Beach to Fall Themed Mantel

My mantel has been sporting a beach theme since we got back from the beach on July 4.  Two and a half months of a beach look is enough.  Fall is nearly here and it’s time for a change.

The beach look:

I started with some new artwork for over the fireplace.  The fabric that I used is vintage Waverly from the late 70’s.  The pattern is Old Sturbridge Village.  The former owner of our house made curtains for many of the windows using this fabric.  I didn’t like the curtains back in 1993 when I took them down, but I liked the fabric and washed and saved some of it “just in case.”

I bought three art canvas at Michael’s and stapled the fabric to each canvas.  Mr. SP attached a saw tooth hanger to the back of each frame and I hung them using 3M hangers.  I love that these can be easily removed without damaging your wall or paint.  I should have let Mr. SP do all of the hanging because I attached two of the hangers in the wrong place and had to start all over.  Luckily they come with two strips.

Here’s the Fall look:

I distressed my two white candlestick holders with some sandpaper to make them look old and worn.

When I bought them:

Painted for Summer:

And now distressed for Fall:

The gourds in the hurricanes and in the center container are leftovers from previous fall seasons.  I never throw out my gourds unless they rot.  They dry beautifully.  I’ll do a how-to post on this soon.

Getting a small start on fall decorating makes me feel good.  I hope to get a bit more done this week.  Work just gets in the way of fun stuff like decorating.

I put the Osage Oranges in a wooden bowl on my dining room table.  I love their brain-like shape.

I’m linking this post to Metamorphosis Monday at Susan’s blog, Between Naps on the Porch. Be sure to visit Susan’s blog for a lot of creative inspiration.

Happy Fall!