Meaningful Patriotic Mantel

I don’t know about y’all, but June seemed to fly by!  The 4th of July will be here before we know it! I was a little late getting my patriotic decor up this year.  For the patriotic mantel this year, I wanted to do something special.

Let’s decorate with a meaningful, patriotic 4th of July mantel with a story behind it!

Military Medals & Coins

By now, you probably know that I’m an Air Force wife.  Mr. Sweet Southern Oaks has devoted his life serving our country and I am so proud of him for answering the call of duty.  He joined the Army right out of highschool; and at the age of eighteen, he left for war as a tanker in the Army and served two tours in Iraq.  His time in Iraq is not a topic he talks about much, but he is a living part of our country’s history.  Eventually, he decided he wanted to have a civilian job and got out of the Army.  Well, after so many years of military service he decided that a civilian job wasn’t really what he wanted to do. He reenlisted and continues to serve today, as a Technical Sergeant in the Air Guard.

Decorating the Special Patriotic Mantel

So with that story in mind, I incorporated his military medals, pictures and coins into our patriotic mantel.  Of course, the mantel still needed a vintage inspired vibe with the special military memorabilia  included!  I used two vintage mirrors {one of them was a DIY mirror!} to create the base of the patriotic mantel.  Next, I added some of his military photos.  One is a panoramic picture of his unit from basic training and the other is a picture from when he was deployed in Iraq. From there I nestled his military coins and medals around the fireplace mantel.  Each coin represents something – from when he finished basic training, went to Iraq, finished a training school – all kinds of coins that honor the achievements of his military career.

Draping down from the mantel is a vintage inspired patriotic bunting hung with Command Hooks.  To make the pleats fold back together on the bunting I used a hair dryer and folded the pleats back together!  From there I just added some brass candlesticks and a flag as a filler in some of the bare places of the mantel.

A meaningful patriotic 4th of July mantel is done! It’s a simple mantel, but the story behind it is what’s the star of the show this year.

A Few More Patriotic Ideas for You

If you’re looking for more patriotic ideas for your mantel, check out my patriotic mantel from last year with vintage finds.  I’ve got a fun DIY transforming dollar store chargers to create Stars & Stripes DIY Chargers.  Then don’t forget to check out the patriotic porch with thrifted decor!  For your 4th of July BBQ, you’ve got to try my out of world delicious, homemade Sriracha Peach BBQ Sauce.  Oh, and don’t forget about this refreshing Grilled Corn Summer Salsa for an appetizer!  Happy 4th of July, y’all!

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