Easy Halloween Mantel Ideas

Oversize pieces, such as a picket fence adorned with a barn star, make a bold statement and help keep your mantel simple. Add mini pumpkins and bundles of wheat in vases to finish off the ultimate fall look. Come Halloween, carve some of the mini pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns.

Designer: Bekki Burt, littleredhen4.blogspot.com

A length of bat garland (available at your local crafts store) is a great way to "spookify" your mantel. To re-create the framed bat picture, search for free graphic images online or look through books on animals to tear out and frame.

Designer: Tammy Tant, bgcustomwindows.blogspot.com

The ultimate Halloween accessory? Pumpkins, of course! Use them on your mantel by placing them on top of your favorite vases and tins. Add some seasonal flowers -- or dried ones will do the trick -- for extra flare.

Designer: Rachelle Czuk, fingerprintsonthefridge.com

Bewitch your mantel by filling a vase with dark-color candy (black jelly beans do the trick) and taping a witch face onto it. To create the hat, fold black cardstock into a cone and attach with tape. Then, hot-glue it to a circle base. Embellish with a buckle and surround your cackling friend with mini pumpkins.

Designer: Matthew Mead

Place a few hedge apples (the lumpier the better!) on a cake stand and let faux, creep-crawly spiders go wild. A crow and an apothecary jar filled with miniature skulls are perfect finishing touches.

Designer: Lori Hellander

It wouldn't be Halloween without creepy-crawly creatures. Fill an apothecary jar with Spanish moss and toss in a variety of furry spiders. For an extra spooky effect, have one loose on the side.

Designer: Alysha Cauffman, howdoesshe.com

Just try to keep your fingers off this yummy mantel display. Fill a fall-theme votive holder with candy corn instead of candles and surround with Spanish moss.

Designer: Alysha Cauffman, howdoesshe.com

Send a spooky message by picking up a decal from your local crafts store. To apply, start in the middle and work your way out to the edges, using a credit card to smooth. When applied to a smoothly painted surface, the decal is easy to peel off later. Finish the look by placing a few of your favorite Halloween collectibles on top of the mantel.

Designer: Leanne Jacobs, organizeyourstuffnow.com

Spooky and stylish, this mantel is sure to receive some b-oohs and aahs. Use a matte black spray to deaden an ironstone pitcher and embellish pillar candles with pretty damask stickers.

Designer: Lori Hellander

Print a ghoulish message on the back of index cards and place inside footed apothecary jars. Metal flower frogs do the trick to hold the cards up straight.

Designer: Simone Lagies

Candy corn is not only delicious, it's decorative! Make a mantel garland by hot-gluing pieces onto jute (no stringing necessary). Design the garland a few feet longer than your mantel and drape away!

Designer: Beth Hunter, thestoriesofa2z.com

Transform old books into spooky tales by covering them in heavy-duty brochure paper. Attach your own text and embellishments to the spine. Adding droopy eyes on the mirror is a simple way to add extra fright.

Designer: Matthew Mead

Decorating your mantel for Halloween doesn't have to be creepy or complex. Use oversize pumpkins around the hearth (the warty kinds are the best). Balance their weight with a variety of hanging wreaths and simple mantel adornments.

Give flight to a basic wall bracket by making a faux bat sconce. Wrapped books and a shiny black candlestick offer worthy mantel companions.

• Learn more about the sconce.

Use elements that aren't typical Halloween decorations for a nontraditional and eclectic mantel. Place an old seashell on top of antique books for a hint of vintage style. A blackbird under a glass cloche and cobwebs are easy touches to finish off the display.

Designer: Simone Lagies

Bring a platter new life with a stack of bumpy pumpkins and gourds. Berries and a flickering candle fill out the space.

Turn ordinary candles into bewitching illuminations. Print our spooky letters onto vintage-looking paper, wrap around glass pillar candles, and secure with tape. Add small candles, pumpkins, and berries as festive mantel filler.

Designer: Matthew Mead

• Get the letters here.

Your Halloween mantel doesn't have to evoke fear or fright. A pretty fall flower arrangement looks great coupled with miniature white and orange pumpkins on a cake stand.

Who knew Mona Lisa had such expensive taste in jewelry? Make your mantel fun by bedazzling pictures of famous deceased figures with rhinestones and jewels. Use a variety of frames to make the look uninhibited.

This spooky display overflows with dimension and texture. Old doors or gates are easy to find at garage sales, barn sales, or vintage shops. Pick up one that goes with the decor of your home and use it for the backdrop on your mantel. To create the feather wreath, simply attach a black boa (available at your local crafts or costume store) to a foam wreath. Barren trees, skulls, and a personal message finish the scene in style.

Designer: Laura Putnam, findinghomeonline.com