It’s easy to decorate this time of year with the abundance of earthly treasures God has given us. Grab a cup thermos of spiced tea and join me outside as we begin to decorate. Flank each side of your front door with large garden urns. Begin by filling each urn with dirt and inserting a long metal pipe down the center of the urn; this will act as a support rod. Next, nestle beautiful fall leaves from your yard on top of the urn surrounding the perimeter.
If fall leaves have not yet fallen in your area, simply purchase dried leaves at your local craft store. Finally, place 3 pumpkins in various sizes onto the re-bar, starting with the largest on the bottom, the medium sized pumpkin next, followed by the smallest one last. You will need to break off the stem of the large and medium pumpkin in order for them to stack nicely. When finished, it will resemble a pyramid shape.
Cut apart two 18″ grapevine wreaths and untangle them to make a long twig garland. Starting at bottom left side of doorframe; attach siding clips or sticky hooks, spaced periodically around door frame. When finished, tie on grapevine garland up, over and down your doorway. You may need to use pipe cleaners or small wires to attach it to the clips. Add a strand of orange/amber lights to grapevine garland and intersperse fall leaves to give the garland a natural look. The effect is breathtaking especially in the evening. On the ground surrounding your urns nestle gourds, pumpkins & Indian corn with small hay bales.
If you have ferns or potted plants outside, simply nestle in pumpkins, gourds, and cat tails for a quick & easy fall look. A fall bow is a nice added touch.
Get the children involved by painting rocks. Simply gather rocks of various sizes. For pumpkins, paint them with orange craft paint, let dry and use permanent black markers to draw on silly or scary pumpkin faces. For ghosts, find long slim rocks and paint them white. Don’t forget to give them goofy or eerie black eyes. Have each child sign and date the bottom of their creation. Scatter your completed rocks throughout the yard, next to your mailbox & by the front door for a spooky effect. This is a very cheap craft to do with the kids each year and a great way to express their creativity!
If you have access to corn shocks simply poke a garden shovel into the ground, this will act as the base to which you tie your corn shocks to. A pretty fall bow or jute string will keep the corn shocks together and from blowing away. Place corn shocks at the end of your driveway, near a garden arbor, or anywhere you want a focal point. Surround shocks with pumpkins, gourds & hay bales. A scarecrow nestled near the shocks looks fabulous & adds interest.
I love to add old wooden wheels, a rustic garden tiller and an assortment of weathered watering cans throughout my yard for added character & texture this time of year. Light up the night sky by hanging lanterns in small tress & bushes. For added convenience & safety use battery operated candles. Stoke your outdoor fire pit, make some hot chocolate and gather with friends & family as snuggle under old wool blankets reminiscing over days gone by…..ahhh the perfect way to end the day and celebrate God’s Bounty!
