Summer’s approach often inspires a desire to freshen your home, and your mantel offers the ideal place to start. You’ll find 30 different approaches here, blending both modern and rustic inspirations with cheerful shades and outdoor elements for an inviting summer look.
Group Aqua Glass Bottles for a Coastal Vibe
Several aqua glass bottles, from short bud vases to larger carboys, can be grouped on your mantel with small white starfish around their bases.
Aqua Jars Filled With Green Glass Create a Refreshing Display
Arrange aqua-colored glass jars filled with green sea glass on your mantel. The varying shades of blue and green look like beach treasures.
Bright Yellow Branches Add Sunshine and Height
If you need a bright accent with some vertical reach, place tall branches with yellow blossoms into slender, dark gray glass vases. Position one vase on either side of a central mirror on your shelf.
Wooden Crate on Wheels for Easy Plant Placement
A rustic wooden crate fitted with casters makes it easy to move potted plants around. You can reposition them to follow the best light or simply to refresh a corner of the room.
Its rough wood texture also provides a farmhouse feel against the plant’s greenery.
Layer a White Trunk and Wire Basket on Your Hearth
A vintage white trunk on the fireplace hearth holds a wire basket for pillows or blankets.
Teal Vases and Pink Branches for a Playful Pop of Color
If you’re after a refreshing look, group several teal glass vases of varying sizes on your mantel. Add delicate pink branches with small flowers to give them height.
Glass Candlesticks Frame a Whimsical Owl Figurine
Clear glass candlesticks of varying heights give an airy feel on your mantel. A small, white owl figurine sits between them.
Tall Branches in a Clear Bottle Add Natural Drama
When your mantelpiece could use some vertical presence, tuck several tall, dry branches inside a large, clear glass bottle. Their organic shapes offer a visual counterpoint to the clean lines of a nearby mirror or shelf.
Group Textured Moss Balls and Orbs for Natural Interest
Arrange various textured spheres, like moss balls and woven rattan orbs, across your mantel. You can add a pedestal bowl filled with faux green fruit.
A rustic woven bottle also complements these natural elements.
Layer Woven Wall Baskets for Organic Texture
A collection of woven baskets in various shapes and sizes can be hung on a wall. For a more complete look, incorporate items like a straw hat, old keys, or dried hydrangeas among them.
This creates a layered arrangement of natural materials.
Driftwood Branch Anchors a Coastal Mantel Display
When creating a coastal vignette, lay a substantial piece of driftwood horizontally across the shelf above your fireplace. Use it as an organic anchor, grouping it with a white lantern, a coiled rope knot, and transparent vessels filled with shells and candles.
Aqua Glass Bottles Hold Single Stems and Greenery
A collection of vintage-inspired aqua glass bottles arranged on the mantel offers a light, airy look. They come in varied shapes and sizes, all a clear blue.
Each vessel can hold a single stem of greenery or a delicate flower, creating a scattered arrangement of blooms.
Mini Picket Fence Displays Photos and Bunting
When you want a charming, changeable display, use a miniature white picket fence to hang photos and festive fabric bunting. Clothespins make it simple to attach or swap out items for showing summer memories.
Glass Hurricane Vase Filled With Beach Finds
To bring a touch of the seaside indoors, fill a tall, clear hurricane vase with an assortment of seashells, sand dollars, and smooth stones. This striking coastal display introduces raw texture and color to the area above your fireplace.
Tall Galvanized Vases Add Industrial Height
Tall, galvanized metal vases sit on either end of your mantel. They can hold large branches or greenery.
Rustic Star and Greenery Create Country Charm
A large metal star on the mantel is draped with ivy or other greenery.
Chalkboard Art with Folded Paper Flowers
Against a chalkboard, draw a simple design for a festive backdrop. Embellish it with colorful, folded paper rosettes in red, white, and blue; these mimic fireworks, adding a playful, patriotic touch to the space above your fireplace.
Yellow Door Backdrop for a Beach-Themed Mantel
Use a painted yellow door as a backdrop for your mantel. Layer in a “BEACH” sign, small galvanized planters with trailing greenery, and starfish.
White Milk Bottle Vase Anchors Spring Branches
Pink and white spring branches make a generous arrangement. They sit tall in a white ceramic vase, which is shaped like a classic milk bottle.
Its simple form allows the delicate blossoms and bare branches to be the main focus.
White Pallet Wall Displays Hanging Glass Vases
If you’re looking for a vertical display for small glass vessels, a white-painted wooden pallet can be repurposed for this. It lets you show individual flower stems and bits of greenery right on the wall.
Rustic Window Frame with Herb Wreath Adds Garden Charm
If you like the look of an indoor garden, hang a grapevine wreath with fresh herbs on an old, distressed window frame. Chicken wire stretched behind the frame adds texture and support.
Clear Cylinder Vases with Frosted Floral Etching
Line up clear cylinder vases, some with subtle frosted floral etching, filled with water and bright roses, allowing the delicate patterns to complement the fresh blooms.
Coastal Sign with Starfish Garland Adds Beachy Charm
Above your fireplace, a light blue wooden sign features white lettering and a playful message. Across the sign’s top edge, drape a garland of tiny ivory starfish strung on a thick rope.
Mercury Glass Votives Add Shimmer to a White Shelf
Group mercury glass votives in varying sizes and colors across your mantel or shelf. Their reflective surfaces catch the light against the white backdrop and framed art.
Distressed Wood Panel Creates a Rustic Backdrop
A backdrop made from weathered, horizontally stacked wood planks, with its mix of natural tones and painted white sections, grounds your mantel decor behind floral arrangements.
Glass Bottles Hung on Wood for Delicate Single-Stem Displays
On a slatted wooden backdrop, glass bottles are attached with metal clips. These repurposed bottles can then hold delicate greenery or small blooms, each displayed individually.
Distressed Window Frame Holds a Twig Wreath
You can lean a rustic, distressed window frame against a stone fireplace, then hang a simple twig and greenery wreath from it with a ribbon.
Woven Basket and Coca-Cola Bottles Create Summery Vignettes
When you want to assemble a summery mantel display, place a woven basket atop a tiered shelf for height. Flank this central piece with vintage Coca-Cola bottles holding sunflowers.
Pastel Triangle Banner Spells Out Summer
Above the mantel or on a blank wall, a banner of pastel triangles spells out ‘Summer’. The individual triangles feature a gingham pattern and hang from thin ribbon.
Pineapple and Citrus Fruits Anchor Tropical Flowers
Place a whole pineapple, limes, and lemons among large tropical flowers and delicate greenery on your mantelpiece. The citrus fruits add pops of yellow and green against the foliage.
