My $5 Mantle Makeover

 

Have I mentioned that I’m completely, totally, utterly obsessed with Fixer Upper? My friend Emily kept talking about how great it was and that the couple is hilarious and the style is fantastic…but all I heard was that it’s on HGTV and I totally tuned out. See, we’re on a budget, and a fairly strict one at that. In the same way that I need to ignore 99% of Pinterest, it’s very very safe to say that I should probably stay away from all shows that encourage the general purchasing of things.

 

But.

 

Y’all, I know this is going to sound crazy, but watching Fixer Upper makes me feel Texan again. The accents, the shots of Waco (which, by the way, Waco has never looked cooler than it does in that show), the laid-back attitudes, all of it. When I watch it it’s almost like I get to be back but I get to stay in Arkansas too…the best of both worlds!

 

So here’s the thing: this mantle makeover cost me $5 because I already had all of the other things except for the window, which was purchased basically as-is at my local Habitat for Humanity store. I cleaned it up, used a little steel wool on the paint, and called it good (although there may be plans in the future to distress it more later). Then I just went with a couple of my other favorites – a print from Red Letter Words, a couple of aloe plants from my mother-in-law, a lantern from Nate’s grandmother and a vase with some pinecones. I think as the weather turns warmer I may put the aloe plants outside and add more color with a fun vase and fresh flowers, but for now it’s a nice little nautical-inspired space in our house.

 

And you know what? After I did it Nate called me a little Joanna Gaines and it kind of made me feel really good about myself. No shame y’all 🙂

 

What are your favorite tips/tricks to redecorate on a budget? I’m thinking my Habitat store will be seeing a lot more of me in the near future!