• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partner with Taryn

Taryn Whiteaker

Taryn Whiteaker - Lifestyle and Design Blog

  • My Home Tour
  • Home Styling
    • Room Reveals
      • Our Current Home
      • Our First Home
    • Seasonal Home Tours
  • DIY Projects
    • DIY Home Decor
    • Crafts & Sewing
    • Before and Afters
    • Before and Afters
    • Furniture Builds and Makeovers
  • Seasonal Decor
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fall
    • Fourth of July
    • Halloween
    • Spring
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Printables
  • Entertaining
    • Parties
    • Tablescapes
  • Fashion
  • Travel
  • Recipes

September 25, 2020

DIY Mantel Tutorial

Sharing is caring!

  • Share
  • Tweet

Alright folks! I revealed my mantel makeover earlier this week and I was overwhelmed by the response to it! I had so many people ask for a tutorial on how I made the mantel cover, turns out a lot of you have the same plain mantel and are looking for an easy way to cover it, without having to rip it out and build a new one! So here is my DIY Mantel tutorial, it is relatively easy and turned out even better than I expected.

DIY Mantel Tutorial

Using this DIY Mantel Tutorial you can learn how to make your own wood mantel cover from open shelving, it's easy and full of character.

Rustic Modern Fireplace Makeover

Get this DIY Mantel Tutorial and learn how to make your own reclaimed wood mantel using open shelving. Awesome modern farmhouse fireplace or rustic modern!

The new mantel really made the makeover! This was the priciest part of the refresh but worth it. The paint and the mortar for the first two steps were very inexpensive.

Mantel Supplies

  • (2) 4 ft. Open Shelving
  • Rubber Beam Straps
  • Hammer
  • Liquid Nails
  • Brad Nailer
  • Circular Saw or miter saw

Ok so here is how we left off after I did the 2 coats of plaster, aka the “German Smear” look. Our existing mantel was just a piece of stained wood, nothing special at all. It was too thin for our fireplace and I just wanted something more unique and full of character.

Converting Your Open Shelves To A Mantel

I absolutely fell in love with the pre-made open shelving we used in our kitchen makeover! I had some left over pieces and decided to see if the opening was big enough to slip right over our existing mantel and… BINGO! It was a perfect match. Love it when that happens.

So I ordered two 4 ft. Open Shelving . Your sizing will depend on the size of your mantel, but this worked perfect for mine. Once they arrived, I gently knocked off the end caps and the two support pieces in the center with a hammer.

I had to use my saw to clean up the edges a little bit, but overall it was a super easy process to get them prepped.

The first piece, I left the full 4 ft , this will be the long piece in the center of the mantel.

For the second piece, I cut it in half, straight down the center. My miter saw worked great for this, I just had to use my circular saw to help with a few pieces and clean up the edges.

Because I have a corner fireplace, I had to cut the end pieces at an angle so they fit flush.

Installing Your Wood Mantel

You’ll want to use a level to make sure your pieces are sitting level before you secure them. Then, I used my Brad Nailer to secure them to the existing mantel.

I also nailed under the mantel as well to make sure it was fully secure.

Since the stone is uneven, I had some gaps where the mantel met the stone, so I grabbed a piping bag of mortar and filled in the gaps to create a really clean and polished look. I also did this on the top and bottom.

Time to cover the seems! I tried to find metal u-shaped brackets, or beam straps to go over the seems, but I couldn’t find any that fit the depth of my mantel. So I went on a search online and came up with these rubber faux “beam straps”. I thought I’d give them a try! PS. They are solid black in person, not sure why they are more rustic in the picture.

First, cut them to size. Then, you just want to apply liquid nails to the back and make sure you get all the edges and corners.

In the directions, it says to use a tack to keep the rubber in place and then remove them once the adhesive dries. I decided to put a few finishing nails in and it worked great. You can hardly see them.

I absolutely love how it turned out. The whole process on the fireplace, from painting, to German Schmear was very tedious, the mantel was actually the easiest part!

Shop This Post

Other Posts You May Like:

White Wash Brick Tutorial

German Schmear Stone Fireplace Tutorial

About Taryn Whiteaker

Taryn Whiteaker is the voice of style behind TarynWhiteaker.com (formerly Design, Dining and Diapers) ! Taryn is a previous PR/Marketing professional who got back to her creative roots after becoming a mom and now shares her passion for home decor and design for the world to see. Taryn lives in the greater Seattle area with her husband and three kids and loves coffee, the outdoors, and exploring with her family.

