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Vintage Winter Mantel

January 5, 2017  Decorating | Mantels | Uncategorized

Winter Mantel Decorating Ideas kellyelko.com

I love the excess surrounding the holidays but come January, I’m ready for simpler surroundings.

So while I revel in a clean slate (for awhile), I had fun going simple on my mantel.

I’m teaming up with four fabulous friends who are sharing their winter mantels. You can hop from blog to blog to see them all. If you’re coming from Krista of Happy Housie, welcome. If not, make sure you don’t miss her bottle brush tree mantel.

Vintage Winter Mantel - this is stunning with the succulent book tower kellyelko.com

Every good decorating idea needs a start and I started with the idea of using my set of old red encyclopedias (found in my neighbors trash) and went from there.

Love this vintage winter mantel with succulents and stacked books kellyelko.com

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I added my thrift store brass elephant and thought it would be fun to use all of my animals so in came the squirrel nutcracker and brass quail.

Faux succulents came next – don’t they look cute peeking out of the books like a vertical garden.

Book tower of succulents - this is a stunning mantel! kellyelko.com

Mine is a thrift store find but I love this replica of my vintage squirrel nutcracker.

Vintage brass animals, books and a chalkboard combine in one stunning winter mantel kellyelko.com

Decorating Tip: don’t forget the hearth when decorating the mantel. I carried the red down with an old crate filled with more encyclopedias. A snake plant balances the succulents.

Add an easy to care for snake plant to your house kellyelko.com Vintage crate filled with a stack of old books kellyelko.com

Another critter peeks out of an old dough bowl of pinecones on the coffee table.

Dough bowl pine cone display - a little critter is a fun touch kellyelko.com

LOVE this mantel of old stacked books succulent towers and vintage brass and silver animals kellyelko.com

Vintage winter mantel - love the stacks of books with succulents and collection of brass animals kellyelko.com

Instead of bringing back the same stuff you had in the house before Christmas, let’s look at our stuff in a new light and get creative.

Head over to Lauren of Blesser House to see what she has up her winter mantel sleeve.

Blesser House Winter Mantel

P.S. Don’t miss my winter mantel from last year HERE.

Rustic winter mantel kellyelko.com

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Comments

  1. Cassie Bustamante

    January 5, 2017 at 7:08 am

    so pretty! i love the cozy feel!!! i hope to get my own photographed today for a post tomorrow or next week… we’ll see what happens. this week was all thrown off with a sick child home. i was supposed to have FREEDOM!

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      January 5, 2017 at 10:16 am

      Kids really cramp our decorating style!

      Reply
  2. Jennifer @ Town and Country Living

    January 5, 2017 at 7:46 am

    Kelly, your mantel brings back a bit of nostalgia for me. My grandmother had that same brass quail in her home for many, many years! I instantly thought of her when I saw it on your mantel. LOVE the way you displayed the succulents. Such a clever idea. And I can’t believe your neighbor was throwing out those gorgeous, red encyclopedias. Lucky for you!

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      January 5, 2017 at 10:16 am

      Thanks so much Jennifer – can you believe I found that quail at an estate sale for $1!

      Reply
  3. Pat Schwab

    January 5, 2017 at 8:30 am

    Hi Kelly, Happy New Year to you and your family. The link to Blesser House doesn’t seem to be working. Thanks, Pat S

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      January 5, 2017 at 10:16 am

      Sorry Pat – it’s working now and happy new year to you!

      Reply
  4. Calypso in the Country

    January 5, 2017 at 8:35 am

    So pretty. I have been clearing out everything from the holidays and playing around with my mantel the last day or two. So far, I just rested some black and white photos up there but I love your ideas…and there is nothing like a roaring fire this time of year!
    Shelley

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      January 5, 2017 at 10:16 am

      Mantels are always tough! I started with a couple of black and white photos of my dad and his schoolmates when he was a boy!

      Reply
  5. Lauren

    January 5, 2017 at 2:07 pm

    I love your whimsical take on this, Kelly! And that succulent vertical garden idea is so smart. I would have never thought of that. So glad you were able to rescue those encyclopedias! My mom has been a librarian for nearly 20 years, so no book ever goes wasted in my house either. 😉

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      January 6, 2017 at 11:39 pm

      Thanks Lauren from one book lover to another!

      Reply
  6. Hope

    January 5, 2017 at 2:11 pm

    Super cute and simple! Love it I still need to take down my christmas decor. Since we just moved into this house before the holidays, everywhere in my house is a clean slate. Which is super exciting to start fresh and have fun! Love the succulents in the books.

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      January 6, 2017 at 11:38 pm

      Very exciting news and congrats on your new house! Enjoy decorating it!

      Reply
  7. Stephanie @ Casa Watkins Living

    January 6, 2017 at 11:39 am

    Gorgeous Kelly! Love the mantel styling but especially the colorful accent to your planter!!

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      January 6, 2017 at 11:37 pm

      Thanks Stephanie – that stick in the plant is from an old croquet set!

      Reply
  8. Allison

    January 6, 2017 at 9:53 pm

    I’ve always loved putting away the red and green of Christmas and leaving the icy whites out for the winter in my decorating scheme. Makes me embrace the cold dreary Northeast winters (I do love boots in season though!). Kelly, do you have any New Year’s printables?….I love them for myself, but also rely on your nice seasonal printables to “talk” to my antique-shoppe-vendor-site browser’s, since I don’t work the store. It’s my way of interacting with potential customers without being there, and the other vendor’s look forward to your printable messages! I stick them all over the place, front door, cabinets, inside sites….and when they’re not there, everyone misses them! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      January 6, 2017 at 11:37 pm

      I’m a boot girl too Allison! I don’t have any new year’s printables – I’m still recuperating from Christmas! I’m glad you and your customers love my printables – I’ll have to think about making some for 2018!!

      Reply
  9. Krista

    January 6, 2017 at 10:34 pm

    Super cute, Kelly! I LOVE the succulents peaking out – too adorable. Holding onto old encyclopedias is brilliant… I’ll need to be on the lookout for some!

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      January 6, 2017 at 11:36 pm

      Thanks Krista!

      Reply
  10. Taryn

    January 6, 2017 at 11:51 pm

    What a refreshing look! I love how you displayed the succulents in the books.

    Reply
  11. Becky

    January 23, 2017 at 12:32 pm

    I love it–perfect combination of items!

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      January 23, 2017 at 1:02 pm

      Thanks Becky!

      Reply
      • lisa

        August 3, 2021 at 5:05 am

        Hello
        I like this, I trying and do few thing different every year with my tree, my cute nieces come and can’t wait to see each years tree. This year i am going to use your method and do a ribbon and flower tree. Thanks for the inspiration.

        Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Simple Rustic Winter Mantel with Bottle Brush Trees - The Happy Housie says:
    January 5, 2017 at 7:00 am

    […] fun winter mantel hop today hosted by Taryn of Design, Dining, and Diapers.  Next up on the hop is Kelly Elko! […]

    Reply
  2. After-Christmas Winter Mantel and Living Room says:
    January 5, 2017 at 7:00 am

    […] and Diapers to share a bit of our winter mantels and living rooms.  If you’re visiting from Kelly Elko’s home, […]

    Reply

KELLY

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Join me as I decorate my 100 year old home, scour thrift stores, create pretty things, putter in my peony and hydrangea filled garden, and mix up a mean cocktail all with a touch of sarcasm and a side of bacon - Cheers!



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Love where you live by mixing high and low, new and old to create a home that shows off your personality. My mantra ... simple projects equals more time for cocktails!
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