Summer Mantel with Mason Jars and Lemons
Does your mantel need a summer refresh? Until recently mine was still decorated for spring. This month’s Pinterest Challenge gave me the motivation I needed to come up with a new design. Our inspiration pin this month was a summer mantel and it inspired me to create my version, a Summer Mantel with Mason Jars and Lemons.
Today’s mantel is a Pinterest challenge that I’m sharing along with a group of blogging friends. This is a monthly challenge hosted by Cindy from County Road 407. Each month Cindy picks a picture from Pinterest and challenges our group to recreate the look.
You may remember last month’s challenge where our group used Lanterns for Summer Decor, May’s Patriotic Porch Decor, April’s Spring Floral Wreaths and also the challenge from March where we each created an Easter Centerpiece and Table. 
Many thanks to Cindy for hosting this challenge!
If you arrived here from Decor to Adore, welcome! Laura is a blog friend that I’ve known for years and I adore her style. I’m sure that you enjoyed seeing her version of this month’s mantel inspiration picture. You’ll find a list of all of the participating bloggers at the end of this post. I’m looking forward to seeing how everyone recreated this look.
Our Inspiration for this Challenge
This month we were challenged to create a Summer Mantel inspired by this beautiful mantel created by Samantha of Little Bits of Home.
Isn’t this a beautiful mantel? When Cindy sent this picture to me, I couldn’t wait to get started on this challenge. I examined Samantha’s mantel, thinking about what I would need to create this look for my own home.
Samantha’s mantel’s feature element is a round scrollwork mirror. She used white vases with yellow flowers, blue candle holders and jars, and a stack of white books.
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Summer Mantel with Vintage Mason Jars and Lemons
The Mirror
This is my version of Samantha’s mantel. I started my decorating my mantel with the mirror. Lucky for me, I had a similar mantel in my attic. Mine is the Southern Living at Home Church Street Mirror. If you were decorating in the early 2000’s, you probably have a Southern Living at Home piece or two in your home. If you like my mirror, I saw a few for sale on Ebay. This one from Target resembles mine as does this one from Amazon.
Adding in Blue
After the mirror was in place, I focused on blue glass. I don’t have any blue glass candle holders or vases, but I do have plenty of blue Ball Jars and blue insulators. After a quick trip to the basement, I had the blue in the inspiration picture covered.
The majority of my Ball jars belonged to both of my grandmothers. I also recently acquired a few more from a friend who was cleaning out his grandmother’s house. When your friends know that you like vintage, you often are the recipient of treasures that they don’t want.
Add a Pop of Yellow
The inspiration mantel is anchored by white vases filled with Forsythia. Since it’s summer, I didn’t want to use Forsythia, a spring floral, so I decided to add a pop of yellow to each side of the mantel with lemons in clear Ball jars. I’ve had my lemons from Michaels for many years. 
Add Height with Greenery
I wanted to add some height to the mantel, so I added in two large Ball jars filled with Eucalyptus sprays also used on my spring mantel.
Decorate the Fireplace Hearth
The color of the mirror complements our fireplace screen that I know is out of date. Even though it’s old, and not what would be in a modern build, I’ve always liked this fireplace screen, probably because it reminds me of what was in my home growing up. A lot of bloggers would have painted this brick but I like it as is.
To add a pop of yellow to the fireplace hearth, I added a wooden bowl filled with faux lemons on top of an antique tool box.
The baskets are handmade in Middletown, Maryland and belonged to my grandmother. The smaller basket was my dad’s and then my Easter basket. Do you see George Washington peeping through the glass?
Coordinating the Decor to the Left and Right of the Fireplace
When I’m reading a blog post, I like to see more than just a glimpse of a space that a blogger is sharing. Since I like to see all of a space, I’m sharing all the wall that the fireplace is on. The summer display to the right of the mantel already was decorated with greens and yellows which complement the mantel nicely. 
The music stand to the left of the mantel was decorated with an Indian theme that didn’t go with this mantel at all, so I change it out with a few pieces of milk glass. The green of the plant and sea glass complements the greenery on the mantel and the cork complements the mirror.
Last Look
My mantel had been decorated for spring since late March and this update was much needed. This Pinterest challenge was the push I needed to bring some new decor into my living room.
My mantel is now summer ready and I have many weeks to enjoy it until it will be time to start to think about changing it over to fall. I’m a summer lover and I don’t want to even think about fall right now!
Many thanks to Samantha from Little Bits of Home for this month’s Pinterest challenge inspiration. I enjoyed this challenge and like how I interpreted it for my home with my style of decor.
Next on the tour is Barbara from French Ethereal. I’m looking forward to seeing Barbara’s version of the mantel inspiration picture.
More Summer Mantels to Enjoy
Click on the links below to visit each blogger who is sharing their version of the inspiration picture. I’m looking forward to seeing them all!
If you don’t see the links, click on the blue “Click Here to Enter” button. InLinkz can be wonky and sometimes the links show and sometimes they don’t!
So many interesting things to look at on your fireplace mantel and hearth! You nailed it.
Thank you so much! I had a lot of fun putting this together.
Paula
I did see the little guy peeking out from the fireplace. So cute. I love your fireplace and the surround. Super cute interpretation with the mason jars and lemons. You and Cindy were totally on the same page. I like getting a glimpse of the whole space too.
Thank you, Katie! Cindy and I both were on the same page with with blue jars and lemons. I’m loving this summer mantel!
Paula
Paula I love your collection of the ball jars. Your mantel looks so pretty and screams summertime fun. Love it!
