Looking for creative spring mantel ideas? Here are some of my favorite mantels that I’ve ever created and a little spring inspiration, too.
These spring mantel ideas are so easy, you can decorate your fireplace in five minutes. All you need is a few simple items you probably already have on hand.
My birthday is next week and I’m already celebrating.
Happy birthday to me.
And to celebrate I wanted to welcome a little spring here to my corner of the universe. So I did a little mantel research on the blog and in the middle of putting together all the spring mantels that have gone before…
…I discovered something amazing.
None of the spring mantels that I decorated before was perfect.
Not. A. Single. One.
Not even close.
I almost didn’t post these spring mantel ideas because when I looked at them all I could see was the flaws (which I’m not even going to point out to you because then you’ll see them, too).
And even though I’m not about perfect. Even though I preach that perfection is TOTALLY OVERRATED. Even though I constantly remind myself that authenticity is so important.
Just between us?
Those flaws gave me pause.
Especially with all the perfection that swirls around us on blogs and social media.
It’s not for the faint of heart.
Seriously.
Everyone’s wearing the perfect outfit with the perfect wide-brimmed straw hat—standing on a beach in the middle of winter with their hair blowing in the wind–holding a latte and snacking on broccoli. I think last week I liked a picture of someone weaving linen for their beach house windows and I’m pretty sure I left a heart emoji for someone growing their own grain for fresh herb bread for a picnic on a rock at sunset.
Sigh.
Now don’t get me wrong.
I love weaving my own linen as much as the next person.
I love wheat and beaches and picnics and hair-blowing and fresh herb bread (except when I’m giving up gluten and sugar). And I’m the one in the grocery line reading about the top 10 ways to live a healthier and happier life in the next five minutes.
I get it.
Who am I to question anyone’s hat fashion choices when I’m sitting on a mountain of imperfect spring mantel ideas?
But just for a moment—I want to shift the paradigm.
Self—I’m looking at you.
Instead of focusing on others’ perfection and feeling smaller when we scroll through all that beautiful.
Instead of feeling less than when we look at ourselves through the lens of social media.
Instead of deciding we’re not speaking ice cream anymore and start spending hours deep conditioning our hair and add another skincare product to our regime or search forever for the perfect purse to match our flip flops….
…can we just stop for one moment?
And remember how amazing we are?
Sometimes we are in such a rush to make ourselves better or wish we were walking in someone else’s shoes that we don’t even recognize the amazing that is right under our nose.
You know when you were younger and your mom wanted to take your picture and then she did and you looked at it and you didn’t like it because you didn’t look like a supermodel and your hair was flat and your shoes didn’t match your dress and you told your mom that you never, ever, ever, ever…
…wanted to see that picture again?
And then?
One day, years later you found the photo and you realized you were so thin and beautiful and your hair was super cute and the shoes were perfect…
…and you looked like a supermodel?
But you missed it.
You missed it because you were too busy looking for what you thought needed to be fixed.
So can we pause and celebrate imperfection? Like these spring mantel ideas?
Just for today.
We can all go back to trying to be perfect tomorrow.
I promise.
Today we are going to remember all the things that make us amazing.
Today we are CELEBRATING US.
Today we are taking the imperfect and recognizing how beautiful it truly is.
So put down your coffee tell yourself in the mirror or tell your friend or your mother or cousin or aunt or the check-out lady at the grocery store what a great organizer, mother, crafter, singer, DIYer, daughter, brother, baker, sister, painter, wife, dancer, roller skater, hula-hooper, world-traveler, talker, listener, chef, movie-watcher…
….that you are amazing.
And she is too. 🙂
And now?
Here are my 5 imperfect spring mantel ideas with tons of texture that are absolute perfection.
Click on each of the links below for more details on each of the mantels.
5 Creative Spring Mantel Ideas
Rustic spring mantel ideas
Add these wood tree cutouts and spring branches and a rustic barn door. This mantel is all about keeping it real and layering in a little greenery.
Re-create this mantel with:
- these wood tree cutouts
- these faux boxwood sprays
- these resin birds (you can use them as hooks, too)
- this mini drawer piece (you can paint this one white)
- these three mini concrete planters (add the sprays to these)
Spring mantel ideas with rustic wood art piece
The foundation of this mantel is this perfectly imperfect rustic wood art piece. It’s so easy to make from leftover scrap wood pieces.
Re-create this mantel with:
Birds and painted branches spring mantel
I created this mantel from spray-painted branches in the yard. Yep. I spray-painted them turquoise and added birds and branches.
Re-create this mantel with:
- These birds
- These birds
- These branches
- This DIY tutorial for these birds
- These faux berry branches
- These rattan nests
- The DIY for this paper garland
Classic spring mantel ideas
This was one of my first farmhouse spring mantels. I love a burlap bow and made two for the sides of the mantel. Then I just layered in a little milk glass.
