Simple Spring Mantel With A Thrift Store Vase

Looking for inspiration to decorate your mantel for Spring? Be inspired with this simple Spring decor and easy DIY vase makeover.

Do you want to know something I realized this week?

It has been two years since I published my first blog post ever right here.

That’s right friends…

Notes for my Daughter’s blog is TWO years old!!

In so many ways I feel like it was just January 2020…and I was settling into my first “get down get low” season.

An intentionally slow season I have named and stationed for myself during the months of January & February where I quiet my soul and still my body MORE…in order to seek and sow.

At times, it can feel like my first “get down, get low” season was just yesterday.

A distinct period of time in my life, when I was stirred with a deep sense that I knew that God was calling me deeper. I settled into deep and blurry…yet decidedly postured to make a change.

I set myself into quiet motion and began researching:

How to start a blog.

For two months, in the quiet of my home, while all three of our young daughters were off to school for the very first time, I buckled in and built this website on my own and started stringing words together which would eventually fill the screen and serve as my first published post: “Uncertain Not Un-Assigned.”

And then?

One week later, our girls bounded off the bus on March 13th, 2020 for what was thought to be a two week break, and as we all know all to well…

They didn’t go back for a very long and unprecedented time.

And so, on the other hand…it does feel like I have been writing to you for what has been two years.

And yet, there it is again…in the same breath?

I feel like I just published this post, about “How to find your faith” and celebrated the Blog turning ONE!

This photo shoot with Breanna Kuhlmann was so fun to do to celebrate my first year writing and also celebrate the next big change I made:

Launching my new home decorating, consulting and staging business, Home with Heather.

And so – In this right now moment?

Whether the breath I am taking in feels like it was just yesterday, that I was prayerfully launching this baby blog into the blogosphere…

Or?

If the deep breath of exhale feels like, yes. Yes, it has been two big years of trust, change, prayer and growth…

Here we are.

Either way friend…I just want to say –

Thank you.

Thank you for reading.

Thank you for commenting.

Thank you for subscribing so you don’t miss a post.

Thank you for sharing the link with a friend when you love a post.

Thank you for being in this blog community with me.

Thank you for supporting this leap of faith of sending prayed over words into the world.

Thank you for your hearts and for your precious moments of time you spend here with me.

I am so grateful to have a welcomed place in your inbox twice a week.

Thank you for helping me to celebrate!

Happy 2nd Birthday to Notes for my Daughter’s blog!

Now how about that mantel?

Simple Spring Mantel With A Thrift Store Vase

Do you see that double handle urn, over my left shoulder, sitting on the mantel?

Here is a close up.

Now before we get to far in here…

Let’s just talk for a half beat about how much vases, oversized vessels and ceramic urns of all sizes and colors are all the rage right now in the decor world.

(I am linking a bunch of vases and Spring decor so you can re-create this mantel for yourself, at the bottom of this post.)

Like these, Joshua handcrafted urns from Pottery Barn.

Or this Rustic Brown vase, also from Pottery Barn that retails for $129.

Or this Pottery Barn Tuscan Terra double handled urn for $229.

Yes…you already know where I am going with this.

Because this isn’t the first time I have fallen in love with a trend but not fallen in love with the price tag that comes with it.

You guessed it.

This double handled urn that is making magic happen on my Spring mantel?

It didn’t always look like this.

Are you ready to see what she looked like when I found her at the thrift store?

There she is…tall dark and interesting.

If you haven’t tried thrifting and flipping yet.

You should know – it’s not always love at first sight with these pieces.

Usually, I see something and I often do not pick it up immediately.

I make a circle around the thrift shop, all the while considering the potential the spotted beauty might have in our home.

After a few walking circles of mental deliberation…I come to a decision.

In this case? Knowing that I was in the market for an oversized vessel, but without the Pottery Barn price tag…I decided to bring her home and work my makeover magic.

I used the same spray paint and paint recipe formula that I created, when I made over this thrift store lamp and this smaller, thrift store vase.

Steps to Makeover A Thrift Store Vase / Vessel

1. Spray paint the vase or vessel. I always use this spray paint in Heirloom White.

2. Next, mix the main paint color of your choice with 1 Tlbs of Salt and 2 Tlbs of Baking Soda

(You can add more salt for a more gritty texture)

For this double handle urn vase makeover, I used Aesthetic White by Sherwin Williams as my all over paint color, mixed with the salt and baking soda.

3. Using a foam brush, start to paint the main color mixture all over the vase.

4. Let the vessel dry completely for at least 45 minutes.

5. Using two more paint colors of your choice, begin to paint accent colors on to the vase, using a dry-brush technique.

“Dry-brush” technique, simply means to dip the brush in the paint and then wipe most of the paint off of the brush onto a towel. Then VERY gently whisk the bristles of the paint brush over the piece you are painting.

I used Anew Gray and Tricorn Black by Sherwin Williams for the two accent colors on this double handle urn makeover.

6. Let the paint layers dry!

7. Bring inside & decorate!

I am loving these faux cherry blossom stems from Michael’s in my new thrift store urn!

You can see these spring floral stems here. I am using five stems in my vase and I have bent the ends of the long stems at varying heights, to give a full and layered look in my new vase!

Should we look at where I started with my Spring mantel one more time?

If this isn’t a Spring DIY decor WIN…I don’t know what is!

I have also tried this urn sitting on our DIY floating shelves in the kitchen and it looks perfect without any florals in it!

She is just as beautiful empty as she is with faux floral stems!

Well friend…I hope you are feeling inspired to break out a few bunnies, hit the thrift store and grab a can of spray paint on the way home! Oh and be sure to tag me on social when you do! I love seeing your posts and personal DIY projects that you have been inspired to take on!

Thank you so much for being part of my blog reading community.

And friend?

You may not realize your impact…but simply by you being here –

You are a brick in the building of a dream I dared to dream two years ago – Thank YOU.

Time flies when you’re having fun!

Speaking of time…

PS – Don’t forget to Spring forward & turn your clocks forward tomorrow night! 🙂

Living on a prayer,

Heather

PS – You can shop the links below to create a similar Spring mantel for yourself. Remember, if you have trouble finding a gold bunny you love (mine is from JoAnn Fabrics last year) you can always spray paint an old bunny you already have or a thrift store bunny like I did last year in this post!

Get The Look – Shop Spring Mantle Decor

Click on an image & it will take you to the website to shop online

*Affiliate Links are used in this post at no additional cost to you.