Mad in Crafts

HYDRANGEA HARVEST MANTEL

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Hydrangea Harvest Mantel

Today marks the first day of a Fall Idea Tour.  Thirty-two bloggers will be sharing our mantels, tablescapes, wreaths, and crafts over the next four days.  I am contributing my fall mantel, which I am calling my Hydrangea Harvest mantel because I am super creative like that.  Be sure to check out the other fall ideas linked down at the end of the post too.

Dried Limelight Hydrangeas

I spent exactly zero dollars on my Fall mantel this year.  My parents have large limelight hydrangea bushes that produce tons of blooms each year.  After visiting one day, I asked permission to clip some for our mantel.  I filled a bin with hydrangea clippings, and their bushes were still full of blooms even after I was done.  I pulled out a variety of mason jars and vases and added a small bit of water to each of them.  I arranged the flowers on the mantel, and as the water evaporates, the flowers will dry just as they are.  I preserved some of our own hydrangeas this way, and they still look beautiful a year later.

MY LATEST VIDEOS

harvest chalkboard

The hydrangeas frame my fall themed chalkboard art.  I spent an hour one afternoon creating this plaid sign with colored chalk and a yard stick.  I erased a section in the middle of the plaid and added the word “harvest.”  Harvest is one of those words that looks so pretty written in cursive.  All the right curves and balance.

Harvest Mantel

Since I am doing very little Fall decorating indoors this year, I just pulled three ceramic pumpkins out of storage and placed them strategically in the display.    I may swap these out for the real thing later in the season.

Ceramic Pumpkins

I like being able to mix my vintage blue Ball jars in with newer regular and heritage jars.  The greens and blues work very well in our living room.

dried hydrangeas

This is the first time I have used so many natural elements in a mantel set-up.  I will be on the lookout for other pretty, and FREE, elements I can use when styling other mantels down the line.

keepin it real

In the interest of authenticity, I’m including this pulled back shot of our fireplace.  You can see why I am doing so little decorating right now.  We are STILL living with subfloors and piles of installation supplies downstairs.   It doesn’t really make sense to decorate too much when we will have to move it all back out when we can finally get our floors installed.  The fun of home improvement, right?

Fall Ideas Tour

Be sure to visit all the stops on this four day Fall Idea Tour!  Today’s posts all feature Fall mantels, Tuesday will focus on tablescapes, Wednesday is all wreaths, and Thursday will bring thrifty Autumn crafts.

Monday

Postcards from the Ridge | All Things Heart and Home

Confessions of a Serial Do-it-Yourselfer | Domestically Speaking

Prodigal Pieces | Housepitality Designs

Mad In Crafts | My Creative Days

Tuesday

Refresh Restyle | 2 Bees in a Pod

Fox Hollow Cottage | Artsy Chicks Rule

Our Southern Home | Restoration Redoux

Savvy Southern Style | Atta Girl Says

Wednesday

H2OBungalow | Cottage at the Crossroads

Today’s Creative Life | Dukes and Duchesses

Hunt & Host | The Interior Frugalista

Sweet Pea | Petticoat Junktion

Thursday

Thrift Diving | At the Picket Fence

Town and Country Living | Cupcakes and Crinoline

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia | So Much Better With Age

Art is Beauty | AKA Design

 

              

Comments

  3. I totally understand living in construction. We are living through a kitchen makeover and have tiles lying in the guest bedroom and no countertops on half of our cabinets. It will all be worth it in the end. The Hydrangeas are all you need. They are beautiful all on their own!! It was fun touring with you today!

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  7. Love the plaid chalkboard idea, Jessica! So jealous of all those gorgeous hydrangeas. I have had zero success growing them in our yard and they are one of my favorite flowers. Thanks for keeping it real in this post. How exciting to be getting new hardwood floors!

    Reply

  15. Oh my goodness I just LOVE that you showed some real life amidst your beautiful mantel!! It made me appreciate it even more and showed that sometimes even when things are crazy in our homes having little pockets of loveliness is good for the soul. <3

    Reply

  18. Hi Jessica, I don’t believe that I’ve met you yet, but I’m happy to be on the tour with you. I think your chalkboard artwork is sooooo creative, and I’ve never really thought about it, but the word “harvest” does look good written in cursive!

    *note to self-plant some limelight hydrangeas next year!

    Reply

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