Click here for more information
Re-create this mantel with:
- This bow tutorial
- These faux ferns
- These urns
- These faux boxwood sprays
- These rattan nests
- this burlap ribbon
Free spring mantel
Is anything better for spring than free? Yes, please. This mantel is created from mason jars and branches clipped from the yard. It’s that easy.
Click here to see more details
Five-minute spring mantel
Here’s a bonus mantel.
I almost didn’t include it because it only takes five minutes.
But I walk past this flower arrangement every day this spring and it makes me so happy.
You can recreate this mantel with this glass bottle vase in a metal frame.
And now friends? We’ve got our spring mantel ideas and guess what?
We got this.
Truly.
Here’s to the amazing that we almost missed….
….right under our nose. 🙂
disclosure: affiliate links are used in this post
Lovely message, great writing, and oh, I wish I had a mantle to decorate!
Another wonderful post…..makes me think and smile at the same time! Now to update my mantle with things I love rather than how I think others will see it.
Happiest of birthdays to you, my friend.
I'm SO tired of "perfect" interiors. Erin Napier has a book coming out which celebrates lived-in homes. Hooray! Somewhere along the line, we've become enchanted with the idea of everything looking like it belongs in a glossy magazine. Our homes should be a reflection of who we are and who we love living with. And now I will ungracefully descend from my preaching pedestal into my imperfect home. Ha. Anyway, every time I see those birds on the branches, I swoon. I'm also crushing on the picture below that, with the lovely wooden chairs. Keep being your imperfect self, KariAnne. The rest of us see a masterpiece. 😊
Beautifully said; and yes indeed, KariAnne is a heart warming masterpiece!
Happy Birthday KARIANNE ..... Hope you have a wonderful week. (I usually have a birthday week:) )!! I am new to your site and am enjoying all your ideas. Keeping within a budget to decorate has always been difficult. I gave up for a while and am now retired and am trying to figure out what to do in my living room and kitchen. Our home is small(950 sq feet) and is a collection of family hand me downs and such. My plan is coastal farmhouse. Just finished the kitchen in White and wood tones ..... still waiting on them to finish that ..... opened up a wall to a half wall so I see the living room so they will be styled together. Wish me luck.....I am so glad I found your site!!! (PS: Blue is my color)
Thanks for your uplifting and true words. I just came back from a freshman year college get together with two of my three roommates. Sadly our third roommate passed away a couple years ago. We had the most wonderful time making new memories and sharing old ones. The soul is truly our shining light. Our vessel here on earth is just that. I think as we mature in our aging process we make the time to appreciate the soul in each of our friends and those around us. My mother passed away a month ago and I am beginning the process of going through her clothing, etc. I will save some of her things for memories sake but must part with the rest in hopes that it will bring joy to someone else. Things are things. Life is like that.
So flipping true Karianne!! My blog pics from 12 years ago were not even close to perfect but looking back at photos of myself I say the same thing... Where did the time go? Why did I think I was fat? Why was I so obsessed with my weight when I was so thin?! Over time I've learned that imperfections add character!
My birthday is next week too! Happy birthday to you........and me! HA HA!!
Happy Birthday Karianne. I am a February birthday too on The 1st. I love all the mantles, and I really love those urns. I want them for my shade garden. 😊 But my favorite pic was not featured but shown at the end. Those milk glass vases, containers with it appears to be pink hydrangeas. That is so pretty. I started pulling out my milk glass already. Have a great birthday week and special day.
I gave up on perfection years ago. I’ve unsubscribed from blogs that show million dollar homes and instead I’m drawn to homes that people make on a real budget, creative souls. The simpler the better. Case in point would be your family Christmas gift exchange 😃
Thanks for the pretty mantles, but thanks even more for the words of wisdom! You really ARE amazing! My sister and I were looking at old pics the other day, and I kept asking myself, “Who IS this willowy child with perfect skin?” Granted, we really, REALLY had a long way to go on hair products and appliances, but overall, not bad! Lol!!! Honestly? My main thought was “Where did my babies go?” Thank you, my friend - perfect is highly overrated.
If we strive for perfection and comparison we miss the true beauty in the now....and usually relationships...which are much more important than things. Keeping up with perfection is exhausting! I think your mantels look absolutely beautiful! Have a wonderful birthday week!! There is so much to celebrate!
OK that was just too funny! That overachiever grain grower bread maker! I'm over here watching the lint settle down on the furniture and the mold growing on the tile; I wonder what color that is? Ladies I remember there is always someone skinnier than you are and richer but are they really happy? Be happy, life is very short and love what you have! My mantle stays the same year after year after year.
Perfection is boring for me. Almost everyplace I look at---every blog, etc. is a copy-cat of the other one. It is hard to get away from & into something more real, personal & unique where each piece tells a story. Counter tops, cabinets, floors, rugs, kitchens all look the same or like first cousins! We are getting a new fence & want to stain it a conservative green-gray---my neighbor asks WHY? She has asked at least 3 different times---like she just can't accept it. She is thankful I am no longer saying it should be black, but green? I love creative imperfection, but it is an up-hill battle. I feel like a round peg in a square hole but that is ok---at least it is not boring.
