• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Blog
  • Reno Projects: House by House
    • Colonial Revival Cottage Reno (our current home)
    • Old House Reno (our last home)
    • Coastal Cottage in Maine
    • Aaron and Melissa’s 1970 Redo
    • Condo Renovation (a client’s home)
  • Details
    • Before & After
    • Holiday & Seasonal Decorating
    • Gardens
    • Details about House Parts
      • Interior Windows
      • Mantels
      • Details on Creating Tablescapes, Vignettes and Hanging Pictures
      • Lighting and Lamps
      • Closets and Storage
      • Furniture, Antiques & Accessories
    • Chalkboard Art and Hand Lettering Projects
    • Travel to Inspiring Places
  • DIY, Tutorials & Tips
  • My Favorite Shopping Links
  • e-Decorating Consultation
  • Blog
  • Reno Projects: House by House
    • Colonial Revival Cottage Reno (our current home)
    • Old House Reno (our last home)
    • Coastal Cottage in Maine
    • Aaron and Melissa’s 1970 Redo
    • Condo Renovation (a client’s home)
  • Details
    • Before & After
    • Holiday & Seasonal Decorating
    • Gardens
    • Details about House Parts
      • Interior Windows
      • Mantels
      • Details on Creating Tablescapes, Vignettes and Hanging Pictures
      • Lighting and Lamps
      • Closets and Storage
      • Furniture, Antiques & Accessories
    • Chalkboard Art and Hand Lettering Projects
    • Travel to Inspiring Places
  • DIY, Tutorials & Tips
  • My Favorite Shopping Links
  • e-Decorating Consultation

Lovin’ this Valentine’s Day Fireplace Mantel

January 26, 2012

 

 

HometoCottage.com vintage postcard valentine mantel done

Our friend, Beth from one of my favorite blogs Home Stories A 2 Z announced she’s hosting a link party featuring Valentine’s Day mantels. She has no idea how perfect that timing was for me. You see I really wanted to post a dining tablescape for Valentine’s Day, but due to the huge  stockpile of fixtures right now in my dining room that are getting ready to be installed at “The Little Brick Cottage” , I haven’t been able to do the tablescape. So Beth’s announcement was the instigator for me to decorate the living room fireplace mantel instead…and I’m loving it!

 

HometoCottage.com mantel beforeThis is what the mantel looked like before I started. I’m not going to be able to share with you in this post, but I’m in the process, just after I snapped this picture, to omit almost all the reds and oranges and most of the black from my living room. I’m in a lightening up mood big time, so I’ve been dancing the ‘Furniture Shuffle’ again, and I’m lovin’ that too! However, to be focused on removing red from this room, and decorating the mantel for Valentine’s Day would be interesting.

 

HometoCottage.com mantel plainFirst I cleared everything off except leaving the battery operated LED lights, and removed the red shaded lamp, then I put this antique empty frame, I borrowed from the piano room, up to see how I liked the scale of it. I liked it, so I worked around that.

 

HometoCottage.com mantel partially doneNext I added an ivy topiary borrowed from the kitchen and those frosty ferns and stumps from the Christmas tablescape along with a couple of brass colored pressed tin pots. Hmmm, not quite what I want to see.

 

HometoCottage.com mantel partially done againI went through the house looking at all my accessories, aha this silver vase with huge roses my husband bought for me from Restoration Hardware looked great up there. Typically, I would put the taller thing on the left, in this case the ivy, however, the roses being such a contrast with the dark stone have a taller ‘visual’ presence and actually looked better on the left.

So I had the elements I wanted to see together, but it was too full. I pulled down a couple of the ferns, and put them on two little barrel tables that sit next to chairs in front of the fireplace.

Presto-Chango! Now there is ‘mass and void’, an element in arranging that creates intrigue to our eye as we look across something.

