A Warm Fall Mantel

In the spirit of keeping with the "new and improved" frugal Lo, the hubs requested that I not go overboard with buying all new fall decorations and cascading them all over the house during the renovation.  Who me?!?  CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!!  I wasn't planning on doing anything too extravagant anyway... jeeze.

I am quite impressed with what I was able to find by "shopping" in my own house.  Almost everything on this mantel was somewhere in the house collecting dust with the exception of some fresh fall scented candles and a craft pumpkin from Target.

These faux fall leaves were a purchase from Pottery Barn a few years back.  I used double-sided tape to adhere them to a candle holder and wrapped some twine around to hold everything in place.

I love how this amber colored decanter fits perfectly with the warm tones I was going for.  It belonged to my Grammy Grace.  It comes with 6 mini glasses used for port wine (shown here with the candy corns and candle).

And my little craft project of the day.  I just had to have a chevron pumpkin this year.  They are everywhere!  Courtney at, A Thoughtful Place, posted an easy to follow tutorial on how to make one the other day.

I've had these milk bottles for over 10 years!  If I remember correctly, I gifted them to myself as a house warming present when I moved into an apartment in the North End of Boston.  Yeah, that sounds like something I would do.

The ribbon was saved from last Halloween and the candy corns are obviously new, but in my opinion, food shouldn't count as a new purchase.

So what's the tally?  $6 for candles and $10 for a craft pumpkin...and I'll even throw in the candy corns for 2 bucks.  That's a whopping $18.  Challenge accepted?  Challenge WON!  What do you think?!

I'm sharing this post at these fab blogs...
{M} * The Dedicated House {W} Somewhat Simple {F}* Common Ground * Design Dazzle * Five Days... Five Ways * French Country Cottage * Happy Hour Projects * It's a Hodgepodge Life * Nap Time Crafters * Serenity Now * Simply Designing * Simple Home Life * Stuff and Nonsense * Tatertots & Jello * The 36th Avenue * The Romantic Home * Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hippo * The Shabby Nest * Thirty Handmade Days * Truly Lovely