Like previous years, I put together a Thanksgiving mantel in addition to my more generic Autumn Harvest version. After my pallet art didn't work out, I actually had no idea what I was going to do this year until I went to Home Depot after Halloween and they had sheaves of wheat on sale for only 88 cents. I knew immediately I could do so much with them (and I love the symbolism of harvesting sheaves of wheat at Thanksgiving.)
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”To me that is exactly what Thanksgiving is about. Be thankful and rejoicing over the abundance of what we have.. as a result of hard work, sacrifice or just blessing.
~Psalm 126:6
I can remember them singing the hymn “Bringing in the Sheaves” on episodes of Little House House on The Prairie when I was a kid. There is just something nostalgic about it (apparently I’m not the only one). 
And of course, to counterbalance all this symbolism, I had to include some beer bottles.. since nothing says “a holiday spent with family” like booze!
The hardest part of the whole thing was creating the garland:
I strung a wire across the mantel and then wired on small bundles of wheat one at a time:
I worked towards the middle until the ends of the wheat bundles met.
Then I cut the length of the bundles shorter and shorter until the the center of the garland was nothing more than then heads of the wheat:
I added the rest of the sheaves to a milk jug on the fireplace hearth:
The other side is a basket of fall produce I had leftover from my Halloween decor:
I also re-used the apothecary jar and additional gourds from Halloween on the mantel shelf itself:
I am happy with how it came out. Sure it is a lot of wheat, but I sorta like the monochromatic color palette.
Now all I have to do is sit back and wait for Thanksgiving.
Just like the hymn lyrics say:
"Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves."
