Freedom in Living Color: Decorating for Fall

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." - Albert Camus

Oh Fall... It's amazing how it seems to sneak up on me every year. One day I'm enjoying summer and soaking up the sun, and the next morning I wake up to news about the latest sale on school supplies. I go through my day listening to the sound of boots clicking on the floor and the smell of musty hoodies that have been in storage too long. When I check the news, the weather man informs me that the temperature has dropped two degrees since yesterday. For some reason, people have decided that 70 degrees is the breaking point between shorts and sweaters. Every year I am surprised by the world's rush to get fall started. Maybe it's because mothers are desperate to get away from the kids, or maybe it's because people want to trade in their ice cream cones for pumpkin pie. If anyone is like me, it's because they just want it to be Christmas already.

The great thing about the change of seasons is that it gives me an excuse to redecorate the house. The best part about the fall is its colors. There is something particularly calming about Autumn colors. It's as if the sunset exploded to remind me the sun is going into hibernation for the next six months, and I should do the same. Each color silently invites me to cuddle up and prepare for the coming winter. When I decorate for Autumn, I don't like flooding my home with spiders, witches, zombies, and goblins. The appearance is a little too creepy and cartoony for my taste. It makes me feel like I'm walking around in an episode of Scooby Doo. It seems as if I might get mauled by Scooby and Shaggy running frantically from a zombie, or catch Fred and Daphne kissing in my closet, or get hit in the head when Velma tosses a Scooby Snack. Needless to say, I prefer more natural, or shabby chic, decor. At the same time, there must be a balance. I've seen some decor go into hyper drive with gourds and pumpkins. That's when I discover I'm trapped in a live version of Veggie Tales. I start glancing over my shoulder to make sure the vegetables aren't walking around on the counter announcing that "You are special, and God loves you very much!"

For this season, I have searched the internet for several tasteful ideas for my Fall decorations. I want to create my own decorations for as little as possible, so they need to be fairly simple. Since many of necessary items are all natural, saving money should be relatively easy. My goal is to make great decorations while avoiding the Scooby Doo chaos and the Veggie Tale slogans. Here are some of my ideas. Hopefully they inspire you as well!

Get four small pieces of wood and brace them together with a piece of wood along the back. Hang two layers of twine around the front and hang letters to spell "Give Thanks."

Create a wreath from sticks and leaves to hang on your front door.

Try wrapping several candles in burlap. Then print a letter on each one to spell "gather" or "thanks."

Buy some cheap wine glasses from the dollar store. Place them upside down over gourds. Then place votives on top. Surround the setting with pine cones and leaves.

Add sticks, nuts, and leaves to a candle holder.

Don't forget the candy! Fill clear jars with Reese's Pieces, peanuts, and candy corn for an Autumn snack.

Try filling candle holders with nuts you find from outside. Or you can try filling a large glass bowl with apples and add a candle.

This is simple enough. Buy a large glass cylinder and fill it with dried leaves from outside.

Cut off the top of a pumpkin and carve a circle in the shell. Glue some sticks and leaves around the top and add a candle. Now you have a festive candle holder to light your porch or hallway.

Here is a similar idea, but with gourds. Cut holes in small gourds big enough for a tall candle. Then glue pine cones around the ends. Now you have a beautiful set of candles for your dinner table!

Another idea for the dinner tables is this one. Wrap your napkins in leather string. Then place a leaf over each place setting.

If you want to get a little fancier, create a napkin ring with acorns! Simply collect acorns from outside and string them around some wire and tie the ends together!

Modge Podge some leaves around a pumpkin and place it out on your porch.

Create a print with lots of different words signifying the new season. Put it in a beautiful frame to hang on the wall or add to the mantel.

A pumpkin book! Find an old paper back book. Cut the edges so it's rounded like a pumpkin. Glue the ends of the book together and add a stick to the center. Put a bow around the stick and voila! You may also want to try ripping the whole cover off the book. Depends on the book and size.

For the mantle, place some gourds on stands. Then print out letters spelling "FALL" and frame them. It's very simple, neat, and clean.

Glue burlap around a candle holder or a mason jar. Add a leaf. Wrap the whole thing in twine and make a bow.

Here is another idea for your dinner table. Use old pages from a book to cut out leaf shapes. Glue the paper leave on to a stick and add to glasses sitting at each place setting.

Make a wreath for your front door. Personalize it with some paper leaves and your monogram.

Frame some leaves and hang them on the wall or add them to your mantle.

Find some empty bottles or mason jars. You can color them if you would like. Print a letter on each jar to spell "FALL." You could also wrap the bottle in burlap and print the letters on the fabric. Then fill the jars with wheat, sticks, or leaves!