Karianne, I absolutely LOVE the way you write
Happy Birthday to you!!!! Have a great day!
Thank you for this thoughtful message...and a reality check!!!!!!!!! Happy Birthday!!
Love your heart! Love your style! Your words are always so encouraging to me. Thanks for doing the hard work of writing!!
Thank you! You are amazing. And I love your ideas, especially the milk glass. One thing I love about you is how fun, funny, and real you are. I guess that's three things. You keep me coming back for more!
First off, have the happiest d-day!! Second, your imperfect is beautiful and those ‘flaws’ just make it more interesting! When my 3 kids were small I would plan their professional portraits around the perfect outfits. It never failed that one child was not ‘feeling’ picture day! One year my youngest insisted on posing with the one eared bunny from the prop bin. Another year, my arm is slightly visible pushing my son into the frame. I was always in a sweat afterwards and I usually told the photographer just take a bunch and I’ll find something. These are some of my favorite pictures/moments , because they capture my kids personalities perfectly. I guess the lesson is to embrace the imperfect. It’s life!
As always, poignant words that make me giggle, reflect, and want to do better! I love to read your words. I can tell you're a reader. Happy Birthday, Karianne! May you have a wonderful week and a year filled with joy, miracles, and lots of fun adventures!
Happy almost birthday ! Your pictures look wonderful, the reason I love Shabby/ farmhouse / French country is because nothing is perfect, chippy paint and all ! I feel like I can live in my house and not worry about how STERILE everything looks . We are all perfectly imperfect and that’s what makes us wonderful !
You are your mantle = pretty perfect to me! Lovely words. I am taking heed, as I too am very very hard on myself. Thank you. Have a beautiful day, KA!!
I often wish I could go back to my younger days and really appreciate the way I looked instead of feeling less than. It was always there, right under my nose! xoxo
I'm glad you didn't tell us about the minor flaws in the mantels. I can just enjoy their beauty without noticing the little imperfections. This is true with people too. If we focus on the flaws, we'll surely find them. But if we focus on their beauty, we'll find that too. My less than perfect mantel is awaiting the hanging of a heavy vintage mirror on the brick fireplace without creating more holes in the bricks. So the mirror is just sitting there leaning on a chair. Talk about less than perfect!!! Love your posts keep going!
Wishing you a wonderful birthday next week, you deserve it! And remember you are not one year older you are one year better! xoxo
Thank you so much for this, I'm going to read every morning to start my day!
Hello! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU 🎂🎉. I just wanted to let you know that I didn't see any imperfections in your Spring mantels. I'm jealous that I don't have a mantel but never the less they're all very beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
Happy birthday to you! My birthday is next week also! Sunday to be exact. I so enjoy reading your posts!
I guess I don't see the imperfects....it all looks perfectly fine to me!
Karianne, I love you! Your photos and ideas are always so doable. But even more, I love how you make each and every post sound so warm, welcoming, and truly real. I'm not an outgoing person, but I try to relay just smidgeon of the same smile and openness as I believe you would. Thanks. You make me smile every time.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!! Happy Birthday KariAnne!! Always enjoy your well written words of wisdom!
KariAnne, your mantels are not imperfect! They are absolutely beautiful and perfect -- just like you! You are always such an encourager! Your posts are always "sunshine for the soul". You just keep on being the absolutely beautiful and perfect gal that you are! You are loved so much!
I haven't taken the time to comment in a really long time but I love reading your blog. You always make me laugh because you're so transparent & human! I also love your style, tips on DIY decorating & the colors blue & white. I hope you have a Wonderful Birthday & know that the Lord uses you to be a blessing to your family, friends & readers 💗 Thank you for being you!!
Love your post, KariAnne. Your mantel with the milk glass and burlap bows was the prettiest! Decades ago I wore my perfectionism like a badge of honor. But the truth, it was exhausting and not sustainable! Anyone coming to my home now would NEVER believe I was once a perfectionist. I now tell first time guests--Welcome to my halfway house. When they look at me strangely I add -- it's half clean, half decorated but you're wholeheartedly welcome. It is so liberating!!
The beautiful bedroom mantle from your previous home, with the burlap bows, is the image that made me need to follow you years ago! Thank you for the journey :)
You would be a wonderful best friend. I wish you were mine.
KariAnne I miss having a mantel to decorate but I love all these ideas that I can use on the upside down mantel over our bed. I’ll share a link on Sunday.
Happy birthday! Excellent post here! You always have the right mix of humor. The lesson hits, sticks, and makes everyone smile... ooooorrrr laugh out loud and annoy all their family members by insisting on reading it to them a few times. ...and then hashing over the perfect minute details of each hilarious example... Thank you!