DIY Faux Mantel Update

I have been absent over here for a couple of weeks.


Maybe you didn't notice ; )

Being a single (home schooling) mom with three kids still at home comes with a weight that is often impossible to bear alone. But guess what? Jesus knows that, and He never asks me to bear it alone. It's my own self-imposed weight I lug around! 

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says that rest and relief are always available through Him. You wouldn't think I'd need to be reminded so often, but apparently I do! 

The amplified Bible says it like this:

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. {I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.}

Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls."

Pretty awesome, huh? I sure like the idea of blessed quiet for my soul. 

Sometimes I have these comical daydreams about Jesus dealing with me like this:

I'm dragging around this horrendously heavy bag of rocks. I'm whining and crying about how heavy it is, and how hard it is to carry. I can't do this! Then I catch a glimpse of Jesus standing nearby, smiling and shaking his head at me. As he moves toward me, I have this sudden realization of how ridiculous I look! {for the millionth time}

He stands in front of me and holds out his hands and says, "Come on, Jeanette. Hand it over". 

And then he tells me to go rest, and someone will be by shortly to rub my feet. Ha! I just added that last part to my daydream :) 

So you wanna see one of the projects I've been working on recently? 

A while back I showed you the mayhem going on in our living room. This is how the creative process usually works for me. Get an idea. Pull together ALL the potential things I could use to build/create what I'm thinking and eventually something is born out of the crazy mess. 

This time the idea was to create a more substantial faux mantel for our little electric fireplace.

In the past I've used the backdrop I made from a faux brick panel trimmed out with pieces from an old crib panel.

I've even tried my chippy vintage door for something a little different behind the fireplace. 

I've used various things for the mantel shelf, including old drawer fronts and pieces of barn wood. 

Last fall I went pretty rustic with the mantel area, using part of a pallet as the base for the nature inspired theme. 

And here's the newly reconfigured faux mantel! Yes, this did come together out of that pile of random stuff. 
If you've been around here for awhile, you won't be surprised to know my mission was to create the faux mantel using materials I already had, and without spending money. 
If you are new here, I hope you'll find some inspiration to create something unique for your home with more imagination than money! 



You may recall the large garden gate wall hanging I created last year. It was time for a change (many months ago) so I dismantled it and the pieces have now been used for the mantel. (I'll share the details in another post)



A few weeks ago, I picked up two of these old wire baskets, and two ironstone dishes, like the one on the left, for .25¢ each.

Old paper, ironstone, rustic wood and metal... a collection of my favorite things. 

The photo in the antique round frame is so precious to me! All four of my kids together on the beach in San Diego (over four years ago) when my parents rented a beach house for all of us. We arrived as dusk approached, and were immediately drawn to the water's edge to take it all in. 
Best vacation ever. Eldest is married now, and that toddler who was afraid to dip his feet in the water is now a very tall 7-year-old! 

Above the mantel I hung an antique piano panel that I've had for many years. 

The pieces that form the "hearth" are parts from a vintage door and a random white chippy piece of wood (found in this shape), all picked up curbside. 

The rest of the living room is still in progress, but almost finished.
These photos are really deceiving in that they make the space in here look much larger than it really is! 

My living room is tiny, and I'm still working on how I'm going to arrange the sectional (known as the "brown beast"). I would love a new rug for this room, but it's not in the budget, so we'll see what I can come up with. The wheels are always turning...

I love knowing that even in a rented house, I can work to create a home that has the feeling I love without making permanent changes, and without spending a lot of money. 
I hope someone will be encouraged by that! 

Maybe our next home will have a real fireplace. For now, I'm really happy with the look and feel of my "new" faux mantel. I appreciate you coming by to take a look! 

I promise I'll share more about what's happening with our family in the coming weeks. For now, could I humbly ask my praying friends to lift us up as it comes to mind? There's so many big decisions to be made that will affect everyone in my family, and I would appreciate prayers for wisdom and clarity about how to handle things. 

Thanks so much, friends! I'll share the tutorial for how I created the mantel in a future post, and I would LOVE to stay connected with you over on Facebook! {sorry I don't have the technology needed for Instagram yet} 

Blessings-

Jeanette




Sharing over at
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Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch to Yours
What's It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Tweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little House
The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse
Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Party Junk at Funky Junk Interiors
Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Vintage Inspiration Party