9 Halloween Mantel Decor Ideas That Last Until Thanksgiving
I’ve never been the person who goes all out for Halloween. Fall is more my thing, so most of my Halloween mantel decor ideas start with pumpkins and end with a few spooky touches on top. I live on Pinterest this time of year, saving every cozy fall mantel I find. But the girls are getting older, and this year they kept asking why our house isn’t spookier.
So we met in the middle. I did one fall setup that stays from the beginning of October all the way to Thanksgiving, then added a few Halloween pieces to it. Once Halloween is over, I can just take those pieces out and add some flowers for Thanksgiving. No starting over, no second round of decorating. That was the whole point.
It’s nothing close to the haunted house the girls were hoping for. I wanted something cute and calm, and I kept reminding myself that less is more. Here’s what I did on the mantel and the coffee table.
1. Start With Fall Decor That Lasts Until Thanksgiving
Fall and Halloween happen at the same time anyway, so I stopped treating them like two separate setups. My fall Halloween mantel decor starts with pumpkins, books, and berries that can stay up until Thanksgiving. The Halloween pieces sit on top of that.
After Halloween, I’ll take away the skulls and skeletons and put flowers in their place, and the mantel will still look finished. It’s one of the few Halloween decorating ideas for mantels that saves me time later, because I only decorate once.
We have a TV above the fireplace, so I kept everything low in the middle and put the taller pieces on the ends. If you’re planning Halloween mantel decor with a TV, that’s the easiest way to keep the screen clear.
2. Put A Skull Planter On Each Side
I got these black skull heads and thought they were really cute. They came already filled with flowers, which I love, so most of the work was done for me. Dark burgundy blooms, black leaves, and long black strands hanging down the sides.
I put one on each side of the fireplace. Two matching pieces on the ends make the whole mantel look balanced, and they’re a good example of elegant Halloween mantel decorations that are still a little spooky.
3. Stack Decorative Books In The Middle
In the middle, I stacked two decorative books. I love this Ralph Lauren book, and the black-and-white striped one on top of it goes with everything else on the mantel.
Books give you height without adding more stuff, which helps a lot when you’re trying to keep things simple. It’s one of those Halloween mantel ideas that costs nothing if you already have a few pretty books.
4. Add One Big Pumpkin On Top
On top of the books is my big white velvet pumpkin with feathers. It’s one of my favorite pumpkins, and we’ve had it for several years. I use it over and over every year because I can’t get enough of how beautiful it is in person. Pictures don’t do it justice.
One large pumpkin in the center does more for Halloween mantel decor than small ones spread across the whole thing. I’ve tried it both ways, and the big one wins every time.
5. Mix In Black And White Checkered Pumpkins
Around the big pumpkin, I added a few mini white pumpkins and our black and white checkered ones. I think the checkered pattern looks really pretty next to orange, and it’s what gives the mantel a Halloween look instead of only fall.
A black and white Halloween mantel is also easy to match with whatever you already own.
6. Repeat One Color, Like Orange Berries
I added a few orange berry stems to the flowers in the skull planters. Then I tucked the same berries in between the pumpkins.
It’s a small thing, but repeating one color from end to end is what makes everything look consistent instead of random. Of all my Halloween mantel decorating ideas, this is the easiest one to copy.
7. Add Skeleton Figurines On Each Side
The girls wanted more Halloween, so I added two skeleton figurines that I really liked, one on each side of the pumpkins. They’re wearing black and white stripes and holding a little red rose.
They’re more dressed up than scary, which is about as spooky as I get. LOL!
8. Carry It Over To The Coffee Table
I did the same thing on the coffee table so the room feels connected. I started with a leather tray, then added a glass cloche with spiders and a little scroll of The Raven inside. That one was the girls’ choice, and they were so proud of it.
Next to it, I put another book with a checkered pumpkin on top, a few more orange berries, and a black raven candle. Once I lit the candle, it looked really nice and just spooky enough.
9. Stop Before It Gets Crowded
I tried adding more leaves and more black branches around the mantel. It started to feel overwhelming, and it took away from the elegant look I wanted. So I pulled back.
You can keep it spooky without turning your Halloween fireplace mantel into a haunted house. If you’re not sure, remove one thing and look again. That little trick has never failed me.
We did the same thing in the kitchen, and I’ll share that in the next post. All of this was really easy and took me less than an hour to put together. It’s nice, elegant, and pretty minimal, even with everything I added. If you try any of these Halloween fireplace decor ideas, start with the two ends and the middle, and you’re most of the way there.
FAQ
How To Decorate A Mantel For Halloween?
Start with three things. Two matching pieces for the ends and one large pumpkin for the center. Fill in with a few small pumpkins and stop there. That’s the order I follow for all my Halloween fireplace mantel ideas.
How Do You Decorate A Halloween Mantel With A TV Above It?
Keep the middle low and put your taller pieces on the ends. My pumpkins and books sit under the TV, and the skull planters stand on each side where nothing blocks the screen. Most Halloween decorating ideas for fireplace mantel setups forget about the TV, so this is the tip I’d follow first.
How Do You Decorate Your Home Between Halloween And Thanksgiving?
I keep the fall base and switch out only the Halloween pieces. Pumpkins, books, and berries stay until Thanksgiving. The skulls, skeletons, and spiders come down, and I add some flowers in their place. My Halloween fireplace mantel decor was planned that way from the start, so there’s no second round of decorating.
How Long Past Halloween Can You Leave Halloween Decorations Up?
There’s no rule. I take the spooky pieces down right after Halloween and leave the fall decor up until Thanksgiving. That’s exactly how I planned this mantel from the start.
How Do I Make A Spooky Halloween Mantel Look Classy?
Stick to two or three colors. I used black, white, and a little orange. Classy Halloween decor is mostly about leaving some empty space, so I skip anything that covers the whole mantel.
Do I Need A Halloween Mantel Garland Or Sign?
No. I didn’t use a Halloween mantel garland this year because the skull planters already have a lot of flowers and leaves. I skipped a Halloween mantel sign too, since the TV takes up that wall. If your mantel looks bare, a simple garland works. Just keep everything else minimal.
Are There Easy DIY Halloween Mantel Decorations?
The easiest one is what I did with the skull planters. Get a few berry stems and tuck them into flowers or between pumpkins you already have. It’s quick, and it ties everything together.
Is It Halloween Mantel Or Halloween Mantle?
Both get used. Mantel is the correct spelling for the shelf above a fireplace, and mantle is a very common way to write it. Searching for Halloween mantle ideas will bring up the same kind of decor.
What Are Good Spooky Halloween Mantel Ideas For Kids?
Let them pick one piece. My girls chose the glass cloche with the spiders, and they were so proud of it. It’s one of my favorite mantel Halloween decorating ideas because the kids get their spooky and I get to keep the rest calm.
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