DIY Farmhouse Fall Mantel Decor

It takes just 5 easy steps to decorate your mantel for fall. Choose the right color scheme and decorations and you have the perfect farmhouse fall mantel.

This fall I choose a farmhouse style when decorating our living room for the season. I love that farmhouse decor can be done on a small budget because it thrives on using vintage items and household objects in a country-style look.

I am known for decorating in neutrals, emphasizing white and grey, and using color sparingly. I have written a whole post about decorating in whites the right way, to prove it.

Not this time, ladies and gents!

I went for colorful and cheerful and bold, and beautiful.

Colorful and cozy farmhouse fall mantel Decor

Let me show you my first fall decor of the year. I decided to start big so I tackled my mantel first (hmm mantel?, it is actually a floating shelf above the radiator in my living room). I am still loving my chippy blue door so much that I took my inspiration from there and created a farmhouse fall mantel. 

This farmhouse fall mantel decor features ordinary kitchen items like cutting boards and a coffee pot, a big handmade wreath with red berries, and a collection of natural elements like scattered pine cones and painted pumpkins.

Come see how I pulled off the farmhouse look in my fall decor this year on my autumn mantel. And if this fall mantel gets you in the mood for autumn decorating, then check out my How to Decorate you Bedroom for Fall post too! And if decorating your mantel through the seasons is your thing you will love this collection of fabulous fall and Halloween mantel ideas.

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How to create a Farmhouse Fall Mantel

Step 1 Choose a Color Scheme

Traditional colors for farmhouse decorating are basic white and greys in warm hues. Fall colors are often bright with orange and yellow being the definite favorites. I went in a different direction, however. I choose a color palette of bright red, vintage blue, and browns against a backdrop of white.

The red wreath is big, and shiny, and demands a lot of attention. I cooled the red down by using blue in a matte look. The red and blue pair wonderfully with the white wood mantel background, a very traditional color combination.

The look of my farmhouse mantel is laid back and easy. The wreath in vibrant red provides a splash of color that is only slightly toned down by the blue of the coffee pot, pitcher, and leaning door. The browns in the pine cones, cutting boards, and vintage trinkets calm the look and provide a grounding effect.

Because my background is bright white the colors can really pop and this colorful farmhouse mantel is light and cheerful and gives warmth to my room on gloomy fall days.

Step 2 Create a Focal Point

The focal point of my fall mantel this year is a berry wreath I made. I bought three large branches of red berries and used old, rather ragged-looking, berry branches from my stash to fill her out. I cut all the branches into small bits and attached them evenly to a metal ring with florists wire.

Step 3 Layer Items on Your Mantel Shelf

I love a layered look on any mantel but especiallywhen creating Farmhouse fall fireplace decor. I created the layered look this year by using antique breadboards in rustic wood tones. They give a nice rustic touch to this mantel and form a perfect neutral backdrop for the more colorful items. Hmm rustic farmhouse mantel decor, I like the sound of that.

An old vintage coffee pot from the thrift store got a makeover with milk paint. I used the color French Enamel to get this look. Rather fitting color isn’t it for a metal pot?

An old tin was painted in the same color and used as a vase on the other side of the mantel.

Step 4 Add in Small Details

Fill open spaces with a collection of accessories and accents that match the theme of your mantel. This will add additional layers to your mantel design. Keep it understated though, don’t go overboard with the little details.

I didn’t want the mantel to get too cluttered. For every accessory to shine there needs to be enough white space in the decor. So I simply scattered some real pinecones on the mantel and added white pillar candles on small baking dishes that blend in while also adding a little more interest.

The dried green hydrangeas add a touch of greenery to this simple farmhouse mantel design.

Step 5 Decorate Around Your Fireplace

Don’t forget to decorate the area around your fireplace mantel too. I used an old door leaning against the wall as an extra blue element. You could also add baskets with wood logs or comfy throw blankets. The area in front of the fireplace is a great spot for some extra fall decorations to round the whole look off.

Farmhouse Style decoratIng Tips

I love the farmhouse look. It goes well with my other love: the beach cottage style. I often combine them in my own Coastal Farmhouse Style Decorating. But as popular as the farmhouse style has become I think it can easily get out of hand.

To avoid going overboard with the farmhouse decor look I have a few tips:

• Use signs and lettering sparingly. If all your walls are covered in inspirational signs and every item has a name on it, it loses its magic quickly.
• Farmhouse style is all about the layered look. But remember to leave some white space and do not over clutter your mantel decor or your decorative vignettes
• Vintage, rustic and distressed are key ingredients of the Farmhouse style. Make sure it looks authentic and not too deliberate.
• Neutrals are the go-to colors for farmhouse decor. Don’t forget to add an unexpected pop of color, or a stark black accent from time to time to create some drama and avoid a bland look.

You can find more farmhouse mantel decor ideas in my Fall Mantel Decor Ideas post and there are also tons of ideas in my Summer Mantel Ideas post.

Where to Get the fall Farmhouse Look

This farmhouse mantel decor idea is much more colorful than I am used to. My go-to style usually is white and neutral and with lots of white space. But this is nice for a change and really growing on me. Who knows I might get used to these bright colors yet…..

If you like this mantel design look too, then you’ll be happy that I found some great alternatives for the items I used. Go ahead and create your own red, white and blue fall mantel this year in Farmhouse Style.

I have already declared my love for the fall season, and this mantel decor really has gotten me in the mood for more fall in the house. So I guess there will be more fall-ish corners coming up…

If you like these farmhouse mantel ideas and might want to get back to it someday then don’t forget to PIN IT!