Peckled

No tricks here – this mantle is all treats! For those who personally know me, you know Halloween is my favorite. (Though when Christmas comes you might call me a liar.)

Decoratively speaking, I love all the possibilities in color combinations and tone that Halloween offers. You can have a sweet and soft scheme with muted candy corn colors, go sassy with witchy blacks and deep oranges, or totally kiddish with bright greens and purples. Your house can transform into a haunted haven or look sweet as candy with the right combination and it’s so fun to play around!

Though elegant isn’t usually a word that comes to mind for Halloween, I wanted to try for a pretty and feminine feel on the mantlescape this year. Black and white is such a classic combination that I don’t usually get to work with, and I love how the elements came together for a fresh take on this traditionally spooky holiday.

Tips & ~~Tricks~~ Treats to achieve this look:

Cut craft pumpkins in half (saves you money and space!) and adorn with jewels, ribbon, and jewelry. Check out the large pumpkin on the right – it’s wearing a necklace!
Fill glass apothecary jars with black and white notions – feathers, black eyed peas, glittered picks – and place battery operated flameless candles inside.
Use candles with a timer or remote so you won’t have to dismantle your jars to turn them on.
Place black ravens about with each “looking” at something specific to add mystery and life to your scheme.
String a paper pinwheel garland along the bottom to set your tone and anchor your scheme.
Most importantly, do what makes YOU happy – after all, you’re the one who will be enjoying it!

Let’s journey:

(By the way… YES! Those are fishnet stockings around the tallest apothecary jar. I just slid one leg over the top and wrapped the rest around the base. Also, I used mason jar rings to hold the pumpkin halves in place. Never underestimate the versatility of unexpected items!)
Witching you a spooktacular Halloween!
happy peckled decorating y’all,

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Howdy partner! Welcome to Box Town. We ain’t seen you ’round these parts before, how ’bout you sit for a spell in the Silly Saloon and have you nice glass of sweet tea while we show you a lil’ history ’bout our town…

Gathering large boxes will be easier than you think – simply give your local hardware & appliance store a call. When I told them I needed fridge, washer, and dryer boxes for an upcoming family reunion they were certainly curious. When I further explained that it was for a children’s “box town” they were highly amused and said they’d be happy to gather them for me!

You may want to reverse the boxes (as shown below) to have a clean surface to paint and adorn. Simply cut through one corner and flip the box around. Secure the edge with STRAPPING TAPE – you’ll find it in the shipping section of your local office supply store; it’s the one with lines – trust me, duct tape, shipping tape, any other tape you can think of will NOT do the trick as nicely as strapping tape.

Beware, your little ones may protest you cutting the box in fear of you ruining it forever…

The box town was certainly a hit – as were the cowboy and cowgirl cutouts hand painted by my Aunt Jane. Aren’t they awesome?! We all took turns (children and adults!) getting our pictures taken. The little ones especially loved opening and closing all the doors. Use old drawer hardware for a perfect doorknob for little hands! Be sure to cut fun windows and lookouts too.

There’s no photo (oops) but all the boxes were secured together with strapping tape and a crawl through hole was cut through the inside of the town. The kids could enter the side door of the jail and crawl through the inside of the town all the way to the other side. The little ones seemed to love that aspect and it was easy enough to do.

I can’t wait to show you the rest of our Wild Western Family Reunion! Details should be coming soon. Until then…

So glad you stopped on by – y’all come back now, ya hear?

peckled love folks,

See more Other DIY CARDBOARD and Fun Games

{DIY} :: elegant Halloween mantel

{DIY} :: cardboard box town