It's Good to be Green aka: My St Patrick's Day Mantel

Today we are having spring like weather here in southern California. It is suppose to be in the high 70's to low 80's today. Sorry to rub it in for all of you who are still having snow. But our weather is freaking fabulous right now!!!

I really like decorating for Spring. I'm not into using pastel colors. I save that for Easter. I really like using green for spring. And since March is the month for St Patrick's Day, green is even better.

So here is my St Patrick's Day mantel.


I love it! The only "new" purchase is the light green flower ball on the right hand side. I got it at Michael's a few weeks back at 40% off. Everything else I already had or made myself with stuff I already had.

The empty frames are ones I picked up at a thrift store. I painted them Heirloom White, then used watered down burnt umber paint to antique them. I don't have any glaze, so I used what I had.

The "skinned" books came from a thrift store for 10 cents each. No, they did not come already "skinned". I had to do that myself, but I didn't feel too bad "skinning" them.

The topiary I found on clearance a few years back at Ross for $2.99.

The milk glass urn was another thrift store find. I made the green leaf ball last year. I had made some flower balls with Dollar Tree flowers. Then I used the leaves from the flowers to make a couple of leaf balls. Super easy. Just hot glue leaves into a Styrofoam ball.



Can you believe that I made this split pea ball? Of course you can believe it. Just look at it. You can see all kinds of hot glue strings. This was a super easy project too. I used a Styrofoam ball I had lying around (I picked up a bunch last year from the thrift store), squirted hot glue on it (in small sections) and rolled it in split peas I had laying on a paper plate. Fast and easy.

I wanted to make one after I saw one Alison on House of Hepworths made last month. She used a whiffle ball wrapped in paper instead of a Styrofoam one like I used. We both just used what we had.

But this wasn't my first foray into using split peas to decorate with. Remember when I made a split pea wreath last year for spring? And then I painted it black and made a Halloween wreath? I threw it in the trash after Halloween. I may just have to make me another spring one this year.

The St Patty's Day lolly is a recycled project. See I am truly being green. Last month I made Valentine's Day ones. I just peeled off the Valentine Day center & printed out a St Patrick's Day free printable I found online at Anna and Blue Paperie & hot glued it to the center of the book page lolly.

I'm still not tired of the layered look of the empty frame in front of the mirror. I've had it that way for about a year now.

This shamrock wreath came from Michael's a few years back. But they still had them this year. I just used some St Patrick's Day ribbon I already had on hand to tie it to the frame.

Nothing screams St Patty's Day like shamrocks.

On the right hand side of the mantel I placed this milk glass urn. It is another thrift store find. Placed a boxwood decor ball in the urn. It and the larger green ball both came from Tai Pan Trading last year. The small green flower ball is the one "new" item this year from Michael's. You know, the one I mentioned in the beginning of this post. It would be super easy to recreate. But sometimes it's just easier to buy one all ready made.




Another recycled lolly that I morphed from Valentine's Day to St Patty's Day.




And that is why it is good to be green. I only spent $2.39 for the Michael's flower ball for this mantel. Everything else, I already had. It helps when you are a closet hoarder.

Now I think I will go outside and enjoy this beautiful spring weather we are having. Oops! I forgot, I have to work today. Drats! I guess I will just have to enjoy looking out the window at the beautiful spring weather while I slave away working at my desk.



Linking to:

Hookin Up with HOH @ House of Hepworths

Weekend Wrap Up Party @ Tatertots and Jello

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest

Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Chic Cottage