Time for patio margaritas is quickly being replaced with even more time spent at home curled up with a hot beverage and a book, screen, or fireplace if you’re lucky. Fortunately, even small, artful additions to your home can help all who enter feel warm, welcome and grateful to share your space.
October is upon us, and we understand if you’ve spent more time getting the kids ready for school than picking out the perfect faux leaves and dried flowers for fall-themed wreaths and garlands. With September behind us, are you prepared to let the flavours and colours of fall perk up more than just your morning latte? Then it’s time to jump into the seasonal trends you’ve been admiring, just like your kids or your dog would jump into a pile of freshly raked leaves. Why not join in on the fall fun?
Make something that will last as a stylish keepsake long after the leaves fall.
Carving pumpkins and arranging gourds is one of the many joys of this time of year, but these items have an expiry date like the season itself. Fortunately, you can create autumn accents that can bring joy to your home year after year.
- Make everlasting pumpkins with a beginner-friendly needle felting kit.
- Try your hand at quilting. Even first-time quilters can make a cozy bedroom centrepiece featuring autumnal hues with the right resources and online tutorials.
If felting and quilting sounds a bit too far out of your comfort zone, there’s also plenty of DIY decor projects that you can complete without a needle or a trip to the fabric store.
- You can makeover dollar store pumpkins with a fresh coat of paint.
- Why should Christmas get all of the holiday tree fun when you can decorate your stoop with fall trees made from tomato stakes, lights and a few craft supplies?
- Or make your seasonal decor work double-time with this reversible dual pumpkin and snowman craft constructed out of wood slices from The Craft Patch.
- Get the kids involved! Give kids of all ages the chance to play with their veggies and get artistic by decorating a fall tree with colourful craft paint. No need for a paintbrush or a sponge, as broccoli florets can be used as a fun stamp that kids get to rinse and throw into the green bin instead of eating.
Wreaths are another statement piece that can add autumn ambiance to any corner of your home. They can be purchased, hand-crafted, or a mixture of the two. They can also be embellished with natural accents for added rustic flair.
Wreaths with fresh new twists.
Whether you pick up a wreath at your local superstore, opt to buy a handmade version online, or go the DIY route, this autumn staple is sure to welcome the season to your door. If you want your decor to have a modern flair, asymmetrical wreaths, and those which feature unconventional materials and geometric shapes are hot this season.
- Don’t feel like bending branches or twigs into a circle formation? Get inspired by Better Homes & Gardens’ minimalist triangular wreath made of found sticks or arrange birch branches into a rectangular homage to fall’s bounty.
- Want your wreath to have more of an ever-green harvest or desert vibe? Try adding live air plants or succulents.
If you’re up for a DIY project this weekend, wreath making might be more manageable than baking the perfect pumpkin or pecan pie. Like a pie, every wreath needs a sturdy base to serve as your festive canvas. The options are virtually endless and can include anything from wine-barrel and embroidery hoops to dried wheat and corn husks glued to a straw base. If you’re feeling extra funky, you can use the retired business-end of an old rake or a wagon wheel for a vintage country look.
- Upcycled items and materials you can gather on a walk through the fall foliage are great starting points for creating an affordable and original rustic wreath.
- Wreaths made with acorn caps or pinecone “flowers” will add understated beauty to your home left in their natural state, or can be painted with your favourite complementary colours.
- Add some fun textures with burlap ruffles or cut leaf shapes out of thrifted leather goods.
Get inspired by nature and employ eco-friendly materials beyond wreaths and garlands.
Autumn is the perfect time to find inspiration from nature’s bounty. You can add colour to your home with living plants and freshly harvested fruits, or pick natural materials that bring added warmth and charm to your space.
Why not add a little greenery to all of the gorgeous amber tones of the season? Bring a piece of your backyard vegetable garden indoors as the air grows crisp. If you’re unsure where to start, you can purchase seed starter kits. What could be more satisfying than enjoying a hearty dish featuring home-grown microgreens while watching a fresh crop growing in the windowsill?
From pumpkins and other gourds to hay bails and corn stalks, there’s no shortage of natural materials you can use to spice up a space this fall. Since these materials are as compostable as they are organic, there’s no need to store them in your attic come winter.
Store-bought pumpkin spice candles can be delightful, and holiday pie-shaped candles look good enough to eat. However, these options might not contain natural ingredients and may also be too pretty to watch melt. Add some fall mood lighting to the mix by carving mini gourds and filling them with natural beeswax, don’t forget to add a wick before the wax cools! These mini pumpkin candles are like jack-o’-lanterns, but more subtle and chic.
Speaking of jack-o’-lanterns, prepping your home for fall is the perfect time to start thinking about decor for the upcoming holiday season.
Dive into the Holidays.
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and so is Halloween. Unlike our neighbours (or neighbors) to the South, Thanksgiving comes first, so you can start out with some tasteful thanksgiving adornments and then gracefully (or gorily) transition into Halloween drama.
Sunflowers are an early fall favourite and can add pops of yellow, gold, and rust to the bouquet on your thanksgiving table. Artificial sunflowers can add cheer to your home. You can also give some a spooky facelift that’s sure to wow neighbours and leaf peepers alike. This tutorial from Crafty Morning will show you how to add the jaw-dropping beauty of a skull sunflower statement piece to your garden.
We hope you’ve found style inspiration that will add charm to your classic porch pumpkins this season. Happy decorating, and like everything from welcome mats, to pillows, to baked goods, tell us this time of year: Happy fall y’all!