Simple Transitional Fall Mantel

The space between Halloween and mid-November is weird for me decor-wise. Halloween is over, but it’s not quite time for Christmas decorations yet. I don’t wait until Thanksgiving to decorate for the holidays, so I don’t do Thanksgiving decorations. I’ve left my mantel blank for this brief season before, but I really prefer a simple transitional fall mantel. I keep it simple so that it doesn’t take long to set up or to take down.

Layer with Art

I’m very into layering my seasonal decor with art this year. My husband took up abstract painting as a hobby earlier this year. So I have over 50 paintings in the garage to choose from. I’ve seen dark greens and peachy pinks in a lot of interiors lately. And I thought those would be great colors for late fall. Jesse has a larger painting with both of those colors, plus a smaller one with more pinks and some grays.

Those paintings were my jumping-off point for this mantel. I layered in a mirror because I knew I wanted to use candles for my simple transitional fall mantel. The reflection of candlelight adds an element of coziness and warmth. It’s perfect for those chilly fall nights when I’m wrapped up in a blanket watching Hallmark movies on the couch. 

Add a Few Neutral Pumpkins

Next, was getting a second life out of some of the pumpkins from my Halloween mantel. Since a few of them are real, I figured I might as well extend their use. I stacked them with ceramic pumpkins, a green velvet pumpkin, and a few white plastic ones. I probably could have left things like this, but I felt like the mantel was missing some texture.

The little bundle of hay was the perfect element to add that texture. It also added some height to my simple transitional fall mantel. It’s height balances out the vignette, adds a new texture and breaks up the dark green of the painting.

Where I Bought All of the Decor

This simple transitional fall mantel cost me absolutely nothing to create. I used decorations that I already had on hand. I buy seasonal decor on clearance and save it to use in the future. Plus, I also browse the Dollar Spot at Target to pick up small pieces. They can be layered in with my existing decorations. None of my decorations for this mantel are online anymore.

But here’s a list of where I got everything anyway so you can be on the lookout next year. (From left to right):

I really love how my simple transitional fall mantel came together! It took less than 30 minutes for me to take down Halloween and create this. It feels cozy and warm, which is perfect now that the weather is cooling down here.