Fireplace Mantel on a Budget

So I'm in college, which means there is a budget for everything. My room really isn't decorated much at all because I don't wanna spend the money on it, but a fireplace mantel simply cannot be left bare:

Doesn't that look so sad? (Those little lamps in the alcoves are permanent and have a little fake flickering candle... how charming, haha.)

Anyway, I've been buying old/cool looking books at DI (Utah's version of a Goodwill) for a while now and I knew that I wanted some of them on there, but I also knew that I needed a few bigger pieces to tie in and really fill the space.

A day off of volleyball plus a recent paycheck equals me going to DI and oh.my.word. the thrifting angels were seriously with me.

This is what the mantel looks like now:

The basket that the picture is in was $2 as and is really sturdy and has those two handle things on it that I think look really cool. The picture was also $2 and I feel a little bad like I stole it or something because I think it is seriously so cool.

See what I mean about the books? I love to read, but these were definitely purchased for showcasing.They ranged from 50 cents to $2.

The silver screw-looking thing was in a basket over by industrial tools and nails and screws and such and I have absolutely no idea what it is. A couple guys over there gave me funny looks when I grabbed it looking so excited. It was $1. The basket on the right just looked cool and had the same metal color as the screw-thing.

Now for the best part...I first spotted the two tallest of the jars on a shelf and got so excited. Then walking through a totally different section of the store, I saw the smallest one and ran over and grabbed it with a face of total surprise and satisfaction. And the best thing about DI? They were each a whopping $2. I know. I KNOW. Aren't they so perfect?

Before and after:

Overall I'm pretty proud of it, although visually I still think it's a tad bit heavy on the left so when I go back sometime, we'll see if I can't find something to put in the basket to give the right side a little more visual weight.