The Start of my Fall Decor

Updated 9/24/09: Hi! I'm going to link this post up to DIY Day over at Kimba's A Soft Place to Land. Tons of DIY project entries...go check them out! If you want to see the trial and error/ step-by-step process that I went through to arrive at this particular mantel arrangement, click here:)

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Hi! I had a few minutes over the weekend to take down my "summer" mantel and put up a fall one. I can't say this is the only autumn mantel I'll have this year...I might redo it again when I go and get all my real pumpkins (sometime in October). But thought this could last for the next few weeks, and I suppose if I get lazy, through Thanksgiving:)

I also took some pics this time of the mantel in progress so that I could share my thought process with you. Stay tuned for a post with those soon!

Let's party....I'm joining in the Fall Festival over at the DIY Show Off (taking place every Monday for the months of September, October and November - lots of fall decor, projects and inspiration) and Metamorphosis Monday (tons of before and afters) with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch.


First, let's check out the before (the subtle summer mantel):



And now the new fall after:




Yay! I was able to incorporate my new/old wooden vice and my letterpress numbers that I got at the Brimfield Antique Show last weekend. This wheat bundle I made a few years ago (directions from Martha), a dried gourd from Michaels and a cool large scale botanical print of a leaf (from HomeGoods) add that fall feel.

{also was able to find a home for this gorgeous photograph I bought this summer while we were on Prince Edward Island - I love bringing something home from a local artist whenever we travel }

I still can't believe that summer is really over so its going to be a slow transition into fall for me. But this seemed like a good place to start:) How are you guys feeling about the new season?