No Magic Is Required for This Last-Minute Halloween Mantel Idea
Just $30 and some fishing line.
Updated Oct 11, 2018 8:29 PM
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Mallory Fletchall’s Brooklyn apartment is the epitome of bright and airy—and that doesn’t change come October. Instead of adhering fake bats to her gorgeous molding-clad walls or crowding the mantel with gourds, the Reserve Home founder is opting for something a bit more luminous this Halloween: floating candles.
It isn’t a special spell that holds the LED wax-wrapped lights in midair over the fireplace. The trick is actually invisible thread (or monofilament fishing line). Fletchall suspended the 10 pieces she scored on Amazon (only $32 for the pack) from the ceiling and shared the full how-to on her Instagram Stories this week. In case you missed her Harry Potter–inspired optical illusion, here’s the gist:
The Supplies
- Fishing line
- Flameless LED candles
- Tape
- A staple gun
Step 1: Wrap your clear thread around the base of the flame, knot it, and tape it in place. Attach the end of the string to the ceiling. (Fletchall used a staple gun for this part because she and her partner are already so used to patching and spot-painting holes in their place, but you can use any type of adhesive.) To ensure they all hang straight, wrap another string vertically around the candle like a sling. Tape it in place, then adhere it to the ceiling. The candle should be suspended with the threads on either side of it. Repeat this for all, displaying them at various heights.
You don’t have to wave a wand or whisper abracadabra to set the mood: The fake candlesticks Fletchall purchased come with a remote control, so she can turn them on and off (and even switch them to flicker mode) easily to really make her home feel like a haunted house.
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