Simple Fall Mantel Decor Ideas

One of the easiest ways to add a seasonal feel to your home is by switching up your mantel decor; today I’m sharing some simple fall mantel decor ideas to help inspire you for the season ahead. 

It’s hard to believe that it is nearing the end of August! We have less than two weeks until school will be in full gear again, and within a month it will officially be Autumn. I’m not quite ready to completely switch our house over to our fall decor yet, but I have been thinking ahead and working on my plans for the colour scheme and feel I want to create this coming season. Think: warm light terracotta tones mixed with greens and a bit of blue and teal. As loathe as I am to see summer over, I am looking forward to pulling our fall decor together and giving our home a few new touches for the months ahead.

Today some of my friends have joined me to share their fall decorating ideas as well. Be sure to check out their ideas by visiting their blog posts. I’ve linked all their articles at the bottom of today’s post.

How do you decorate a mantel for fall?

It’s simple!

Choose your colour scheme. Bring in some fall florals. Add some seasonal decor touches (think pumpkins, acorns, dried corn etc.). Tie it all together with fall art or printables. 

Choose a colour scheme

Each year I like to go with a slightly different scheme. Often I’ve tended towards blues and greens in my fall decor, but some years I go more neutral and farmhouse’y. It all depends how you’re feeling and what you’re liking!

Last year’s fall mantel was full of dark, warm, earthy tones…

The year before we were living in our cabin at the lake while we built, so our mantel was light coastal beachy colours with lots of blue and neutrals.

Prior to that, while we lived in our forest house, I went with a more neutral scheme full of white and warm, natural tones for our neutral farmhouse fall mantel decor. These colours felt even more warm and ‘cozy’ being juxtaposed against our dark charcoal fireplace brick.

Anchor your mantel with fall art or decorative mirror

Each season I try to create printables that tie together our Autumn colour scheme. In our forest house I made some vintage neutral farmhouse style free printables that were perfect for our neutral farmhouse fall mantel decor. You can read more about the printables here. The colours in them tied together our neutral farmhouse mantel beautifully.

While living in the lake cabin, I used one of these neutral farmhouse fall printables again, but mixed it with a piece of art I had that tied together the warm tones in the printable with the light and airy blues and whites of the rest of the mantel decor.

Now that we have a Frame TV I choose a large piece of art to display over the fireplace.

Last fall, I used a moody piece that featured warm neutral tones as well as deep, rich blue/greens.  These same tones were found in all the decor on the mantel, from the DIY textured dark teal painted vases to the pumpkins, wood accents, dried florals, and DIY acorn garland.

Bring in Fall Florals – these can be faux, dried, or real!

Probably my favourite part, the florals! Or… branches, greenery, berries, etc. They can be real. Fake. Dried. Whatever works!

Last year I focused on dried florals and really loved the texture they added to our warm earthy rustic fall mantel decor. I found all of my dried florals in bunches at HomeSense, and I mixed them with some other faux florals I had in my fall bins.

Prior to last year, I had never experimented with dried florals before, and always went with a mix of faux branches, leaves, or blossoms and real ones. Often in the fall it’s just as quick and easy to bring in some branches off the trees in your yard or neighbourhood, and as they dry and change colour they only add to the Autumn theme of your decor! For our coastal farmhouse fall mantel at the lake cabin, I brought in green maple leaves, and as they dried and changed colour to deep yellow they continued to work beautifully with the rest of our fall mantel decor.

My favourite spot for faux branches and blooms is generally Michaels, though I always use a coupon or wait for a BOGO sale to buy them. I picked up these cotton branches a few years back and used them on our neutral farmhouse fall mantel in the forest house. The texture of them is hard to beat!

Add some seasonal decor touches for fall (think: pumpkins, acorns)

Lastly, top off your fall mantel with a few simple classic autumn decor finds. My DIY Acorn garland is always a favourite (learn how to make it here); as are my dried corn stalks, and mini pumpkins. It doesn’t take a lot to give a nod to the season without being over the top in a ‘theme’, so don’t overdo it!

I hope you found some inspiration and ideas you can use. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks to share this year’s fall mantel decor; until then, be sure to check out my friends fab fall decor ideas!

You can visit their blog posts to see what they are sharing with you today by visiting the links listed right below this image:

Minimal Fall Porch Decor by Twelve on Main
Simple Fall Decorating Ideas to Get Excited About by Pasha Is Home
Fall Table Ideas For Your Dining Room by My 100 Year Old Home
Four Simple Things to Refresh Your Home For Fall by Most Lovely Things
Paper Wreath DIY by Happy Happy Nester
Touches Of Fall by Craftberry Bush
Minimalist Fall Decor Ideas by Inspiration For Moms
Super Easy and Minimalist Fall Decor Ideas by Modern Glam
Create Simple Fall Mantel Decor with 3 Unique Accessories by Robyn’s French Nest
Minimalist Fall Decor by My Sweet Savannah
Simple Fall Mantel Decor Ideas by The Happy Housie

Minimal Fall Porch Decor by Twelve on Main
Simple Fall Decorating Ideas to Get Excited About by Pasha Is Home
Fall Table Ideas For Your Dining Room by My 100 Year Old Home
Four Simple Things to Refresh Your Home For Fall by Most Lovely Things
Paper Wreath DIY by Happy Happy Nester
Touches Of Fall by Craftberry Bush
Minimalist Fall Decor Ideas by Inspiration For Moms
Super Easy and Minimalist Fall Decor Ideas by Modern Glam
Create Simple Fall Mantel Decor with 3 Unique Accessories by Robyn’s French Nest
Minimalist Fall Decor by My Sweet Savannah
Simple Fall Mantel Decor Ideas by The Happy Housie