive decorations. For example, you can repurpose candle sticks to display pumpkins or other fall knickknacks you may have. To create additional visual interest, especially as you prepare for gatherings and celebrations at your home, place your items onto a box so that they are elevated and stand above the rest of your decorations.
 

2. Flank the mantle with flowers and other natural elements
Bring the outdoors indoors by utilizing fall foliage on your fireplace mantel. Sunflowers and straw are iconic fall decorations and since they are relatively inexpensive, tend to be tall, and are of complementary colors and in season, they are the perfect items to place at the ends of your mantel. Additionally, if you’d rather have something you can use year after year, consider grabbing faux-fall foliage at a craft store at the after-holiday sales (hello, discounts!). Choose simple vases so that the natural color of the objects pop and stand out. Having tall items as bookends on your mantel will help frame and make the space more visually appealing. 

3. Fill in empty spaces with pumpkins and other harvest décor
Once you have your centerpiece and bookends arranged, fill in any empty space with festive decorations. Here are some ideas for how to fill this space from items you may have around your home.

Repurpose mason jars, water jugs, or painted bottles as flower vases

Bring the rustic fall flare to your mantel by using mason jars or other spare canisters you have around the house as vases. Fill them with vibrant flowers, fake or real, for a pop of color.





Repurpose old picture frames

Put those old photo frames you have laying around the house to good use. Print off and fill the frames with cute fall sayings, or remove the glass and just use matching frames you discovered at a flea market as accent pieces. Use a variety of different size and style frames in the same color scheme to create more depth and interest.

Use fall decorations from your local crafts store as accents 





If you have already exhausted all of the items you have around your house, and still feel like your mantle needs more flair, use items from your local craft or grocery store. Miniature pumpkins and leafy fall garland will help make any space feel festive. If you are going to buy any items, try buying them late in the season (or off-season, if you can plan ahead) so that you can get them at discount prices!

4. Make your own fall garland

When decorating, don’t forget about the space below your mantel. An easy way to add dimension to your fireplace is to create your own hanging garland. Instead of buying garland from the store, you can easily make your own inexpensive fall garland by using string and fall ornaments.

How to make your own fall garland:

1. Gather twine, ornaments, and any fall themed knickknacks (coasters, flowers, cut out letters, etc.) you want to hang.

2. String fall ornaments onto the twine.  If the objects do not have a loop or anyway to hang them, use paper clips to attach them to the string.





3. Once you have everything in the order that you want, hang the garland so that it fills in the space below the mantel, and above the fireplace.



5. Go beyond the wall
By expanding your decorations beyond just your mantel it will make your entire room feel more cozy and festive. Incorporate pieces that may be too large to fit on the mantle by creating a shadow box out of an old crate, or make your space cozier by pulling in a basket full of pillows and blankets.





Decorating your home for fall can be easy and budget friendly by using items you already have around your house. For more ideas on how to decorate your home, check our Pinterest boards.