Do you switch out the decor on your mantel for every season or holiday? While I was in love with my spring mantel using the vintage windows, I decided to switch it up for the summer. This patriotic mantel is festive for the 4th of July and perfect to leave up for the rest of the summer.
When decorating a mantel, you want to use something that will cover a large area of the wall to be your focal point. You could use a large sign or one large window as your base – just to give you a few ideas when starting to decorate your mantel. I left the trio of vintage windows up as my base for the patriotic mantel.
Vintage Books for Balance
I added the vintage red and blue books on both sides of my base for balance on each side. The vintage books are adding width to each side of the mantel; drawing your eye from the base of your mantel to the sides, adding interest. When choosing decor for balance on your mantel, pick something that adds a little height, but is smaller than your base. You could use vases with flowers or candlesticks to add balance on your mantel.
Adding Layers to the Patriotic Mantel
I draped the flag bunting on top of the windows and secured it with two Command Hooks on each side of the windows. This fun patriotic bunting is from World Market several years ago. You might remember it from last year’s patriotic front porch. It has the perfect vintage inspired look. If you don’t have patriotic flag bunting, perhaps you have an old flag you could drape over your vintage windows. The key here is to think of ways you can repurpose patriotic items you already have.
Next, I added a metal star sign into the middle of the vintage window trio for extra dimension. Anytime you can add layers and dimension into your decor, it pulls the eye forward, creating interest.
The last step is to add some fillers to your mantel for added layers. You’re filling in the blank spaces with items that are smaller than the rest of your mantel decor. Be sure to use items of varying heights, so your eye moves upward.
A Special Family Picture
Since this is a patriotic mantel, a special picture of my handsome PawPaw, an Army veteran from WWII is placed with care on the mantel. I love antiques and the stories behind a piece, ya know. Before he graduated from high school, he was drafted at eighteen for World War II. They mailed the diploma to him while he was still fighting for our country. It’s amazing we even have this picture of him in his uniform! When he came back from the war he burned his uniform and anything that reminded him of his time there. He never spoke of his experience in the war, so what we know is pieced together from many conversations. My PawPaw left as a boy, but returned home a changed, but brave young man. He was a part of the Greatest Generation – a part of history – and it’s important we remember what they fought for.
Vintage Coca Cola Crate Wagon
At the bottom of the mantel, I added this cute little vintage Coca Cola crate that someone turned into a little wagon! Isn’t it the cutest little pickin’ find?! I added some vintage books and red lanterns in the wagon. Again, we’re creating layers and height here.
So that’s my eclectic patriotic mantel. It’s eclectic because while nothing matches, the pieces still blend together. The trick is to use items within the same color palette to help everything blend together.
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