Fall Mantel Makeover

Early last week, I dug out the fall/Halloween boxes. I've never really purchased a bunch of fall decorations at once. I've gradually accumulated enough that I feel I can finally do a decent job of decorating for autumn. I artfully arranged my pumpkins and put out all my spicy scented candles, but the wall above the mantle was vacant. The painting that usually resides there is mostly yellow and spring green and totally doesn't feel like fall. It feels like spring and summer, and I needed a better focal point for the living room.

My solution? Plywood, spray paint, acrylic craft paint, and one very abused paintbrush. My original idea was to use actual leaves and stamp them all over the painted wood, but the trouble with that idea is that all the leaves large enough to look neat are still living very high in the treetops. The ones that have fallen are already dead and a bit too fragile for painting and stamping. I have a couple of thick felt placemats cut in the shape of large leaves, so I traced one of them onto each piece of wood and dabbed paint inside the leaf shape. It looks kind of spongey, and I like it. And the very best part is that I only spent about $11 - $4 for each piece of wood and $3 for the can of brown spray paint. I know. I was out. Can you believe it?

I think finishing up my fall decorating is the best way to celebrate the first day of autumn.