DIY Fall Decor

I started this post with Top Ten Tuesday in mind, because I hadn’t participated in what feels like forever, but I really only had five ideas in mind for this list. Oh well, right? I hope you’ll like at least one of these ideas and maybe even give it a try! Now, mind you, it still feels like summer here in Texas, but I’m ready for fall so maybe it’ll be here before long. In any case, I’m excited about decorating this year because J’s actually old enough to enjoy it.

I’ve got my eye on a few things at Target but, let’s be honest, I’ll probably wait until they’re on clearance to buy anything, so I won’t have those things to use until next year. In the meantime, I’ve been looking around for ideas of things I can do on my own – and I’m sharing my finds with you. If you’ve got any other great ideas, please pass them my way!

1. Candy Corn Wreath – I found this from Woman’s Day and I love it! I think it would be a fun project to do with your kids, too (although I don’t know that you’d end up with neat little rows like in their photo. I love the graphic pop the bright colors give against the black duct tape underneath. ETA: Check out my wreath here!

2. Orange Peel Topiary – (from Save On Crafts) I’m kind of in love with topiaries to begin with, and I especially love the natural feel that this one has to it. The instructions for this make it sound like drying orange peel isn’t all that hard, and it wouldn’t cost much at all to make this.

3. Paper Pumpkins – (About.com)  These look so simple to make, and I love the idea of doing several different sizes to have grouped together for a centerpiece. You could put any sort of pattern you like on the paper, allowing you to give it a more modern or traditional feel depending on your preference. I’ve seen some examples that just had a simple green tube for the stem, which I really liked. You could get the kids in on this project too!

4. Pine Cone Garland – (from Twig & Thistle) I love this for it’s simplicity and because you could totally use this for both the fall and winter. I think I’d use red ribbon for mine, and then weave an orange ribbon around it for the fall; then when Christmas is close, remove the orange ribbon and put an evergreen garland behind this one. If you made the orange peel topiary too you could have one beautiful, nature-inspired mantle!

5. Indian Corn Wreath – (from Better Homes & Gardens) – I know, I’ve included two wreaths in this list. Well, once Halloween is over you’ll need a wreath to last you through November, right? :) You can’t get much more simple than this – just take Indian corn and hot glue it to a straw wreath, with the husks pointing outward. You could glue them in a random order like this, or could alternate dark and light ears for a more graphic pattern.