Vintage Patriotic Mantel

Looking for some simple patriotic inspiration for your home? I am sharing my vintage patriotic mantel to help get your juices flowing!

This mantel above the couch took me about 10 minutes to pull together and I feel it really packs a “patriotic punch.” Best of all, I used things I already had in my home! You don’t have to spend a lot of time or money to recreate this look! Let me tell you how to do it!

I love this mantel. It is huge and unique and chunky and fits this space just perfectly. (You can read all about where it came from here.). The thing I love most about this mantel is that it gives me yet another spot to decorate and my one of my favorite ways to decorate is – thematically. So, it is only appropriate that I take a moment to share how I came up with my vintage patriotic mantel.

First things first …. when ever I rework spaces in my home, I like to give the area a good dusting so that things are squeaky clean. I started reworking this mantel by taking everything off and dusting it really well. (Fun Fact: I really dislike to dust -I love to vacuum though- so I have to make myself do this!

After things are all dusted off – that is when the fun begins! I gathered a few things that I already had. I love to mix in ‘everyday items” as well as ‘specific holiday’ items – so I was sure to grab a good mix of both. I store my “specific holiday items” in totes in my garage and in a closet in our bonus room – so I was sure to shop those areas! Let’s touch on some of these things that I used!

Old Red Books

If you were to walk around my home then you’d see a lot of old books in lots of different spots. I like to use them as risers, to add interest, etc… In this case, I wanted to showcase a handful of old red books because I love to layer in the color red this time of year and I really love the look of these weathered old red books on my vintage patriotic mantel. You can click here to shop for some beautiful time worn red books of your own.

Framed Lincoln

I found this framed portrait of Abraham Lincoln at an estate sale last year. I actually found a set of three of them at that sale! I was so excited to have found them and I am thrilled to have found the perfect spot for this framed Lincoln right here on my mantel. You can click here to shop for a vintage framed Lincoln of your own!

Quick Tip: Sometimes these framed Lincoln prints can be costly. To recreate this look on a budget you can order a reproduction print (such as this one) and frame it yourself. And, I noticed that one of the framed Lincolns that I bought last year is actually a page from an old book – although I don’t suggest you damage a book for a picture.

Stoneware Ink Wells

Stoneware inkwells may very well be one of my favorite ‘fillers.’ I use them often and I use them everywhere. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and they can fit in almost any space. Here, I used them to add some balance to one of the sides of my mantel. I love to use them because, in addition to their size, I feel their neutral color helps to break up some of the business of the space! You can click here to shop for a variety of stoneware inkwells in various shapes and sizes.

Eagle Napkin Rings

I love fining things in pairs – like these cool napkin rings – because it is like getting two pieces for the price of one. I don’t know too much about these napkin rings but I loved their look and I knew they would be great to decorate with. This is just a friendly reminder to think outside of the box and encourage you to use items, like napkin rings, in places other than that for which they were intended. I think they look great up on my mantel! You can click here to shop for a similar napkin ring.

Lincoln Busts

I pick these little guys up when ever I can find them out at estate sales and antique malls. I used them here to fill in any gaps or holes along the mantel! You can click here to shop a variety of Lincoln busts.

Eagle Wooden Plaque

Plants

Like so many of you I love using live plants and here on my mantel I chose to pop plants into a variety of vessels. I used a nice large sized basket for a pop of texture on the end. I used a beautiful weathered ironstone bowl there in the middle. And I used a very small little vintage planter to add some height.

Shaker Boxes

I love nesting boxes because they are so versatile. Depending on how many come in your set, you can adjust the height of your ‘stack’ to fit your needs. Here, I only needed three boxes to help to compliment the vintage pieces I was using. I like how they fill the space without taking anything away from the more special patriotic pieces that I am highlighting. You can click here to shop for similar nesting baskets.

Add That Wow Factor

I love to layer in a special piece or two when I can and that is what I did when I added in my carved eagle. I got this from an antique dealer friend of mine and it really is a great patriotic piece. It is light weight and the perfect size. I feel like it is one of those pieces that you don’t see everyday and I like showcasing pieces like that from time to time! You can click here to shop other carved eagles, but I couldn’t really find anything exactly like this online! I suggest you shop your local antique malls and I hope you enjoy the hunt!

Decorate Around the Mantel

In an effort to pull the entire space together, I just added in a few extra goodies around my vintage patriotic mantel. Of course I love the pillows with the blue and the vintage globe and the plants on the floor, but my favorite piece that I added in is the wooden double eagle salvaged piece. I found that at an estate sale many years ago and I have used it every summer since. I believe it was a piece off of a piece of furniture or maybe a decorative piece that was added inside a building long ago. What ever it is, its my favorite! I found a similar one here that you can check out!

Wrap Up

I hope you enjoyed this vintage patriotic mantel as much as I enjoyed putting it all together! Only a few more days to go until summer is officially here – I am almost ready and now I can check this mantel off of the list! I hope this inspires you to get ready as well! Cheers to creating spaces that YOU love in YOUR home!

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