Vintage-Inspired Halloween Mantel

Hello Everyone! This is Alice W. of Thoughts from Alice, and I am thrilled to be back with you this month. Today, I am sharing a vintage-inspired Halloween mantel vignette from a couple of years ago. I wasn’t able to share this on my own blog back then because I was busy with a newborn and toddler. I am excited to finally get to share it with you now!

Candles burning in candle holders with vintage inspired Halloween graphic

I really love pulling vignettes together by getting creative with what I have on hand. I did this one a day or so before Halloween back in 2012. The traditional orange and black look doesn’t usually work for my style. Instead, I went for an all black and white, vintage inspired “abandoned mansion” theme that year, with some unusual elements thrown in.

black hat on a white mantel with trick or treat sign

I started by draping layers of tattered, sheer fabric over the mantel. These were basically scraps of old curtains that had seen better days but worked perfectly to create the vibe of an old mansion. I tore the hems a little more than they already were to emphasize the look.

Halloween mantel with silver candlesticks and candles burning and a sign that says trick

A black hat with a 1 and 3 card in the brim

An antique top hat was embellished with a black glittered rose and old playing cards. I propped it on a pedestal, to give it some height, in the center of the vignette. To create faux cob webs, I gently pulled apart some polyester fiber fill and spread it around.

An image of a black hat with cards and light up trees

My daughter was enamored with lights back then (and still is), so I included some lighted trees that were actually Christmas decorations. I wrapped them in tattered muslin fabric for a “mummy” look for this vintage- inspired Halloween Mantel.

wire cone cages wrapped in white linen and a blackbird on a bottle

Cones wrapped in white linen strips and a black bird sitting on a brown bottle

I always like to include antique books, old bottles and black birds in my Halloween decor. I added some dried branches to this vignette, for a little crow to rest on.

fake crow sitting on a branch in a bottle with lights behind it

Old spice jars were filled with various objects like porcelain Frozen Charlotte dolls and doll parts, feathers and Spanish moss.

small jar of cloves with small doll arms in it

No old mansion would be complete with candlesticks and the glow of candlelight.

Vintage silver candlesticks with burning white candles and a small photo of a face on a black spool of thread

One of my own assemblage thread spool dolls resided on one side of the vignette.

Assemblage art piece with a child's face and moss on a black spool and the number 31

Finally, metal letters spelling out “Trick or Treat” were strung across the mantel, for the finishing touch.

Trick or treat banner on a mantel with silver candlesticks a black hat with cards and a black bird on a bottle with light up cone shaped trees

You don’t have to go out and spend a lot of money to style a holiday vignette. I never do. You can use what you have and re-purpose items in new ways by letting your imagination run free!

Trick or treat signs with a black hat with cards in it and light up trees on a vintage-inspired mantel

I hope you enjoyed this post and feel inspired to get creative this Halloween. It will be here before we know it!

I’d love to get to know you, so let’s connect!

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Till next time…

~Alice W.

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