Spring Mantel Ideas

Spring Mantel Ideas: inspired by spring picnics this mantel is decorated with vintage picnic baskets, and picnic art.

Jump to:

• A Picnic Inspired Mantel
• Vintage Picnic Baskets
• Picnic Art
• More Picnic Inspired Decor
• Which Version Do You Like Best?

Perhaps because we've all been home so long, or perhaps because it's spring and I can't wait for warmer weather to enjoy the outdoors, this mantel was inspired by the idea of a picnic.  I hope it fills you with lots of spring mantel ideas.

A Picnic Inspired Mantel

I love picnics.  What's not to love? Delicious food, beautiful outdoor setting, and great friends, who doesn't love a picnic? Well it's not quite picnic weather here, but it will be coming soon.  And we can always start with a little inspiration indoors like this.  I thought this was a fun idea for a mantel, and something a little bit different.

Story telling in decorating is always a great starting point, so I'm definitely thinking of picnic days with this decor.  I was inspired by my picnic basket collection.  These picnic baskets get used often when I'm styling picnics for the blog -check out all our past picnic posts here.  I recently made over my storage area, and where they had been scattered around in any spot I could find for them in the past, in the makeover they were all grouped together.  They looked so great, I thought they should be on display somewhere.

Vintage Picnic Baskets

Since I have a corner fireplace, I always have to use something like a backdrop for the large mantel.  I usually use a mirror, or piece of art, but I thought it would be fun to stack up the baskets as a backdrop.  They're beautiful and full of texture.  That was my picnic inspired mantel starting point.

Picnic Art

I thought it would be fun to include some images of picnics.  There is actually so much picnic inspired art.  I found a few beautiful ones on-line.

Monet's Luncheon on the Grass is a beautiful one, and now public domain so you can download and print it.  The beautiful greens are so pretty for spring too.

I also found this vintage black and white print called "A Picnic In The Park" from 1942.  Their outfits and the setting is so charming.  It looks great in a black and white frame.  I loved looking at picnic art some much, that I will definitely be on the look for it in the future, especially at antique stores, and the thrift store.

More Picnic Inspired Decor

I actually fussed with this simple mantel for days, trying different versions of it.  The picnic baskets and the texture they bring, are probably my favourite part.  I also added in a vintage carboy in a wicker basket as well.

It made me think of homemade wine at a European picnic.  I also added in some plants for the feeling of spring.  All the plants are in grey containers to help tie them together.

Which Version Do You Like Best?

I tried layering the pictures, but they seemed like too much that way.

I added a green wine bottle to tie in with the wine at the picnic in the Monet painting.

Then, I tried a lighter bottle thinking there was too much green And, I thought the vintage trophy was a nice nod to picnic games of the past.  I even switched out the plants, thinking the vine was pretty, but the crocus felt more like spring.

I'm not sure if I've landed on the final version yet, but I love the idea of a picnic inspired mantel to help me usher in picnic season.  Part of decorating should always be playing, and giving ourselves permission to try different things. Which version do you like?