Summer Mantel with Butterflies

We’ve been doing a lot of work on the outside of our house this summer, so I’m a little late in getting my summer “mantel” together. I used the quotes because technically it’s not a mantel at all, but is a display shelf in my living room (we have no fireplace). But I decorate it like a mantel so … I hope you’ll humor me in calling it that. I chose a butterfly theme for this year’s summer mantel.

For starters, I applied a vintage butterfly poster onto a large board that has a picture of wheat on it. The posters are the perfect size to cover the artwork on the board, and I’ve used different ones to decorate this space throughout the year. My spring mantel included a bird poster and my Christmas mantel had a green school penmanship poster.

 

The butterfly poster adds vibrant color in my living room for summer.

 

Who doesn’t love butterflies in the good ole summertime?

 

In front of the butterfly poster is a pretty hydrangea tucked in an enamelware bowl.

 

I like to keep my mantel decorating simple (often pulling stuff off after I step back for a better view). On the left side of the mantel, I ended up with a big moss ball on a trio of vintage books, paired with vintage brown bottles.

 

I’ve just started collecting brown bottles, because I have plenty of aqua bottles now and well, I’m addicted to vintage bottles. I suppose purple ones will be next on my list to collect!

 

On the other end of my summer mantel is a grapevine ball paired with Baby Tears in a trophy. The Baby Tears remind me of the same mounding shape as the hydrangea that’s on the shelf.

 

A couple of smaller butterfly prints flank the vintage butterfly poster.

To add color in the room, I collected flowers from the garden for the blanket chest.

 

I love zinnias and planted these for the sole purpose of using them in cut floral arrangements.

 

I love their bright, cheery color!

 

For the second arrangement, I added phlox and salvia to the zinnias.

 

Simple, but colorful! My summer mantel is good to go until fall rolls around!

Do you decorate your mantel for the seasons?