Get ready to transform your home with these stunning patriotic mantel decor ideas! Patriotism, Nantucket, pastels, hydrangeas and more come together to create a festive and elegant celebration for the 4th of July.
In today’s blog post, discover how we styled our fireplace mantel with nostalgic, patriotic flair and added complementary decorations to the room for a cohesive, charming look.
Decorating for the Fourth of July is a favorite here at Summerhill! After vacationing in Nantucket, I was inspired to bring a touch of Nantucket charm to our home for this patriotic holiday.
The best place to start?
Our fireplace mantel!
Join me as I walk you through these patriotic mantel decor ideas and explore how we've decorated other areas of the house to complement the mantel.
Patriotic Mantel Decor Ideas
While looking for inspiration on Pinterest, I discovered I gravitated to two new design styles: grandmillennial and coastal grandma. These styles of home decor fit the inspiration I absorbed from Nantucket – click here to see some scenes from Nantucket on my YouTube video and the full home tour.
Grandmillennial and coastal grandma decor are similar because they embrace a nostalgic, cozy aesthetic that incorporates vintage elements, natural materials, and personal touches to create inviting and charming spaces.
Patriotic Mantel Decor Ideas
Now that we know where this design style is going, let's start with the largest items on the mantel.
Patriotic Mantel Art
Remember me mentioning vacationing at Nantucket? I was so inspired by their patriotism, hydrangeas, and preppy style that I couldn't wait to bring them into our home.
And the best place to begin designing is the heart of the home—the fireplace mantel.
Patriotic Fireplace Art
To begin with, I needed a couple of large pieces of art to act as the focal point. Trying to keep this a budget-friendly project, I created this watercolor American flag with the stars replaced with hydrangeas.
Did I mention that Nantucket is known for its hydrangeas in the summer? The island is an explosion of blue hydrangeas. It is absolutely picturesque!
So, I decided that hydrangeas must be a theme in this grandma-core mantel display design, starting with a piece of art I designed.
This watercolor hydrangea flag is available in our Etsy shop here. Decoupage it to foam board and add it to your favorite frame; like magic, you have a 4th of July decoration.
We placed the art in front of an old mirror decorated with block-print wrapping paper, another way to save pennies on this project.
Patriotic Books
It was time to place smaller items around the art, so we grabbed books in complementary colors and titles related to our patriotic holiday. We placed stacks of books on each side of the mantel.
Nostalgic Red, White & Blue Dishes
Next, we added dishes and vases. Using red and blue dishes brings those Americana colors into the design.
Vintage Vases
And a vintage white crock vase to help anchor the design and give a new height.
On the other side of the mantel, we used a simple white milk pitcher on top of the books and a blue star hanging on the wall behind it.
Vintage Brass Candlestick Holders & Candles
Once we placed all the pieces on the fireplace mantel, we used many vintage brass candlestick holders and candles to fill in the holes. But remember, we still made sure there was negative space between everything. This helps the design not to feel too cluttered.
Baskets & Flowers
Last, we kept the hanging basket on the mantel but added fresh crepe myrtle flowers this time.
This worked out great for about one day, and then I changed it to faux white hydrangeas from Homegoods. They looked so real, and I figured this way, the design would look great all summer long.
Check out my YouTube video to see how new faux hydrangeas look.
Lastly, to bring more of the red, white, and blue colors into this area, I added ribbons to match the watercolor flag art.
Patriotic Living Room Decorations
Now that the patriotic mantel is finished let's add other decorations around the room to compliment the chimney mantel.
Patriotic Garland Decoration
In addition to offering art in our Etsy shop, we also have garlands, and this is one of my two favorites from this year.
This patriotic swag banner garland has a color scheme similar to the watercolor hydrangea flag, so we added it across the room to the TV dresser.
Patriotic TV Art
In addition to the art over the fireplace shelf, I added some YouTube art to the television. This really brings color and ambiance to this side of the room.
Patriotic Throw Pillows
Last in the living room area are these pretty chambray-striped pillows topped with an American flag pillow I have had for many years.
Remember Coastal Grandma and Grandmillennial both incorporate cozy natural textiles? All these patriotic pillows are made of natural soft materials.
Patriotic Dining Room Decorations
Behind the sofa is our dining table. Well, actually, it is one of our dining tables. We use this table the most for craft projects and eating while watching TV. Since it is part of the main living area, we couldn't leave it out of the decor.
Patriotic Hydrangea Centerpiece
We kept the living room simple but added more hydrangeas to the design in the dining area.
These blue hydrangeas are exactly what grows in Nantucket.
For the table centerpiece, I tossed a white linen runner onto the table, topped it with chalk-painted wood, and made a patriotic arrangement of flowers with blue hydrangeas and American flags inside an old ironstone pitcher.
It looks like we brought flowers home from Nantucket, but really, we got them at Trader Joe's. LOL!
Patriotic Bookcase Decorations
Last, we added a few decorations to the bookcases to showcase our patriotic pride: patriotic presidential decorations and more vintage patriotic decorations. Again, you can see these in the YouTube video.
Now, let's head over to the entryway, where I literally tossed together a few decorations.
Patriotic Entryway Decorations
When decorating your home for the holidays remember to add a few touches of decor in the entryway. This is an invitation to what is to come inside.
Patriotic Hydrangea Wreath
On my ornate mirror I love to add a wreath but this year I tucked in some small bundles of white hydrangeas and ribbon to the mantel.
I hung the wreath with a large suction cup hook, tucked in the hydrangeas, and tied a sailor's knot with the ribbons. The ribbon really pops against the greenery.
Red, White and Blue Lamp
Next, let's discuss the lamp on the entryway table. This plain white lamp begged for some decorations, so I added more ribbons in patriotic colors around it.
Then, patriotic books underneath the lamp to give it height and a more patriotic style.
Overall, the entryway has all the patriotic feels.
Patriotic Bench Decor
Off of the main entryway is a bench in the hall. On the bench, we changed the pillows to blue and white and added probably one of my favorite patriotic vintage finds from last year.
Isn't this eagle so cool? He has patriotism written all over him.
Now, let's head into the kitchen, where I changed the dishes on the hutch and added another garland Hannah made.
Patriotic Kitchen Decor
The last room to share is our kitchen sitting room. On the hutch, we changed the dishes to our blue Currier and Ives and the red transferware designs.
We kept some white pieces to give the space a fresh, crisp look.
Then, on the other side of the room, Hamilton, our bunny, is carrying a basket full of flags, and another printable garland is on the wall.
I love how this patriotic bow garland turned out. The color scheme works perfectly with the watercolor hydrangea flag. This garland is easy to make, inexpensive, and looks great anywhere.
This patriotic bow garland is also available in our Etsy shop. All you do is download it, print it, cut out the bows, string them on twine or ribbon and decorate your home or party.
You can decorate with it on your mantel, wall, furniture, hutch, mirrors, or anywhere else.
Well, that sums up our tour and how to decorate for the 4th of July in a Nantucket style. Here are a few final thoughts.
Final Thoughts
Even though we were decorating for the 4th of July, these ideas can easily work for other patriotic holidays such as Memorial Day, Presidents Day, Flag Day, Veterans Day, and more.
Another idea is to decorate red, white, and blue in May for Memorial Day and leave the decor up all summer until Labor Day. The colors are classic and timeless, making summer decor easy because you can enjoy it for months.
For more patriotic decorating ideas, check out these blog posts:
I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post and got some ideas for decorating your home for the 4th of July. What are your favorite decor ideas in this article? Please share in the comments.
Happy Decorating!
