Natural, Textured, Artsy, Rustic Winter Mantel 2013

 

Is that title loaded or what?? LOL! 

Anywho… I finally finished my winter mantel!  Yay!

I was in the process of working on it when my neighbor called me up about a week ago and asked me if I wanted a big shipping crate.

Of course, I said yes and started devoting all my time to it (post coming soon)… Soooo, I had to put the mantel on hold.

But… finally… I got back on track and finished it up.

I love this mantel display because I actually had to create some art for it…

which is always fun to do!!

So… here is my Natural, Textured, Artsy, Rustic Winter Mantel!

Let’s start with the woven art I created for my display…

First… I bought cheap piping cord at Hobby Lobby.  I wove strips of it together and glued them to an old canvas frame I already had from my painting days.

Next… I wove hemp string and made a smaller canvas piece.

(Both are on the right corner)

Then… I had a full canvas which I used for the ol’ decoupage paper bag faux leather look.  (Left Corner)

And for the distressed white tube piece (left center)… just used some old cardboard tubing I saved from years ago.  I cut them down, glued them to a canvas board and distressed them after painting them white.  Easy Peasy!

And finally… for the focal art piece of the mantel…

Paper Birch Bark Art!

If you read my blog, you know that I took a trip to Maine a few months ago.  While out sight seeing… we found some cut down and some rotted paper birch limbs!! 

(This is what the paper birch looks like in the fall…so pretty)

My sister-in-law and I went to town gathering some if this stuff on the ground!  She was much better at getting it off the limbs than I was. 

 

I really do love this stuff!

We managed to get a bag full of it for me to use. (Thanks sis!)

After carefully washing and drying the bark, I simply hot glued it in strips to a wood board.  It is one of my favorite pieces on the mantel.

As you can see… I also added a vase with pine cone limbs and some of those left over cut wood slices from my Sliced Wood Pine Cone Trees.

SO MUCH Natural Yummy TEXTURE!!

And as for a full shot… I can only show you half of my fireplace wall. The shipping crate I mentioned earlier is to the right… again, post coming soon!

I have to say…

I’m lovin’ all the natural woodsy elements and textures in this display!

It is one of my favs!

Now… off to finish working on my shipping crate!

Here is last year’s rustic winter mantel which actually got a feature over at HGTV.com (still excited over that one!)

Thanks For Stopping By!