Making your own decorations for fall can be a rewarding and fun activity for the whole family. Because many craft stores offer steep discounts on many do-it-yourself seasonal items at this time of year, it pays to put a little elbow grease in and make your own custom decorations. Not only will you save time, but you will have a collection of reusable decorations that fit your taste and can fill your home year after year!
Build a Scarecrow
Gather an old flannel shirt and jeans, and start stuffing with hay (most home and garden stores will sell it in bales – one bale should suffice). A potato sack, pillowcase, or canvas bag can be stuffed to make the scarecrow’s head. Fill the shirt and pants separately, then tuck the shirt in and top off with a hat of your choice.
Secure the arms and legs with a rubber band if necessary to keep the hay from falling out. Draw or sew on a face on your scarecrow, or let the kids get creative with a scarecrow design. Set him on a chair on the front porch or buy another bale of hay for him to rest on. Top off the scene with a bundle of cornstalks, a few pumpkins, and some bright potted mums.
Fill the Windows with Fall Cut-Outs
With a few pads of construction paper from the dollar store and some free sample fall cut-outs, it’s easy to fill the windows with paper pumpkins, squash, turkeys, and leaves. Use a template cut out of thin cardboard (from a box of tissues or a cereal box) to make outlines for your own cut-out designs.
Make an Autumn Floral Arrangement
Dollar stores and craft stores often have very affordable fall-themed flower, berry, and leaf collections. Combine a mix of all three for a simple and affordable long-lasting decoration.
Alternately, mix some fake or dried flowers with real branches or fallen leaves from your yard. Acorns can be used instead of glass beads as fillers in clear vases.
Decorate Your Own Fall Wreath
Many craft stores (and some dollar stores as well) sell plain wreaths made from cardboard, foam, straw, grapevines, branches, and many other materials.
For a simple, natural look, buy a plain wreath of straw or grapevines and cluster just a few varieties of artificial flowers or berries at the bottom. Most artificial flowers separate easily from the plastic or wire “stems,” but for those that are stuck on, craft wire cutters will make the task quite easy.
For a filled in wreath, buy multiple colors and types of artificial flowers and plants and practice arranging them before hot-gluing them onto the wreath. Mix the colors and types of flowers all around the wreath so that the colors aren’t grouped in one single area. Also, autumn-themed ribbons can accent a small group of flowers very well.
Arrange Candles for Fall
Before buying any new candles, scour the house for a variety of white, brown, orange, yellow, and red candles you may already have (regardless of scent). If you would like new candles, many stores sell seasonal scents in jars and pillars that make for nice arrangements.
Try grouping candles in threes. Combine three of a single color or mix it up according to your tastes. For an instant centerpiece, place three candles of varying heights in the center of a large seasonal plate and surround them with acorns, leaves, berries, squash, multi-colored corn, or other seasonal plant items.
Once you have created your own seasonal masterpieces, don’t be afraid to change them up or experiment more as the months pass. Mix fresh flowers with branches, hang an indoor wreath in the windows, cover the table with pumpkins and corn husks, or rearrange your candle or flower designs to bring another wave of homemade autumn into the house!
Katherine Brind'Amour - Quality. Creativity. Professionalism. Writing you can trust, from an expert in the health sciences, creative writing, and academics.
