HALLOWEEN MANTEL DECOR

Halloween is coming, and I've been decorating, decorating, decorating.  I've also been crafting a lot.  I want to save as much money as I can this year, because we have some big projects coming up here at home, so even if that means just a few dollars, I'm happy.  Because of that, I can say that I had a lot of fun this morning, cutting out paper bats, for our mantle display.  Okay, honestly, it was fun for about 10 minutes, and then I was tired of tracing, and cutting, and managing Rordan all at the same time.  I think he knows when I need to do something, because those are the exact times he decides that I'm the center of his world, and he must sit on me.  LOL!  No worries though, I love holding him, it just makes for a longer project.  Luckily, the final outcome proves to me that it was worth my time.  I'm loving the way it looks!
Also, to give credit where credit is due, about three of the bats are actually Martha Stewart paper bats, that I purchased at Michael's last year.  The package had quite a few, but I must have thrown away the ones I used last year, so I didn't have enough to complete the look I wanted for the mantle.  I ended up using the original to create a pattern, and cut the rest out of black card stock.  I used a hole punch for the eyes, and folded them according to the original pattern.  I think they came out pretty nice, so I'm patting myself of the back for that.  I hope you like the photos! 

DIY Paper Bats, Martha Stewart Paper Bats, Target Dollar Spot Halloween Banner & Trick or Treat Sign, & Jack-O-Lantern Votives, Haunted House Tour sign is from ROSS, and all other décor is from either existing items, or Hobby Lobby.

I added a throw from Target, and a pillow from Ikea to bring in the accents of black and white, I wanted.

Here is an overall look at the area, all decorated up!  The gold and black pumpkins are from Target, as well as the pumpkins in the tray.  I've had the owl for quite a few years, and think he will be keeping this spot this year. 

I'm so glad you took a moment to stop by and see the updates!  I'll have more photos to share in the near future, of our outdoor Halloween décor, so check back for those.