 

HometoCottage.com white flowers movedThen primping a little bit I finally decided on the arrangement. Notice how there is basically 3 groups, the first is the tall silver vase, the second in the antique frame and the third is the topiary? And notice too how balanced the white is in each of the 3 groups?

HometoCottage.com valentine mantleEach group is accented with what appears to be a vintage Valentine, but actually I printed out all the Valentine Cards seen here from Graphics Fairy and using a gluestick I glued the printed typing paper to a piece of heavy cardstock, then trimed it out. (OK, so it took me a couple tries to figure out how much simplier it is to glue first and then trim both the paper and cardstock out as one. Sometimes I’m slow, but I do have persistence on my side.)

HometoCottage.com valentine closeTo make the ‘filling’ for the antique frame, I cut down a piece of cardboard and a piece of cardstock with this French handwriting on it I bought at Archiver’s to fit inside the frame. (My only purchase special for this mantle.) Then with a couple of those beautiful Valentines from Graphics Fairy, I punched some holes through the cards and pierced two holes the same distance apart through the cardboard and cardstock in the frame. I then just ‘tied’ it together with wrapping twine.

 

HometoCottage.com ivy with valentineAll the cards I accented with twine bows, just by punching two holes a little ways apart and looping twine through to make a bow.

 

HometoCottage.com silver vase with valentineIf they were really vintage cards, I never would do that, but since they’re just printed copies, no problem!

 

HometoCottage.com silver vase of flowers with valentine

 

Want to read more?

Click here to see a Romantic Valentine Centerpiece

Click here to see the page with all the Valentine’s  decor posts on it

Click here to see more mantel and vignette decorating tips.

 

 

 

Please feel free to share this blog with your friends, as well as on Facebook and Pinterest and Flipboard and Houzz the more the merrier! I appreciate you stopping by.

Thinking about starting a self-hosted blog? I am thrilled to use BlueHost for my self-hosted blog, and I totally recommend them for your self-hosted blog. Their customer service is awesome! You can check them out here:

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Geneva says

    February 15, 2012 at 4:07 pm

    I love your Valentine’s mantel… you definitely have a talent for display!
    Blessings!
    Geneva

    Reply
  2. Kim says

    February 3, 2012 at 9:14 pm

    It looks gorgeous!

    Reply
  3. Cheryl~ZanyMayd says

    February 2, 2012 at 3:36 pm

    Beautiful Mantel, that Mirror is Incredible….
    Thanks for sharing & hope you’ll stop by~
    Have a wonderful week
    Cheryl

    Reply
  4. Jessica says

    February 1, 2012 at 10:35 am

    Love this! I’d love to have you link this up to my party at http://scrapbookingez.blogspot.com/2012/01/anything-goes-linky-party_26.html. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Sharon ت says

    February 1, 2012 at 10:20 am

    Gorgeous!! I’m a big fan of neutral…and I love how you managed to create a romantic Valentine mantel without any red. Thanks for sharing this elegant mantel at Show & Tell today.

    Sharon

    Reply
  6. Trish @ Uncommon says

    January 31, 2012 at 8:24 pm

    Your mantel is just beautiful. I love how you show us how to layer everything! Thanks for sharing with us!

    Reply
  7. CJ Foss says

    January 31, 2012 at 5:55 pm

    The bones of your house are good indeed. Love that it has a trout stream running through it. My husband would sleep outside! Beautiful fireplace, great mirror, and your mantel pieces soften the fireplace and heavy beams. Nice. Have a great week. ~CJ

    Reply
  8. Marty@A Stroll Thru Life says

    January 31, 2012 at 5:23 pm

    Gorgeous. I love, love, love that mirror and the frame you have on the mantel. Beautiful vignette. Thanks tons for joining TTT. Hugs, Marty

    Reply
  9. Lou Cinda says

    January 31, 2012 at 12:58 pm

    It is beautiful! I LOVE that mirror! Stunning!

    Lou Cinda

    Reply
  10. cindy says

    January 31, 2012 at 12:48 am

    What a beautiful area to decorate–good job.

