Rustic Country Mantel

So if you've been around here for a while, you know I don't have a mantel, but I have two fantels. I use the top of my piano upstairs in the living room, and a long ledge downstairs in the family room. In the family room, I did the same thing I did last year. My yarn wreath and trees are the stars with the old shed door as the rustic backdrop.

Upstairs was not so easy. I reworked the piano top several times. I've learned that taking pictures along the way really helps me get a vision of what it is looking like. I knew I wanted to use my willow Christmas tree that I got at the barn sale.



I also wanted to put in the candy-cane-striped candle sticks I got last year at the same sale, and I was sure I wanted to use the little bird. In keeping with the rest of the decor, I wanted to stick to reds and natural elements in a rustic country style. But I had originally used this pepper berry garland. It just wasn't right. At all. Then I remembered my barn wood frames that I made last year. They had been dropped and fallen apart, but it was a quick fix. This added the rustic look I was after, pulling in some reds and whites.


But it still had no warmth. I tried adding in something else on top. Yarn trees.


Nope. Glass dish of ornaments.


No way. Then I remembered the fluffy pinecone garland that had been placed on the TV stand without much thought. Last year it had been one of the pieces that for some reason I didn't like that much. This year it is the perfect addition to the "mantel" and I love it! Isn't that weird how that works?






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