Decorating for Fall

If you enjoy decorating your home for every season or holiday it is a good idea to create a 'decorating kit'. Put together a collection of items that are frequently needed when decorating. These might include: a hammer, nails, tape, hot glue gun, scissors, wire, a pencil and tape measure. Add pipe cleaner, felt, raffia, ribbons, and any other useful items as you obtain them.

If you have the storage room keep seasonal decorations in plastic boxes with lids. Label one box 'Fall'. Keep items such as leaf garlands, ceramic pumpkins, and straw wreaths stored together in this way. If you have cut a garland or in any way customized a decoration to fit a certain spot, attach a note with a twist tie before you put it away stating the exact location for it to be used again.

Autumn decorating items can often be found while taking a walk outdoors. Pick up attractive leaves, pinecones, twigs or ornamental grasses. Remember not to take plants or flowers from others yards with out permission. Most state and national parks have restrictions on plants that can be picked. Always check first.

A trip to a local pumpkin farm or apple orchard can supply many other useful decorating items as well as good things to eat and drink. Miniature pumpkins and gourds have many decorating uses. Place 3 or 4 around a candle stick with an autumn hued candle for a simple centerpiece, table, or mantle decoration. Intertwine a little craft store ivy or a leaf garland for a more complete look.

If you feel a bit more talented carve a small hole on the stem ends and use the produce itself as the candleholder. Tightly fit a taper or votive candle into the pumpkins or gourds. This will work with apples too, though the duration is more limited. Whenever you use actual produce in decorating, protect your table by placing a plate, foil or plastic under the arrangement to keep moisture away from the wood.

If you have a pedestal cake stand it is easy to create an impressive centerpiece. Place a medium sized pumpkin on the platter; surround the pumpkin with a few berries, nuts, or small ears of Indian corn, and add strands of ivy letting some fall over the side to the tabletop.

[cornacopia]

Do you need a quick and easy centerpiece? Place a platter or plate in the center of the table and lay a grapevine wreath on it. Fill the center space with autumn fruits, vegetables, nuts, and berries. Fill in empty spaces with leaves and you have an instant cornucopia style decoration.

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