    Reply
  11. karen bates says

    January 30, 2012 at 10:08 am

    Love the mantel…those frames are to die for…great job..love the simple background on the small frame.

    Reply
  12. Sherry says

    January 29, 2012 at 11:29 pm

    What a beautiful mantel! The large mirror is fabulous and I love the Valentine decor. Thanks for sharing at the Open House party. Hugs, Sherry

    Reply
  13. Lorrie says

    January 28, 2012 at 9:54 pm

    Very pretty! I love everything about your mantel and fireplace…

    Reply
  14. Suzanne says

    January 28, 2012 at 5:50 am

    The mantel looks perfect. Such a nice mix of objects. The frame with the valentines cards is such a great look and I really like the lighted branches. Very Nice!

    Reply
  15. Pamela says

    January 27, 2012 at 6:58 am

    Your mantel looks fantastic! I loved seeing the stages of decorating and that mirror oh my!! I LOVE it! Thanx for coming o my party!

    Reply
  16. Honey says

    January 26, 2012 at 5:48 pm

    The mantle is fabulous and the way you are used the antique frame is so creative!
    Thank you for linking this lovely post to Potpourri Friday!

    Reply
  17. Krista@TheGatheringPlaceDesign says

    January 26, 2012 at 5:43 pm

    OH, and I LOVE that mirror:)

    Reply
  18. Krista@TheGatheringPlaceDesign says

    January 26, 2012 at 5:42 pm

    What a great fireplace and mantel you have! I too LOVE the Valentine touches…great job:)

    Reply
  19. Diane says

    January 26, 2012 at 2:27 pm

    Love your mantle and the antique frame is so clever! I ADORE your mirror!!!! Love love love your blog!

    Reply
  20. mike says

    January 26, 2012 at 1:12 pm

    There’s a lot lovin it here!

    Reply
  21. kim says

    January 26, 2012 at 8:09 am

    I love how you did this. This is tastefully done for Valentine’s. I LOVE your mirror.

    Reply

Share Your Thoughts Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Our Whole House Renovation: Mid-Century into Colonial Revival Cottage Style

SimpleDecoratingTips.com we had to cut down 13 trees
SimpleDecoratingTips.com we had to cut down 13 trees
SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating the Basement Apartment
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating the Basement Apartment
Front Entry Portiere
Front Entry Portiere
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How I Made Curtains without a Sewing Machine
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How I Made Curtains without a Sewing Machine
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Basement Apartment Bathroom Renovation Done
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Basement Apartment Bathroom Renovation Done
Vintage Window Awning Redo SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Vintage Window Awning Redo SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Antique Inspired Kitchen Island
Antique Inspired Kitchen Island
Main Floor Completion Celebration Giveaway SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Main Floor Completion Celebration Giveaway SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Door & Window Decisions
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Door & Window Decisions
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Cedar Closet Lining
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Cedar Closet Lining
Repurposing Vintage Screen Door
Repurposing Vintage Screen Door
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Adding a Front Porch
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Adding a Front Porch
how to install a vintage ceiling light fixture simpledecoratingtips.com
how to install a vintage ceiling light fixture simpledecoratingtips.com
How to Install an Interior Storm Window SimpleDecoratingTips.com
How to Install an Interior Storm Window SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Before and After Living Room Renovation
Before and After Living Room Renovation
Tiling the 2nd bath floor
Tiling the 2nd bath floor
front porch addition mostly done SimpleDecoratingTips.com
front porch addition mostly done SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Simple DIY Curtain
Simple DIY Curtain
Re-Thinking the Living Room Furniture Plan
Re-Thinking the Living Room Furniture Plan
SimpleDecoratingTips.com From a Tub to a Shower
SimpleDecoratingTips.com From a Tub to a Shower
Fireplace Renovation SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Fireplace Renovation SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Surface Mounted Suspended Ceiling
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Surface Mounted Suspended Ceiling
Dining Room Progress SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Dining Room Progress SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Progress Report on our Whole House Renovation
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Progress Report on our Whole House Renovation
Wall Mounted Pot Rack
Wall Mounted Pot Rack
hall closet into library simpledecoratingtips.com
hall closet into library simpledecoratingtips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating Update Post
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating Update Post
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How to tips Window Well Installation
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How to tips Window Well Installation
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Basement Apartment Progress
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Basement Apartment Progress
Before and After Front Entry Renovation SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Before and After Front Entry Renovation SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How to Change a Door Lock
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How to Change a Door Lock
Creating a Built-In Faux Fireplace
Creating a Built-In Faux Fireplace
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating a Whole House is a Lot
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating a Whole House is a Lot
Hang a Group of Pictures with even spacing SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Hang a Group of Pictures with even spacing SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Repurposing Cabinets
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Repurposing Cabinets
Incorporating Vintage & New Light Fixtures SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Incorporating Vintage & New Light Fixtures SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Luxury Vinyl Planks
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Luxury Vinyl Planks

