Feline Festive: My Black Cat Magic Halloween Mantel

Today I’m sharing some feline flair that’s got me in the Howl-oween spirit.  The last several fall seasons I’ve decorated my mantel for autumn or Thanksgiving, but this fall I really wanted to have a Halloween themed mantel.  I was going for a retro vibe, but I don’t have any truly vintage Halloween decorations.  I was inspired by the vintage Halloween décor I saw in an article featuring this home last year.  (Check out photos 3, 8, 11, 12 and 26 especially; I love how she decorated her shelves.)  I noticed black cats are really popular in Halloween décor this year (and I LOVE cats) so that gave me the idea to make a Halloween mantel with a retro black cat Halloween theme.  The only thing is that this theme is a little too specific!  I realized I don’t have quite as many black cat Halloween decorations as I thought I did.  A few years ago I sold a retro look cat candle like this one at a garage sale and I kind of regret it now because it would have worked well on my mantel. (Although I can see why I did.  It’s kind of creepy!)  So I did end up buying a few new items to complete my mantel.  I couldn’t just halfway execute my dream vision, you know? But I dug through all of my fall decorations to use everything I could, pulling out anything and everything with a cat motif, plus other items that I thought would go well with the theme.

I started planning my mantel this summer, and intended to decorate it in early September, but I didn’t actually start working on it until this month.  I managed to get it completed by October 13, plenty of time to enjoy until Halloween.  Thinking ahead, Thanksgiving is early this year, but I would like to switch the decorations over to Thanksgiving the weekend after Halloween if I’m not too busy.

I gathered all my Halloween cats together and placed them on the mantel, then estimated how many more I’d need to complete the look.  Then I kept my eyes peeled for every black cat that crossed my path.  One good thing about waiting so late to work on this, is that a lot of Halloween decorations are on sale or clearance in October, well before Halloween.  (By the time Halloween arrives, the Christmas decorations are out in full force!)  At World Market I found the vintage look paper pulp cat perched on a harvest moon face that lights up and flashes between red and blue. The cats with pointy hats came from Michaels, and the kitty with a jack o lantern pumpkin lamp on his head was a bargain from Victorian Trading Company.

Then I used pumpkins and other spooky props I owned to fill in the mantel.  From my stash of Halloween decorations I included two glittery black pumpkins with green sparkles on them and a black pumpkin with an orange spider web design on it.  These are inexpensive foam pumpkins but they look good once all the other decorations are filled in around them.  The orange glass pumpkin has been a staple on my fall mantel for years; I usually set an owl beside it.  The small pumpkins are from craft shops and shows and have likewise been staples in my fall collection of decorations for a while.  The newest pumpkin is the dark blue celestial pumpkin dusted with glitter, which I bought on clearance at Pier 1.  Other props on my mantel include a spider, a spider web I clipped on the cat lantern, two glittery black flameless votive candles, witches’ boots, and a faux book I’ve had a long time and often use as a decorative accent.

At the base of the fireplace I keep a brown chicken wire basket that I add decorative fillers or other seasonal items to whenever I decorate.  I put some small plastic pumpkins in the bottom of the basket and then topped it with a trio of stuffed animal black cats.  They look really sweet in there.  On the other side of the fireplace I set Princess Kitty, another half-off bargain from Pier 1.  Her tag said:  Although she’s royalty, Princess Kitty is still an apprentice and has lots to learn about black magic.  She’s young though – she’s on just her third of nine lives – so she has time.  Can you see why I’m in love with her?  Her tulle polka dot dress is tutu cute and look at that silver crown on her head!  Next to her I set a pumpkin wagon filled with more small plastic pumpkins that I often put in this exact same spot at fall.  Kitty has her paw on the handle and looks like she’s back from a trip to Price’s Pumpkin Patch.

The last thing I did was add the garland.  I love banners, and this felted wool black cat garland ties the whole look together purr-fectly. The soft strands from World Market are the perfect colors to match my decorations and the kitties giving side eye are cute as can be and have that vintage look I love.  Peek closely at some of my photos that are angled up from the ground, and you’ll see I have a whole bunch of clear plastic Command hooks on the underside of my mantel to hold garlands, Christmas lights, mini lanterns… they’re removable but I leave them up year round because as a whole they’re spaced the right distance apart to accommodate just about every garland I own.

Some of the decorations light up and cast a spooky glow at night.  I love the little handmade paper cat luminary I bought at the Atlanta New Earth Festival for only $2.  It looks so cool with a battery operated faux candle inside!

What do you think?  Did I go overboard?  I definitely went all in on this theme, and am already looking forward to casting a spell of black cat magic again next year!  What Halloween decorations are you loving  this year?