My name is Pretty Handy Girl and I am addicted to my Christmas mantel. Yes, I have used it since December 2012. I needed to enroll myself in a program that would help me get unhooked from holiday mantel décor. Truth be told, I needed a little help from my friends to change my habitual ways. So let’s turn this Christmas mantel into A Lazy Girl’s Patriotic Summer Mantel.

Thanks to my good friends on Facebook and Instagram, they intervened and guided me in the right direction. With some suggestions they helped me turn around and get my life back in the correct season.

Using my kitchen upheaval as an excuse is really only acceptable for one or two months. I used that lame explanation as a crutch for seven months! But, the issue became glaringly apparent when our good friend and house sitter remarked that she thought that was our Christmas mantel still up in June. {busted} Before she settled into our home (while we left for an extended vacation), I knew I had to change it up.

Everyone had some great ideas, but the easiest and quickest were to add buntings and some blue. Within 45 minutes (because I always have to play around with things for at least half an hour.) I had a fresh seasonally-appropriate Patriotic mantel.

Inexpensive buntings from Michael’s were the undeniable champion in this makeover.

A few American flags in a cobalt blue bottle brought some more patriotism onto the scene. Red, white and blue books were an easy way to add the right colors.

The stars remained unchanged, except I ripped off the crispy dead sprigs of rosemary.

Antique tins and a cigar box bring out the Americana feel.

Yup, give me 45 minutes and I can change a Christmas mantel…

…into a Fourth of July mantel!

Thank you to my social media friends for your help and for not turning me in to the decorating police. xxxooo