Footer

Shop Decor Steals

AntiqueFarmHouse

Have you noticed this site is faster?! It’s because I switched to SiteGround!!

Web Hosting

Disclosure Policy: According to FTC guidelines, I want you to be aware that some of the content of this blog may be a source of income and therefore may be used to promote products, services, or other businesses. I will only choose to promote products/services/businesses that I feel will be beneficial to my readers. While I hope to generate a small profit for my time and effort to create this blog, I hold myself to the highest standard of integrity. I appreciate my readers, and make it my goal to deliver quality, honest material on this blog through each post. Thanks for reading along, Liz

Copyright

Sharing is great! Please feel free to share this blog with your friends, as well as on Facebook and Pinterest and Flipboard and Houzz and YouTube the more the merrier! I appreciate you stopping by. But please remember that all photos, images, text and content are owned by SimpleDecoratingTips.com. So anything you share, please be sure it always links back to my original post it came from. Please do not remove watermarks, crop or edit anything without written permission from me first.

Disclosure Policy: According to the FTC guidelines, I want you to be aware that this blog is a source of income and may occasionally incorporate endorsements or testimonials and shopping links. It is important to me to disclose this to you. The content of this blog is a source of income and therefore may be used to promote products, services, or other businesses. I will only choose to promote products/services/businesses that I feel will be beneficial to my readers. Products provided to me by my advertising partners for my review are given to me free of charge with no cost to myself. This does not ensure a positive review of the product in any way. While I hope to generate a small profit for my time and effort to create this blog, I hold myself to the highest standard of integrity. I appreciate my readers, and always make it my goal to deliver quality, honest material on this blog through each post. Thanks for reading along, Liz

Graphics Fairy

Graphics Fairy

Feedspot

Feedspot


My Household Tips and Tutorials for You:

how to install a floating shelf
how to install a floating shelf
How to Remove Carpet Depressions
How to Remove Carpet Depressions
how to install a vintage ceiling light fixture simpledecoratingtips.com
how to install a vintage ceiling light fixture simpledecoratingtips.com
How to Avoid a Greasy Mess when Frying on the Stove
How to Avoid a Greasy Mess when Frying on the Stove
How to Mount a Door Knocker in a Hollow Steel Door
How to Mount a Door Knocker in a Hollow Steel Door
DIY Natural Simmering Potpourri simpledecoratingtips
DIY Natural Simmering Potpourri simpledecoratingtips
DIY  natural sachets
DIY natural sachets
First Aid Remove Sticky Residue
First Aid Remove Sticky Residue
Housekeeping Naturally
Housekeeping Naturally
Five Ways Hardware made a Difference
Five Ways Hardware made a Difference
Make your own Natural Potpourri
Make your own Natural Potpourri
Hang a Group of Pictures with even spacing
Hang a Group of Pictures with even spacing
How to Remove Pet Urine Stains
How to Remove Pet Urine Stains
How to hang a window box SimpleDecoratingTips.com
How to hang a window box SimpleDecoratingTips.com
How to Clean Spilled Wax
How to Clean Spilled Wax
7 Simple Hangers and How to Use Them
7 Simple Hangers and How to Use Them
Packing & Moving Tips
Packing & Moving Tips
How to Hang a Wall Mounted Lamp
How to Hang a Wall Mounted Lamp
Plate Hanger
Plate Hanger
how to naturally clean silver
how to naturally clean silver

