A Year of Mantels - January

Happy New Year!!

So I came up with this brilliant idea. The brilliant idea being that I want to decorate our fireplace mantel in a different theme decor each month and keep the cost of the decor under $20 per month, using new (to me) and existing items that I have. For my January mantel I decided on a snow/ice/cold theme.

I have to confess, I have had this idea in my head since decorating our mantel for Halloween this past October, but let's face it, October, November and December's decor is a given with the holidays in those months. So I really didn't want to start posting about it until January, after all I am calling this project "A Year of Mantels."

So, let's get this show on the road.  My blank canvas:

I have been gathering things for my January mantel for about the past month or so and haunting local thrift shops and after Christmas sales. Here is what I came up with to use and the amount I spent:

Thrift store finds:

 Basket with pine cones $2. Small round votive holder $.25. Urn $1.

I took this picture after spray painting everything silver. The urn was a funky gray/primer color. They actually wanted $2 for it but my husband kept saying it was ugly because it was several different colors of paint, so they lowered the price to $1 (he still didn't want me to buy it, silly man, just didn't see the potential like I did). The basket and votive holder were brass.

50% off clearance finds:

Winter swag with birds and pinecones: $12.50 at K-Mart

Glitter ornaments: $2.00 at K-Mart

White pom poms: $1.25 at Dollar General

I'm sure K-Mart is probably 75% off their Christmas stuff now, but I really, really, REALLY wanted that bird swag and stalked the store until it went 50% off and bought one.

75% off clearance find:

Holiday velvet floral pieces:  $1.00 each at WalMart

Items I used but already had:

Glass vase, silver charger, candles, silver candle holder, picture frame, book, silver spray paint, white acrylic paint, white boucle yarn, 4 styrofoam balls.

Total spent: $22.00
($2.00 over my target of $20.00)

The decor process:

First (not pictured) I spray painted the basket, votive and urn with silver spray paint.  Then I brushed white acrylic paint on the edges of the pine cones to make them look snowy. I did also try dabbing the paint brush in silver glitter but it didn't show up much so I quickly nixed that idea. Me and glitter, we don't gel well. I tend to get it everywhere! I'm sure there is some between my toes as I'm typing this.

I found 4 styrofoam balls when I dug around in my craft stuff so decided to make a few snowballs. I just wrapped some white boucle yarn I had around them.

Then I started putting it all together. Here is the silver charger with candles on it and the bird swag wrapped partially around it. The glass vase holds the boucle yarn snowballs and some of the glitter ornaments.

This picture shows the picture frame with a photo of our yard filled with snow. I love that photo because it is so serene and fits in perfect with my mantel decor! Next to that is the thrift store votive holder and basket. The basket has pine cones, some of the glitter ornaments and pom poms in it. The bird swag continues to wrap around up over the corner of the picture frame and over the basket. I love how the little birds on the swag are perched on everything. 

Here is the urn with the velvet flowers and some glitter pom poms inside. I set it on a book just to give a little more character. The bird swag continues to wrap around this and I added an extra pinecone and candle here.

And voila! The final outcome:

I just love it!

Here is an evening shot of it:

Thanks for looking. Would love to know if you decorate your mantel monthly, leave me a comment and a link to your blog as I'd love to see others!

Until next time,

Linked to these parties: young and crafty, funky junk interiors, a little lovely, Happy Happy Housewife, Bella Before and After, Little Eme, Super Stinky Boys, Domestically Speaking, Faded Charm Cottage, My Back Yard Eden, Coastal Charm, First A Dream, Fingerprints on the Fridge, shanty2chic, Under the Table and Dreaming, The Tablescaper, The Stories of A2Z, tatertots and jello, Trendy Pockets