The Happy Tulip: Fall Nesting: Decorating My Fall Mantel {Day 15}

I finally did up my mantel for the fall this weekend. I thought about doing a Halloween mantel, but I didn't want to redo it again in a couple of weeks so I'm skipping right to Thanksgiving decorations.

I'm keeping it pretty simple this year.

And cheap. I just used things we had on hand. The letters I made from cardboard. I printed the letters out in a size 640 font that I liked. I traced and cut them out of an old cardboard box, then sprayed them with leftover paint from the marquee letter project. I could have bought chipboard letters from Hobby Lobby for $1/piece, which would have been easier.

But you can't beat free- when it's basically the same thing.

Three little pumpkins sitting on a fence . . .

I bought a few pumpkins on clearance at Crate and Barrel last year that I was excited to finally get out of storage. I had to add a few bright leaves for a pop o' color.

Yes, that's the same trough that was added my kitchen a week ago. I moved my DIY trough to the mantel and flipped it over for a bit of height. I loved it in the kitchen, but I'm always changing things up. We'll just have to make another.

The old books are Josh's contribution to the mantel. I was rummaging through the house trying to find needed something to balance the wheat and he pulled out his box of old books. Perfect-- except I had to turn one of them around. I didn't want to include "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" to my mantel.

The wheat is leftover from last year. I stuck it in a pitcher I bought from TJMaxx a couple years ago. The more I stare at it the more it looks like the pitcher had a crazy hair day, but I decided that I like it anyway.