Outside Mantel: Who Would've Thought?

Our deck continues to get spruced up and it is beginning to feel more like a living space.  I've been doing some work on it, which you can read about here and here.  Once the lanterns were hung I knew I would have to add something to the wall behind it, but I wasn't sure what to use.  I initially had pictured some old rustic wood frames or a few canvas prints, but then I got the idea of a mantel.  To fit in with the lanterns, I didn't want anything polished looking, but rather rustic.

 This is where I started, with some metal shelf brackets and a

1 x 6 piece of wood.  I ended up spray painting the brackets black.

 I didn't want the wood to look perfect so I took a hammer

to it and beat it up.  What a workout in a hot garage!

I used Dark Walnut stain that we already had.  I also brushed on 

a satin clear coat to protect it from wear and tear.

Here is the shelf without any decor.  

 I haven't bought anything in particular for the shelf so I had

to shop around the house to find some goodies to put on it.

The finished product.  I can't wait to sit outside tonight and

enjoy a glass of wine by the candlelight.

Cost Breakdown

1 x 6 piece of wood = $5.95

3 shelf brackets = $2.91

stain = free (already had)

decor = free (found around the house)

TOTAL COST = just about $9.00