Using Vintage Frames for a Thanksgiving Mantel

Hello everyone! Hallelujah, it's November and so close to Thanksgiving! And we're all looking forward to celebrating, then moving in to the long awaited Christmas Season. Today I'm joining in with a great group of vintage-loving friends who are sharing some ideas and inspiration on how we use Vintage Frames in our home and seasonal decor.  Since it's mid-November I'm going to share my Thanksgiving mantel and show how I've used vintage frames for a fun seasonal mantel.

Oh the little junky vintage frame... 

how many ways to use and love you?

Our hostess and coordinator of this great Hop Series

 is the fun and fabulous Cindy of County Road 407.

Thanks Cindy, for bringing us the fun Hop!

If you're coming from 

Amber at Follow the Yellow Brick Home, 

well Hello, and I'm so glad you're here!

Today I'm sharing how I use these often overlooked vintage and antique pieces.

Many times I actually even use them to hold a print, 

but often it's just for the graphic value to add interest to the mantel or a vignette.

Over the years I've found myself unable to resist a paint chipped, raggedy looking, empty vintage frame. And if they have an old print in them all the better, but I've been known to buy a piece for the frame alone. I love the ornate painted ones the most. It doesn't matter if some of the gesso has flaked or broken, I've painted most of them anyway.

I love to add layers of frames over a large stationary mirror or larger print.

This time I'm using a painted square and a gold oval frame to add interest.

Having a frame included in the background 

helps bring depth, and all the extra pieces together cohesively.

For years I had been waiting for a white mantel

 that I could actually reach and decorate.

The mantel in our last house was beautiful but about 6 feet off the ground 

and I had to use a step stool on the hearth to even move things around.

When we bought this house 2 years ago,

one of the best renovations was remaking the mantel here in the Hearth Room.

This year I added in some vintage Thanksgiving postcards, 

white pumpkins, and a few vintage figurines of pheasants and quail.

(Some of these old cards are totally wacky, 

can you imagine a toddler chasing a turkey with a huge knife?)

I've also added in a small vintage landscape print of fall foliage and sheep.

Stacking old prints along with empty frames gives a lot of interest

and are easily changed up for holidays and seasons.

I really enjoyed putting all this together here on the November mantel; 

it was a trial and error mix-around but I love how it turned out.

Especially adding the adorable little pheasants and quail.

Here are a few other ways I use vintage frames in my decor.

The Frame's the Thing

Using an antique frame to highlight another item,

in this case a chalk sheep's head on my old door.

Several antique prints that needed to be painted to fit in with wall color.

Antique Frame gets a Makeover Update

Using an antique frame to finish off an antique embroidered sampler.

Orphan Sampler Gets an Antique Frame

I have several frames that can rotate prints and botanicals

to match the seasons.

Decorating With Seasonal Botanical Prints

I'm sure there are tons of ways to use old frames creatively.

I'd love to try a gallery wall using empty and artwork:

  Here are a few images from my Pinterest Board Gallery Walls.

Thanks so much for coming by.

We hope you'll continue the Hop 

and find some fun ways to use old frames,

by clicking on the images below.

Or following the links below the images.

Be sure and visit Christy at Our Southern Home 

for some fabulous gallery wall ideas for a beautiful stairway display.

I'll be sharing the rest of the Hearth Room 

for Thanksgiving next week.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

County Road 407

Follow the Yellow Brick Home

 

Common Ground 

 

Our Southern Home  

Sweet Pea 

 

Dabbling and Decorating 

Let's Add Sprinkles 

The Painted Hinge  

Lora B, Create and Ponder