You May Also Like:

  • Natural Fall Mantel
    Natural Fall Mantel
  • Simple Christmas Mantel
    Simple Christmas Mantel
  • Modern Mirror for over the Mantel
    Modern Mirror for over the Mantel
  • Simple Spring Mantel Decor
    Simple Spring Mantel Decor
  • Asymmetrical Garland Mantel
    Asymmetrical Garland Mantel
  • Simple Spring Mantel
    Simple Spring Mantel
  • Scandinavian Inspired Christmas Mantel
    Scandinavian Inspired Christmas Mantel
  • Neutral Summer Mantel
    Neutral Summer Mantel

Filed Under: ALL POSTS, Before and Afters, DIY Home Decor, DIY Projects, Our Current Home, Our Home Projects, Room Reveals

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Looking For Something?

CONNECT

Meet Taryn

Taryn Whiteaker

Hi and welcome! I'm Taryn and the voice of style behind Taryn Whiteaker Designs. I'm a wife, mom of three, and coffee lover, living in the Pacific Northwest! This is where I share my love for design, whether it's decorating our own home, tackling big DIY projects, creating inviting tablescapes, or sharing my personal style. Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list to get all the latest updates! Read more...

Search This Site

Join The Mailing List!

Follow On Instagram!

Which kitchen is your favorite? 1, 2, or 3? Coasta Which kitchen is your favorite? 1, 2, or 3? Coastal farmhouse, earthy contemporary or retro mid-century modern? I recently had the opportunity to tour all three of the model homes at the brand-new Poulsbo Meadows community by @tripointehomes.official . All three homes have completely different styles yet, are equally beautiful. To get each of these looks it all comes down to picking the right finishes and creating a cohesive look for your home. 

On the blog today, I’m walking you through how to mix different finishes together to get each of these looks. Plus, you get to see TONS more pics of the homes. 

