Apothecary Mantle
I love all things fall, and one of my favorite parts about fall is Halloween.
I think it all stems back to the awesome Halloween parties my mom would throw for me and my friends and all of her creativity. I would get so excited when she would get the decorations out and start transforming our house for the holiday months.
I do not usually decorate this early but I wanted to get this post up for those of you who need some inspiration for the upcoming month. I also plan to post my porch décor but that is going to have to wait until closer to October or my neighbors are going to think I'm nuts.
I wanted to take an authentic approach to my Halloween décor this year. I've always loved the super detailed sets of "I SPY" books...especially the Halloween one. The closer you look the more you find. After getting a great deal on those Lia Griffith glass vials, combined with those super cool "Frankenstein" lights, I knew an apothecary/witch doctor/Sherlock Holmes/scientist vibe would be perfect! A lot of the décor is homemade or just simple use of things I had around my house.
I got this piece of wood from my Dad. He's my go to resource for projects! It came off a 120 year old barn. I love pieces with a story! There is actually a little bit of the original red barn paint on the back but I didn't use that side because I felt this side matched the décor better. As for the font, I hand painted it while looking at a template on my phone. It's not perfect but I am pleased with the way it came out.
Here's my handsome hubby helping me hang it! By the way, I covered the "not so attractive" large mirror in the back by hanging some old beige curtains I had in a storage tote on a tension rod.
Aren't those lights great!?! And yes, I did hang them with thumb tacks. It's all about using what you've got on hand people!
Here I am taking advantage of a nap time to work. I dyed most of the paper I used with good old Lipton tea! I've been doing that on art projects since high school!
Okay enough with the prep work pictures...here are some close ups of the finished product!
Those scissors are actually my Great-Grandma's hair dressing shears back from when she used to do hair. My dad brought the feather inside from our yard to show our son and it ended out fitting perfectly! I found the vintage books on the side of the road in a box outside an elderly lady's house in my neighborhood. She was throwing them away, so I helped myself, haha.
This anatomy poster was super fun to make. The wooden ends are actually paint stir sticks stained and aged to match the old feel of the décor. The wooden crate is a classic Target dollar spot find.
I usually stray away from cheesy Halloween décor but that white cheesecloth was only $1 at Dollar General so I couldn't pass it up.
This was another fun piece to make. I had some old fabric samples laying around so I combined those with ripped paper to make this layered "doctor's journal". The fabric measuring tape is also another Target dollar spot find I've had for over a year.
I went on a search for these cicada shells like I used to when I was a kid. Somehow I did not find myself near as fearless as back then. I would walk around with these things on my shirt. Yuck! However, they do add the perfect creepy touch!
I got this vintage drawer at a local antique shop a couple months back for added home décor. Although they are usually used elsewhere in the house, they were the PERFECT addition to this mantle. I love how the little cubbies hold different details.
Adding this melting candle made the set even more authentic. My husband says his favorite part about the set up is that it looks alive...like the apothecary is still working.
This skull has been in our family's Halloween decorations for years. It's actually pretty heavy and not cheap plastic like most you find. We usually keep that candle in the back of the skull, but opted to pull it out.
More cubby details. If we do this set up again next year on the mantle I hope to fill more of those adorable little boxes with creepy finds.
Another full view.
Here is what it looks like in the darker part of the day...so tastefully creepy!
(This was before I had tucked away that hanging extension cord.)
I hope this inspired you for the upcoming Halloween season. Happy Decorating!
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