Gardening Tips

snug-harbor-farm
snug-harbor-farm
Kid's Craft DIY Miniature Fairy Garden
Kid's Craft DIY Miniature Fairy Garden
1-in the garden with water walls and cloches
1-in the garden with water walls and cloches
Transplanting Stella D'Oro Daylilies
Transplanting Stella D'Oro Daylilies
How to Prune a Peegee Hydrangea
How to Prune a Peegee Hydrangea
rooftop-garden
rooftop-garden
install this arbor and fence in one day
install this arbor and fence in one day
Backyard Boat Pond
Backyard Boat Pond
before  after circular garden
before after circular garden
before and after front terraced garden
before and after front terraced garden
Tips on Forcing Bulbs Indoors
Tips on Forcing Bulbs Indoors
DIY Hanging Terrarium
DIY Hanging Terrarium
we had to cut down 13 trees
we had to cut down 13 trees
before  after front garden landscaping
before after front garden landscaping
2 pergolas  garden update
2 pergolas garden update
raised bed container gardening title
raised bed container gardening title
Window-Boxes-inside-a-2nd-story-porch
Window-Boxes-inside-a-2nd-story-porch
Growing Grass in a Vintage Scale
Growing Grass in a Vintage Scale
Humidity Tray for Orchids
Humidity Tray for Orchids
Ingenious Tips to DIY this Planter
Ingenious Tips to DIY this Planter
How I re-did these Concrete Lions
How I re-did these Concrete Lions
The-Story-of-a-Blue-Jay-Title-Page
The-Story-of-a-Blue-Jay-Title-Page
Before and After Landscape and a DIY Pergola
Before and After Landscape and a DIY Pergola
Garden & Landscape Inspiration
Garden & Landscape Inspiration
DIY Simple Deer Proofing
DIY Simple Deer Proofing
The-Beauty-of-Fences1
The-Beauty-of-Fences1
What-is-this?
What-is-this?
spring-planter-arrangement
spring-planter-arrangement
Potting Shed
Potting Shed
Creative-Planters
Creative-Planters
Turtles and Window Boxes
Turtles and Window Boxes
moving-a-screened-gazebo-onto-the-property
moving-a-screened-gazebo-onto-the-property
DIY Compost Bins
DIY Compost Bins
Creating-an-Oasis-with-a-Water-Fountain
Creating-an-Oasis-with-a-Water-Fountain
DIY Window Well Installation
DIY Window Well Installation
DIY Brick Edging
DIY Brick Edging

Copyright © 2021 · Genesis Sample Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

  • Blog
  • Reno Projects: House by House
    • Colonial Revival Cottage Reno (our current home)
    • Old House Reno (our last home)
    • Coastal Cottage in Maine
    • Aaron and Melissa’s 1970 Redo
    • Condo Renovation (a client’s home)
  • Details
    • Before & After
    • Holiday & Seasonal Decorating
    • Gardens
    • Details about House Parts
      • Interior Windows
      • Mantels
      • Details on Creating Tablescapes, Vignettes and Hanging Pictures
      • Lighting and Lamps
      • Closets and Storage
      • Furniture, Antiques & Accessories
    • Chalkboard Art and Hand Lettering Projects
    • Travel to Inspiring Places
  • DIY, Tutorials & Tips
  • My Favorite Shopping Links
  • e-Decorating Consultation
↞
↠
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.