The Painted Apron

Home Decor, Halloween

Posted by the Painted Apron on October 7, 2012 · 11 Comments 

The other day I realized that Fall was in full swing and it was time to start some serious seasonal decorating. It’s not unusual for me to start a small project and turn it into a full blown day long event.  I was supposed to attend to other things this day, but I got bitten by the decorating bug and couldn’t stop…It all began when I wanted to make my mantel decor more seasonal…

My summer mantel was simple and uncluttered, a couple of dramatic candlesticks with a touch of turquoise, topped with glass orbs, a painting with some of the same turquoise blue in the sky, and a shiny, mustard-yellow vase to continue the warm color flow across the mantel.  This was a bright fresh look for summer, but it was time for a change.

The first thing I do when changing decor is to put away all the current decor and clean thoroughly.  I usually end up rearranging the furniture too, I mean if I have to move stuff to vacuum I might as well go crazy…plus I LOVE to rearrange things.  Once I get furniture back in place and the old things put away I pull out the all the seasonal pieces I have, and think about what I want to do.  I also pull out things that might work with the theme or that work with the color scheme…

This mercury glass vase followed me home from Alabama Furniture Market* this summer.  I have already tried it in several places in my house and know it will work in more upcoming Holiday “scapes.” It was my inspiration for this year’s Halloween mantel, I wanted to go “upscale haunted house” but not TOO creepy…not a fan of spider and bat decor… My color palette is black, silver, and orange with a touch of purple.

NOTE: Alabama Furniture Market is located right off I-65 in Calera, about 25 minutes south of Birmingham.  They have GREAT stuff and GREAT prices, everything from baby clothes to fine furniture, lamps, accessories.  Visit alabamafurnituremarket.com for more info

I stacked 2 mini tiger pumpkins on a bubble glass candlestick,

and placed another pumpkin on an upended wine glass

I filled this tall apothecary jar with some finely shredded tinsel from my “bauble box.” My bauble box is a plastic cabinet with 3 drawers that I use to store solid colored Christmas ornaments and glass & silver balls.  I use these ALL year long in many different types of decorating so I like to keep them handy.  The apothecary jar I got from AP [my sis-in-law] at our recent garage sale and I absolutely LOVE it, and I will be using this piece often.

Here are some of my “baubles”

I used the amber orb from the summer mantel and placed it in a burgundy & gold antique looking glass footed dish and placed a silver wire ball in a tarnished silver candlestick

In the center is a large empty frame with a few silver balls.  When Hungry Husband got home he laughed [because I had rearranged the furniture, he’s used to that but doesn’t understand my obsession…] and he said “Did someone steal our painting?” Isn’t he funny, ha ha. He just doesn’t understand artists!

Then I added some more glass & silver balls and a wire garland with more glass and frosted glass balls to weave across the mantel and visually tie everything together.

I like to ease into seasonal decor, start with a little and add to it as the holiday itself nears…I also like to live with things for a few days and see what else inspires me.  This will no doubt grow & change a little over the next few weeks, but it’s enough for now.

To complete the setting I placed our black & white chairs flanking the fireplace, and added some black throw pillows

Some funky metal pumpkins on the hearth and some witch stockings on the fireplace screen.

This large glass candle holder is full of wine corks and mini glitter pumpkins in the base and I replaced the candle with a friendly metal witch and it resides on a plant stand behind one of the chairs.  It is midway between the mantel and the hearth and helps the eye travel down and through the arrangement.  When creating decorative spaces always make sure the eye has a path to follow, otherwise your arrangement will look unfinished or disjointed.

As Halloween approaches, I bet something will appear inside this frame!  Check back to see what changes!

Across the room I had fun with some pillows

I painted one trick and one treat, and of course HH said I needed one to say “or” but I just used this velvet pumpkin instead

I put a rattan tray on the ottoman with a few more mini glitter pumpkins

and I put some more black & white funky pieces on a side buffet with some golden candles to bring the autumn color through the room

and on to the kitchen…I wanted to create a funky “counterscape” in the kitchen with lots of goodies.  I got out my 2 oversized apothecary jars, a vase and my black polka dot jar.

I had been shopping last week with this idea forming in my mind so I bought some stuff to “play” with…it would have been easy to get carried away and spend a lot of $ filling these jars with fancy candies and expensive treats.  I spent some time wandering the aisles looking for color, texture, and price. I found a giant jug of cheese balls at Target for $4.99, a super sized bag of popcorn puffs for about $3, some Halloween Oreos [orange filling], and a big bag of candy corn.

I also bought some flat marshmallows and drew some ghostly faces on them with a sharpie.  I dumped the whole bag of candy corn into the vase on the right and then set the Oreos in rows around and filled the center of the Oreos with more cheese balls. Then I added a row of ghosts and topped it off with more Oreos and more marshmallows.  Cotton balls would have worked as a filler too, but it turned out that I had plenty of stuff. This whole display with napkins cost under $20, not including the treat filled Ball jars.  The total cost for each filled ball jar was only a little over $1, a very affordable treat!  I use my oversize apothecary jars for flowers, filled with Christmas ornaments or fruit,  layered dried beans and nuts…possibilities are endless.  If you invest in a few good pieces, you can use them over and over again.

I also wrote eek! and Boo! on some of the marshmallows.

When my grandson, Super Boy, sees this display he is going to light up like a Halloween pumpkin!

In the twisted glass vase I added some more baubles from my “bauble box” to tie this counterscape into what was going on in the family room.

I found these witchy beverage napkins at Pier 1 and used cupcake wrappers to top the ball jars full of individually wrapped treats

Just flatten out a regular sized cupcake paper and place it over the flat round disc and carefully push metal ring down to seal the jar.  Instant party favor! I filled the jars with caramel Hershey’s kisses, mini caramel apple Milky Ways, candy corn salt water taffy, and Halloween Scooby Do fruit bites.  Something for everyone!

I tucked my “Wendy Witch” needlepoint pillow into the kitchen hang out chair, and I’m ready for the girls to stop by for a Pumpkin Pie Martini  and I will give them a “trick or treat” jar  to take home!

I got the mini glitter pumpkins, witch stockings and napkins at Pier 1.

the large ceramic platter in the kitchen counterscape is from Alabama Furniture Market

painting, pillow and hand painted glassware from JMdesigns Gallery

Have fun decorating! Happy Halloween!

I’m joining the Tablescaper for SEASONAL SUNDAY
Between Naps on the Porch for METAMORPHIS MONDAY
Stone Gable for ON THE MENU MONDAY and TUTORIALS, TIPS & TIDBITS
The Gunny Sack for WHAT’S IN THE GUNNY SACK?
Savvy Southern Style for WOW US WEDNESDAY
Between Naps on the Porch for TABLESCAPE THURSDAY
Rattlebridge Farms for FOODIE FRIDAY

check out these amazing blogs!