Simple Summer Mantel
It’s almost summer! And that means I want a light and airy, simple summer mantel to greet me when I come in the door. And I’m coming in the door a lot, since I’m outside running and playing so much! (Or coming home from work, but that counts too!)
Unlike the other seasons, I don’t usually feel like spending as much time decorating during the summer. But I still want a pretty mantel. So I have a strategy.
Summer Mantel Strategy
My simple summer mantel strategy is to make my decorating as easy and versatile as possible. I set up the bones, as it were, and keep them there most of the season. Since I’m going to be looking at it for a while, I make sure to start with my favorite pieces.
As well as a mirror I particularly like, I put up some large-ish candle holders. They’re big enough to give some heft to the mantel, and still give it a nice open look. If it’s cool enough to be inside of a summer evening, you can light them for lovely candlelight ambiance.
Flowers
Then – here’s the tricky part – I just switch out the flower arrangements!
You might, like I do, have a lot of flowers blooming in your yard in the summer. If so, you can pick them for a succession of different arrangements for your simple summer mantel.
If not, grocery store flowers are an easy way to get fresh mantel flowers. You can mix them with faux, or go with faux flowers all together. I live in the city, so there are often empty lots and other neglected places to find flowers. (Don’t pick them from public parks though, or places that other people use. Always leave enough so someone else can enjoy them!)
And if you live in the country, there are roadsides and woods to find a few lovely blooms too. My mother used to carry a bucket of water in her trunk in case she had to pull off the road and pick flowers! (If you’ve been with me a while, you know my mother is involved in most of my decorating stories. She has all kinds of strategies that I’ve dragged into my adult life!)
Also, to give your arrangements some shape and uniqueness, it’s fun to include a secondary item. Like maybe some branches or taller flowers.
Vases
The other fun thing, is that you can not only change up your flowers, but your vases as well. This copper pitcher is a frequent fixture on my mantel, full or empty. I used it in another mantel arrangement in this post.
You can get creative and put your flowers in just about anything.
And depending on the size and shape of your flowers, you can move the candles around to balance things out.
Making easy flower arrangements and moving candles, is about the extent of my mantel creativity during the summer. But with this simple summer mantel strategy, that’s all you need to do!
Hope your summer is just as simple and easy as decorating your mantel!
— Shop the Simple Summer Mantel Post —
Click on the pictures for links to pieces I used for this mantel. If the exact item isn’t available any more, I chose a similar option.
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Just beautiful, Barbara! Truly sometimes less is more – that proves it. Looks gorgeous.
Hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend. Hugs.
Thanks so much Michele! I hope you have a lovely weekend too. ♥
I came back to just look at your pretty pics again and I must say that I truly covet that hammered metal pitcher of yours.
I’d snatch one like that up in a hot minute if I ever saw one just like it. I LOVE it. Hugs.
Aw Michele, you’re so sweet! I love that pitcher too. Back in the day, I used to be able to find copper at flea markets and yard sales all the time. It’s a little harder to come by now. If I ever find another, I’ll send it your way! 🙂 Hope you’re having a great week, my friend!
Such a gorgeous bouquet! And that pot is stunning! Hugs to you, my friend.
Hi! Isn’t that fun? One of those things that’d just been around forever, and I decided to use it for flowers one day. Now it’s a staple! 🙂 Hope you’re having a great day out there! ♥
Lovely Barbara – and how wonderful that you have lots of flowers in your yard that you can switch out! Love the vase! Not so many flowers here lol, but hey, the leaves are coming out on the trees and how great is that? Happy Monday and hope you have a great rest of the week!
Yes, we’ll take any living thing we can get at this time of year, right?! 😉 Loved your post today btw. Hope your mom heals quickly and easily! Thanks for stopping by – it’s always great to see you here.
Just lovely! I’m finding simple is often best! But your simplicity is quite elegant! So glad you found us at Tuesday Turn About!
Hi Julie! Thanks so much! And thanks for stopping over, and for hosting Tuesday Turn About. I’m so glad I found it too – so full of great ideas and inspiration! I’ll definitely be back! 🙂
Love the gorgeous flower arrangement! It makes such a statement! ❤️
Hi Jill – thanks so much! Flowers are the best, as I know you know! 🙂 So appreciate you coming on by! ❤️
I especially like the framing of the ceiling light in the first picture. Ex-cell-ent.
Hi! That’s Great – I actually kept trying to get it out of the picture, and then just gave up! 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by Sisola! Love to you up there!
Another beautiful flower arrangement Barbara, you really have a knack with flowers! You crack me up too..did you really pick flowers from a public park 😂 Thanks for the early morning giggles.
Well I was only 6 at the time, but it was definitely a life lesson! 😉 Thanks so much as always for reading and being here! You’re such an inspiration!
That’s so cute!!! Life lesson learned.
🙂