Summer Mantle

We have lived in our house for nearly eight years. When we first moved in, we had grand plans, many of which have not been accomplished. One example is the fireplace in our living room. Although we had a custom mantle made before our first Christmas in the house (in 2005!), we have yet to tile the surround.

M and I have been talking recently about the changes we want to make to our home. After eight years, in addition to completing the unfinished projects, there are many things that we would like to change. Most of those changes would be big, like new flooring, paint and furniture. Unfortunately, making these changes will cost money and take planning. Plus, we also have to agree on color schemes, style, etc. 

Because I have been battling this need for decor change and had a desire to do something fun and creative (especially after my unexpected first week of summer vacation), I decided to update my mantle for summer. 

I searched Pinterest and found some inspiration mantles. You can check them out here and here. 

I knew I had some items I could use already in my home, like shells, books for stacking, candles, and candle holders. Since I didn't want to spend a lot on this project...after all, summer only lasts a few months, I headed to HomeGoods on Saturday morning. 

Here is what I found, all for around thirty dollars.

I began the project by taking out all of the items I had purchased. Then, I went through the house, cupboards and closets, searching for other items that would fit the color scheme. I wanted to keep it neutral and simple, since I wasn't planning to change any of the other decor in the family room.

First, I covered the mantle with some burlap I had left over from Christmas. Then, I grouped the items together. I went through several different grouping combinations before I found the ones that I liked. 

The last addition was the flags on the old window. Since I didn't have any really tall items, I felt like I needed something on the window. I used scrapbook paper and ribbon I already had to create a flag banner, similar to one of my inspiration photos, that fit with the color scheme. 
To me, this mantle represents summer. Here is the finished product:

Do you make changes to your decor with the seasons?