Cindy's Mantle Gets a Makeover with Scrapbook Paper and an Old Window

If you are anything like me, giving your home a makeover is very satisfying and rewarding, but it can come with a hefty price tag which isn’t always conducive to the household budget.

One way I bring in a fresh, updated look is to change small spaces throughout my home. One of those spaces is my mantle. It’s literally the first thing you see when you walk in my front door or my garage door. It gives my living room a focal point and pulls the overall feel of the family room together.

I can decorate it fairly inexpensively multiple times throughout the year. Being able to do this gives me that feeling you get when you re-arrange furniture, which I, unfortunately, am unable to do due to space limitations.

My mantle has been decorated for the holidays since last fall. It started with fall decor, then Christmas, then Valentine’s Day, and finally Easter. 

Y’all know I love Pioneer Woman colors, especially teal, red, and yellow … and I love all her patterns and prints — so much so, Kayla actually created a set of scrapbook paper that mimics the Pioneer Woman style, and goes perfectly with my decor.

As soon as I saw this set of papers, I knew I had to incorporate it into my mantle makeover.

I’ve had this window for years; I use it often on my mantle. I love to layer it with other pictures or sit signs in front of it. Sometimes I hang things on it, like a tassel or a piece of art. I knew I wanted to try the scrapbook paper behind each pane of glass.

I used the clear adhesive dots from Dollar Tree to attach each piece of paper to the window.

The image below shows the paper in each window pane. One of the problems I had is that the paper does not fill the space completely. The height of the pane is about an inch longer than the paper. I thought I could live with it, but my OCD just wouldn't allow it. Adding a small strip of paper to the short piece gives the illusion that it's one whole piece of paper.

Another issue I discovered after leaving it sitting on the mantle for a few weeks is that the clear adhesive dots would not hold the paper in place over an extended period of time. I used one dot for each corner, thinking that would be plenty, but after sitting for a bit, the paper began to come loose. 

Off the mantle it came. I had to start again!!

This project definitely gave me a run for my money. I went through two sets of scrapbook paper trying to make it look right, along with multiple accents of decor pieces. I finally decided to incorporate some pictures of Griffin into the window. I have to admit, his pictures are pretty darn cute in the window panes. They are not a perfect fit, but I think it looks okay.

If I'm being honest, I'm not completely satisfied with the overall look, but I'm going to leave it alone for now. I love the vintage touches I added -- the ruby red glass cup and saucer, the bright red rooster, a blue Ball canning jar, and the yellow glass coil oil lamp. These items, along with the hand-crafted floral picture that Kayla made, pulled all my colors together beautifully.

Unfortunately, the window itself looks messy and busy, in my opinion. I really like the idea of using the scrapbook paper to dress up the window and with a larger dot or glue strip, I believe the paper will stay put. 

The great thing about using scrapbook paper in your decor is you can easily change it out with the seasons and holidays ... plus, it's super inexpensive. But even if you don't use it in your decor, it's so fun to craft with, and it's very affordable.

Be sure to check out our full line of custom-designed scrapbook paper on our website. Kayla and I designed it all and we love it. We've received a lot of positive feedback . 

We offer digital versions of all our sets. The digital sets are only $4.99 each! That is a bargain! You get eight different designs!

Think outside the box -- you'll be amazed by the possibilities.

Happy Crafting!

Cindy