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13 Easy and Inexpensive Fall Decorating Ideas
By Julie Lohmeier
Autumn provides a bounty of decorating ideas. No need to decorate for fall with cheap, plastic, fake items when the real thing is inexpensive, more tasteful, and easily creates a beautiful fall ambiance in your home. Here are 13 ideas that you can easily do.
1. Use a taller pumpkin as a vase for fresh flowers. Clean out the guts and seeds and use the pumpkin to arrange your flowers. Taller ones work well, but so will squatty pumpkins if you cut your flower stems short.
2. Make topiary out of a foam form (conical shapes always work well) and hot glue a variety of large seeds – acorns, walnuts, pinecones – to the form. Completely cover the foam. Easy and makes a wonderful piece for any table or countertop.
3. Pick brightly colored fallen leaves. Rub a good moisturizer onto the front and back of the leaves and let dry. This helps the leaves keep their color and avoid curling. Once dry, scatter the leaves on a table, around a centerpiece, or on a fireplace mantle.
4. Fill a tall vase or extra-large brandy snifter with a variety of colorful miniature pumpkins and gourds.
5. Make a centerpiece using pie pumpkins, gourds, and leaves. Vary the sizes and colors of these squashes and fill in the gaps with leaves, mini pumpkins, and gourds.
6. Arrange large pumpkins in a group (odd numbers work best) or on stairs. Carve or paint designs or messages on the pumpkins. For example, I saw white pumpkins used on stair treads, each with a letter spelling "Welcome".
7. Carve a small hole, one inch deep in miniature pumpkins for use as taper candle holders.
8. If you have a tiered cake or serving plate, arrange pumpkins, gourds, or squash on each tier. Use a pie pumpkin or turban squash (looks like two placed one on top of the other) on the top level. Use smaller ones, even miniatures, as well as leaves and nuts on the other tiers.
9. Cut a branch for a tree. Place lengthwise on a table. Nest miniature gourds, pumpkins, leaves, nuts, and votive candles among the smaller branches. (Whenever you bring branches in from outdoors, spray insect repellent on the branch outside before you cut it. Let it stay outside for a day or two. Then bring into the garage or on a porch for another day or two until the smell is gone.)
10. Soften a three-wick candle by blowing a hairdryer on it until the wax is soft. Then press small colored leaves into the softened wax to add a fall touch.
11. Take tall corn stalks and attach to porch columns or mailbox or even trees with a large fall colored ribbon. Further accent with pumpkins or mums around the base.
12. Cut long branches with colored leaves still attached (see instructions above to prevent bringing bugs into your home). Place in a tall vase or an umbrella stand. Be sure the branches are proportionate to the vase or stand.
13. Use potted mums to replace your summer flowers in flower beds, on porches, near fireplace hearths, in corner of rooms – this classic never goes out of style. To give added height within a group, place one potted mum on a miniature straw bale.
Using the natural beauty of fall nature, you can easily and inexpensively decorate your home for the changing season.
About The Author:
Julie Lohmeier is the veteran of numerous home remodeling and building projects. From working hands on and doing much of the work herself to hiring contractors and construction managers, she has seen the entire spectrum of home improvement. She shares her remodeling tips, home decorating ideas, and other various rants at http://www.myhomeredux.com. Subscribe to her free newsletter.
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