You guys, I don’t even know who I am anymore. It’s October and I have yet to buy a single pumpkin! That’s ok though because I promise you it is still possible to bring the feeling of Fall to your mantel without a single pumpkin. Today I’ll show you how to create a minimal Fall mantel for your own home. If you have wandered over to my blog from the Fall Mantel Tour today, welcome! Here you will find lots of DIY projects and tips on how to create a beautiful home for less. Come on in and let’s talk mantels!

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While I have been leaning more towards minimal seasonal decor lately, my Fall mantel ended up being more minimal than I intended, but you know what? I quite like it! I have this large mirror waiting to be hung over the fireplace. While I’m waiting on install I decided to embrace a really clean look. It always feels odd in the beginning doing something different, but I recommend living with it for a couple of days while you adjust. In the end I’m always glad I tried something new. And keep in mind it doesn’t have to be forever.

Bring in Nature

With any seasonal decor you can never do wrong with first bringing in some nature. To fill in the blank space above the mantel, I used a large clipping from one of our Live Oak trees and placed it in this black vase to break up all of the white from the mantel and the wall. My preference is always for real over faux when it comes to branches. The randomness of real is hard to mimic. Think about what you could clip from your own yard or while out on a walk (no, I’m not talking about your neighbor’s yard, ha!).

Another great option this time of the year are tall dried grasses. Pampas is making a huge comeback. If you don’t have any grasses near you, you can find different dried varieties at places like Hobby Lobby, Michaels, or even Etsy.

Shed antlers were added for a couple of reasons: 1) I needed a midsized object to connect the hight of the branches back down to the mantel to keep it from looking too bare, and 2) antlers remind me of Fall/Winter and you can’t beat the natural color and texture. Now, if you have pumpkins, those could certainly work in place of the antlers.

Add Candlelight

Every year I have added candles to the top of my mantel, but this year I decided to switch it up. We have actually never used our fireplace in the six years we have lived here. It’s just never been cold enough to start one. So, out went the logs and in went a mixture of real and battery operated candles.

I have loved the look of candles in a fireplace for as long as I can remember and am so happy I finally tried it out! You get that beautiful glow of a fire without the clean up. The benefit of the battery operated candles are that they are on timers so even if I don’t light the real ones, the faux ones come on every night and give the same effect.

Tip: For extra interest, use a mixture of white and ivory candles. And, for more height variation you can sit your back candles on wooden blocks or pillar candle holders.

Switch it Up

If you have a permanent fixture over your fireplace like a tv or a larger mirror, obviously you can certainly decorate with those in place. But if you have smaller objects that can easily be taken down and you are feeling the clean and minimal look lately, I urge you to try something different this Fall. Take everything down and start with a blank slate. Add in one statement piece and try it out. You can always go back if it doesn’t feel right.

So, that is it! Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out my take on a minimal Fall mantel. If you’re looking for more Fall ideas, you can check out all of my Fall posts here.

More Mantel Inspiration

Be sure to find even more mantel inspiration by visiting the other talented bloggers sharing today!

Rough Luxe | Relished Roost | Classic Casual Home | Crazy Wonderful | Dimples and Tangles | Most Lovely Things

Shop the Look:

Sources:

• Black vase
• Candles – Hobby Lobby, Jo-Ann’s, Homegoods
• Jute rug
• Sofa
• Chairs
• Coffee table
• End table
• Media Stand, no longer avail – similar here
• Bamboo blinds
• DIY drapes – using these sheets
• Blue lumbar pillow, made by me – similar here
• Blue square pillow, made by me – similar here
• White Mudcloth pillow, made by me – similar here
• Grey pillow
• Rose pillow
• Gold turtle, no longer avail – similar here
• Wooden beads
• Picture frames
• Large lidded basket