Pretty Spring Mantel

Cheery Spring Mantel

Ok, so it's not a mantel per se... it's a floating Ikea Lack shelf, but hey, it does the job! :) I had a few more touches I wanted to add but figured it's getting late, so I better show it before Spring is over!

Initially, I was inspired by some fellow bloggers to even decorate for Spring... it's a first for me! Why is that, when I love Spring so much?! Anyway, I had to go buy some stuff, create some stuff, and update some of my own stuff and I am happy with the final results! I was going for a light, cheery feel.

Mantel Before

My inspiration came from Angie at Echoes of Laughter, her Spring mantel is so cheery and I especially loved her glass vase filled with colourful eggs, the white scroll mirror centered above it all, and splashes of yellow everywhere. Jenn at Clean & Scentsible's "Spring Has Sprung" diy framed art also inspired me to create some Spring art. Mine doesn't look like hers, but I want to create something like hers soon!

I made the framed bunny picture by lightly tracing a silhouette with pencil onto some paper from my computer screen (my printer is out of ink). I cut it out and traced the shape onto a black foam sheet I had and cut it out. For the background, I took a page of musical notes out of an old book I had and cut it to size. I wanted the bunny raised from the background, so I doubled up some squares of the black foam, taped them together, then taped them onto the back of the bunny and onto the page and inserted it all into the frame.

I also traced a little butterfly silhouette off my screen and cut it out of some cardstock, folded it in half to give it some dimension and attached it to the frame with some sticky tack. I love how it turned out! I also love that it only cost $2, which was for the dollar store frame. I had everything else on hand.

Candlestick before & after

The two white candlesticks were formerly dark stained, seen in my before picture above. I painted them white with some craft paint. I let some of the dark faintly show through instead of fussing to cover it, it gives them a little aged look. The birdhouse is from the dollar store, they leave them natural wood colour for you to decorate. I painted it with craft paint as well and stuck a bird on it.

I filled a vase with moss and colourful eggs like Angie, I LOVE the splash of of pretty Spring colours. The large yellow flower in the bud vase is from the dollar store, I really love it, and the bud vase is from Walmart. The little white bird was a thrift store find that I spray painted white, and the two little birds sitting on the dish is also a thrift store find.

Ceramic bird before & after

Thrift store find, birds on dish

I took my sunburst mirror from another wall to center it above my mantel, much like Angie again, I love how it looks there, I think it completes the look!

I didn't have any nice hardcover books I could use to stack, so I had to use paperbacks, they look alright. I mainly had to use them to hide a hole in the wall with wires coming out that my husband put there for a center speaker which is not even hooked up! grrrr!!.....

Some more views for fun!

Anyway, there's my Spring mantel, hope you enjoyed it, I know I am! :)

Have you finished your Spring decorating?

I am linking up to the following parties.