The Poulsbo Meadows community is opening soon; you can join the interest list to learn more about the community and availability. #ad #tripointehomes #poulsbomeadows
.
.
.
#kitchendesign #kitchendecor #kitchencabinets #coastalfarmhouse #modernfarmhouse #designinspo #designinspiration #designideas #interiordesign #modelhomes #staging #pnwhomes #pnwrealestate #earthytones #neutralstyle #neutralhome #neutraldecor
And this sums up my excitement right now.... our b And this sums up my excitement right now.... our backyard is all coming together!!!!! Gah I’m loving it so much. I’m been sharing tons of projects in stories over the past couple of weeks - I am (almost) finished putting in this turf with @paverturfgrids and I couldn’t wait to share a peek with you! Sharing tons more soon... but for now, I going to enjoy this... 
.
.
.
Ps. I don’t think I’ve tried this jump since high school cheer and let’s not discuss how many takes it took! 
.
.
.
Partner #paverturfgrids #backyard #backyarddesign #backyardfun #diy #diyhomedecor #diyprojects #diydecor #turf #turfgrass #yardwork #doingneutralright #showemyourstyled #smmakelifebeautiful #thedelightofdecor #ispyraddesign #heyhomehey #currenthomeview #ispymoderndiy #myhousebeautiful #crossfit #crossfitmom
IT’S DONE!!! I still have some finishing touches IT’S DONE!!! I still have some finishing touches to do with lights and styling but I couldn’t wait to share a peek! I seriously cannot believe our house is finally the way I envisioned it so long ago. Thank you all for the input on dark exterior colors, I couldn’t not be happier with how it turned out. I will admit I was a little hesitant with the shingle stain at first, but seeing it all together is so good. It’s the more modern PNW vibe I wanted for our home, I can’t wait to share even more. 
.
.
Exterior/Trim in SW tricorn 
Shingles in SW Black Alder Solid Stain 
.
.
.
#exteriordesign #exterior #exteriorpainting #tricornblack #pnwhome #pnwvibes #curbappeal #sherwinwilliams #exteriors #neutralstyle #darkexterior #interiors #interiordesign #doingneutralright #showemyourstyled #smmakelifebeautiful #thedelightofdecor #ispyraddesign #heyhomehey #currenthomeview #ispymoderndiy #myhousebeautiful
So ready for the weekend! We will be hanging out w So ready for the weekend! We will be hanging out working on the backyard all weekend so tune into stories because I’ll be sharing lots of updates! 
.
.
.
 @liketoknow.it #liketkit http://liketk.it/3d9fw @liketoknow.it.home #hallway #hallwaydecor #hallwaydesign #gallerywall #neutralstyle 
#interiors #interiordesign #doingneutralright #showemyourstyled #smmakelifebeautiful #thedelightofdecor #ispyraddesign #heyhomehey #currenthomeview #ispymoderndiy #myhousebeautiful #cljsquad
Have you thought about adding more smart home tech Have you thought about adding more smart home technology into your own home? #ad It's been something we have talked about a lot over the past year, and I am loving the new products we've recently added from @amazon and @ring to refresh our home! Check out this video to see how I use them in my everyday life and head to the blog to read more about each product and @alexa99 #askalexa #amazonhome #smarthome
Guess what?! Both our leather sofa and drum coffee Guess what?! Both our leather sofa and drum coffee table are back in stock! We love both of these pieces from @overstock (gifted), and they are used daily around here. I will say when it comes to leather couches, we all give this one a 10/10, it’s incredibly comfortable and a piece you will have fore a looooong time. 
.
.
.
 #liketkit http://liketk.it/3cWHf @liketoknow.it @liketoknow.it.home #LTKhome #LTKstyletip #LTKfamily  #bonusroom #movieroom #decoration #decorinspo #interiordesign #interiordecorating #neutralstyle #neutralhome #neutraldecor #leathercouch #midcenturymodern #midmod #cljsquad
Not ready to close the books on spring break! I ha Not ready to close the books on spring break! I have a feeling homeschool is going to be a tad challenging this week 😉. We’ve really enjoyed the past week and low key weekend, it’s definitely getting us all a little more excited for summer and being outside a lot more! 
.
.
.
 @liketoknow.it #liketkit http://liketk.it/3cK8e @liketoknow.it.home #LTKhome #LTKkids #kidsroom #kidsspace #bunkbeds #bunkroom #ombre #accentwall #painting #boysroom #overstockstyle #ombré #interiors #interiordesign #doingneutralright #showemyourstyled #smmakelifebeautiful #thedelightofdecor #ispyraddesign #heyhomehey #currenthomeview #ispymoderndiy #myhousebeautiful #homedecor #homedecoration #homesweethome #diyprojects #diyhomedecor #diydecor
One of my top questions is about the console table One of my top questions is about the console table in our entry way, I got it from Arhaus about 6 years ago and haven’t seen it in stock since... BUT they have two other ones on sale right now that have similar looks to them. I also rounded up a few more that will give you the same look. I linked them to this post in the @liketoknow.it app and will share in stories as well! 
.
.
.
 #liketkit http://liketk.it/3cDC4 @liketoknow.it.home #LTKhome #LTKsalealert #entryway #rusticmodern #consoletable #entrywaydecor #interiors #interiordesign #doingneutralright #showemyourstyled #smmakelifebeautiful #thedelightofdecor #ispyraddesign #heyhomehey #currenthomeview #ispymoderndiy #myhousebeautiful #cljsquad #neutralstyle #neutraldecor #neutralhome
Got our dose of Vitamin D this week! Felt amazing. Got our dose of Vitamin D this week! Felt amazing. But I can’t wait to jump back into projects! Lots of new stuff coming up, I also have a fun video tour of the house coming up tomorrow! 🖤
.
.
.
#springbreak #palmsprings #laquinta #vacation #vacationmode #dinnerdate #datenight❤️ #datenightoutfit #vacationoutfit #resortwear #california #hothusband

Footer

THIS SITE

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partner with Taryn

Privacy Policy

If you are interested in learning more about data that might be collected by this site you are encouraged to read the Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy for TarynWhiteaker.com 

COPYRIGHT POLICY

All images on this site are copyright of Design, Dining and Diapers, LLC. Unless otherwise noted. You may not use these images without written permission. If you would like to feature a project shown on Design, Dining and Diapers you may use a maximum of 2 images and include a visible link back to the project.

Copyright© 2021 · Brunch Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Hosting by 3116 Digital

This site uses cookies: Find out more.