Black & White Spooky Halloween Mantel

It’s October, which means my children have been talking about Halloween for a month already lol. In fact, I shared their easy DIY ninja turtle costumes HERE.  Yes I already made them and they are perfect for a family theme too!  I have to admit, I’m not big on Halloween decor, but my kids have been begging me for some spooky magic around the home.  How can I say no to that? In efforts to keep the Halloween decor from looking too cheesy but still spooky enough to satisfy their frighting appetites, I put together this black & white spooky Halloween mantel.

Also, if you are coming from Styled With Lace, then welcome!  I just love the mother daughter duo that Kim and Lacey make.  They always have great ideas.

I feel there are 2 approaches to seasonal decor.  One is to scatter little hinds all around the home.  The second is to go for a large impact in one space…I chose the latter! The foundation of my Halloween mantel is made up of everyday home decor items that I keep around my house.  However I did sneak some rats and skulls in too.

How to create a black & white spooky Halloween mantel

Start with books! Old books can take on a whole new persona when flipped around showing their aged pages and covered in cob webs!  Books are the foundation of this Halloween mantel.  Stack them, lean them, and use them for elevation changes.  I even opened one to look like a spell book.  Help paint the full picture by adding an empty vase spilling down.

Now that we’ve got our spell books displayed bring on the potions!  I absolutely love using my apothecary jars all year round.  I fill them with seasonal decor (shown here) or use them as vases.  For this Halloween mantel, I simply added water and food coloring.  Pick your color and have fun!  I went with blue and green because they fit with my living room color scheme better.  As much as any Halloween decor  could coordinate anyway lol!

Now for the centerpiece!  A large vintage looking picture frame will do the trick.  Again, old items help create the spooky, creepy, authentic feel of Halloween.  I simply placed this scull on a mercury glass jar right in the middle.  The old frame creates the focal point and draws the eye right to the dead guy!  Drape some black mesh cloth over the top and voila!

These candlesticks have turned out to be one of my favorite purchases.  I used them in my fall tablescape and my fall mantel too.  It’s funny how they look so haunting when paired with rats and cob webs lol.

Look how the mood changes when they are lit!   Did you catch those pesky rats too? Gross!

Now to add a little shine and mystery to the mix.  I had the mercury glass orb displayed on my coffee table tray.  I snatched it and transformed it into an enchanted crystal ball.  What witch doesn’t have one of those?

These handprinted ceramic black and white pumpkins have floated all around my home too.  They have lived on my fall porch and on my fall table setting, and now they take on the total halloween feel perched on both sides of my spooky bewitched mantel.

Can you make out what these mini hand painted ceramic black and white pumpkins say?  Thats right…B-E-W-A-R-E!

When creating a high impact seasonal scene, consider moving outside the box a bit, or in this case the mantel!  A witches hat floats mysteriously from the ceiling and some evil bats fly off the wall.  This keeps the display form looking too flat.

Adding the cop webs really took the creepy factor up!  Remember a little goes a long way.  I bought a whole bag and probably used 1/16 of it.

Jumping off the mantel lets move down to the hearth where a witches broom stands tall.  I made this broom out of a bundle of branches I found at Hobby Lobby.  I simply tied them together and stuck a tree branch from my yard in the top.  With the addition of this checked black and white ribbon, it was complete.  Easy and inexpensive.

I filled a black and white witches cauldron to the brim with mini pumpkins. Every witch needs a cauldron and it doesnt have to be the plastic bucket.  It can be something you already own!

Did this black and white spooky Halloween mantel totally creep you out?   When my son returned home from school to this Halloween scene he really freaked out (in a good way)! I think the witch will find her den quite equip for her next evil adventure!

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Up next on our Fall/Halloween tour is Sheila of Maison De Cinq.  You won’t want to miss her gorgeous fall table setting! She always has the most beautiful seasonal tables.  Also below is a list of all the Halloween blog participants just incase you get lost along the way!

Want to recreate this mantel in your own home? Shop my Halloween decor below.

Shop My Halloween Decor Here

Halloween Hop Participants:

Mysha – Remington Avenue

Sheila – Maison de Cinq

Ashley – Curls and Cashmere

Janine – Happy Happy Nester

Judy – Life is Better at Home

Martha – Simple Cozy Charm

Olivia – Reinvented Collection

Jodie and Julie – The Design Twins

Jackie – Finding Lovely

Joan – 2LadiesandaChair

Ashley – Modern Glam

Kim and Lacey – Styled With Lace

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