Thank you, Terrie! I had fun pulling my vintage jars and insulators out of the basement to use for this challenge.
Paula, not only do we have tennis and horses in common, we have a love of blue mason jars. I’ve used mine on the mantle too and I love how you mixed yours up and used the eucalyptus for height. The lemons are just as great for color as flowers. Your antique tool box is awesome and you are so lucky to have those wonderful baskets. Don’t worry about the fireplace screen ~ brass is in vogue! Hugs, Carol
Thank you, Carol! I loved seeing you at Haven and I think that if we lived in the same town that we would hang out often.
Paula
Blue mason jars and insulators are some of my favorite design elements. The blue is so perfect. Bravo!
Thank you, Laura. I’m glad to have a new look for summer.
Paula
I think, next to Samantha, you got the “inspiration” more like hers. I love your mirror but I’d take the insulators off. I would like less on the mantel overall. I like your blog, so keep up the good work!
After I took my pictures for this post, I had the same thought about the insulators. Great minds think alike! 🙂
Thank you so much for reading my blog and for taking the time to comment.
Paula
Hi Paula!
I love your mantel. It’s so fresh and summery! Right now, I have blue jars (not mason) and jugs on my mantel. I love using blue for summer. A friend was over the other day and told me I should do a post on it. Ha…maybe she’s right! 😉 I hope your week is off to a great start! It’s time to get together again!
>>> Kim
I think you should do a post on your summer mantel, especially since your friend encouraged you to do so. I hope we can get together again very soon!
Paula
Hi Paula, I love all your beautiful blues that you’ve used on your mantel and draperies and that wonderful old wooden box. You have a wonderful collection of old Ball jars and insulators, so pretty!
Thank you, Debra! I love using my vintage things for decorating.
Paula
O.k…I gotta admit the little guy inside the fireplace was freaking me out a little! At least I know who it is now;) You had the perfect mirror to create this whole look! Of course us vintage lovers needed to use our aqua ball jars! Love the summertime look of the lemons; I was thinking…why didn’t I think of that?
Our George Washington andirons were made locally by Virginia Metalcrafters. When my husband saw George in an antique shop he had to have him. We have friends who remember their parents having these when they were growing up. Another common Virginia Metalcrafter andiron set is owls with glowing eyes.
Paula
Paula, I think your mantel turned out beautifully! I love all the blue glass and the pops of color on the end. Great minds think alike I guess since I used lemons too. 😉 Love your chest at the bottom and the curtains as well. What a wonderful place to sit and relax. Thank you so much for joining in!
I like that you didn’t COPY the inspiration. I also like that you brought the yellow down to give more impact. My favorite feature though is the milk glass ashtrays. Exquisite! I don’t collect milkglass but I do love it.
Thank you, Wendy! The milk glass ashtrays were a lucky find at a yardsale between our lake house and SML State Park.
Paula
Paula, I love that you have your grandmother’s old canning jars as part of your mantel. They are so pretty with the blue-green insulators! I do have a couple of Southern Living pieces ~ an angel blowing a kiss (she needs her wings reglued) and a tall lantern on a stand. I need to pull them out; what’s old is new again!
Enjoy your summer mantel,
Barb 🙂
Thank you, Barbara! I used to have a lot of SL@H pieces but I’ve since given a lot of them away.
Paula
Your mantel looks perfectly inspired by the photo you used! Love the aqua jars and the clear ones with the yellow lemons instead of the forsythia! Just lovely, sweet friend! Pinned!
Thank you, Julie! I’m really happy to have this space updated for summer.
Paula
This is just lovely and fresh, I simply love your spin on this mantel! And as always, I love all of the history you share! <3
Thank you, Laurie! You know I love using my vintage things for decorating.
Paula
Love this mantle styling Paula. Fresh, colorful and summery. Thanks for sharing at Happiness is Homemade Link Party.
Thank you, Carol! I’m going to enjoy it for as long as possible until it’s time to redecorate it for fall.
Paula
Love your mantel, Paula! You did a great job putting your own spin on it by presenting a similar color scheme in different forms. Yours looks so lovely!
Thank you so much, Crissy! I’m loving how this looks and I’m going to enjoy it for as long as possible because before I know it, it will be time to decorate for fall. (Especially since we bloggers decorate soooo early for each season.)
Paula
Your mantle is lovely, Paula. I love mason jars, but I’m especially partial to the insulators. My Dad was a installer/repairman for the telephone company back in the day. Thank you for sharing at Party In Your PJ’s!
Insulators are extra special to you, Ann! Thank you so much for your kind comment.
Paula
That’s all so pretty, I love the lemons in the jar for a splash of extra colour.
I too like to see the whole setting, it all makes more sense then doesn’t it?
I agree that seeing the entire setting makes more sense, especially if the reader of the post is new to your blog and has never seen the space. Thanks so much for visiting! I’m loving the lemons for summer.
Paula
I appreciate your sharing the whole setting. Your mantel looks so homey and the room is very inviting.
Thank you, Carol! I’m always curious when a blogger just shares a tiny portion of a space. I enjoy seeing it all!
Paula
Paula,
The vintage canning jars and electrical insulators are the perfect blues to match the blue in the Pinterest Mantel challenge.
Nicely done! Looks so refreshing against white.
Judith
Thank you so much! I’ve been enjoying this mantel.
Paula
Paula, I love pairing vintage and natural decor. (I’m sharing a lemon-inspired vintage tablescape next week.) Your mantel is lovely! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm!
Thank you so much, Cecelia.