Fall Decorating Ideas

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    Fall Mantel Decorated With Pumpkins

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    How to decorate using two mirrors and a collection of pumpkins over a mantel to create a warm and inviting look when decorating your home for fall.
    Did I ever tell you what one of my favorite things about fall is – besides crisp air, falling leaves, cornstalks, football, that cozy nesting feeling, and cider.  It is PUMPKINS!!!
    I love decorating with pumpkins.  I am a classic orange pumpkin lover – no chic white ones for me.  I love the pop of color the old fashioned orange pumpkins provide in my neutral color scheme, especially when display on a fall mantel.

    I have created my own little pumpkin patch right on my mantel.
    XO I could eat them all up!  Visually as well as making pie and munching on toasted pumpkin seeds.
    How to Easily Create a Fall Mantel Decorated With Pumpkins

    I have two mirrors layered on the wall to add more interest. The larger one is hung on the wall.
    The smaller on is on the mantel and leaning against the larger mirror.

    Either one alone didn’t look right – together they make a much better style statement.

    I also like decorating with bigger pumpkins. Placing them in urns is my “go to” way to display fall pumpkins inside my house and out.
    Simple and classic – no fuss. I used book pages I shredded in my paper shredder to use as bedding in my jack-be-little pumpkin patch basket.

    The white ceramic urn I found for a few dollars at yard sale. The vase is from HomeGoods.
    Classic ceramic white urns are hard to find affordably online. Your best bet in finding one that isn’t plastic is a HomeGoods.
    You can also display pumpkins on candle holders like I did in this post:

    I made the fireplace screen out of a cardboard pattern cutting screen. It was super easy and hides a multitude of sins.
    You can find the tutorial here:

    A Variation on Decorating With Two Mirrors Over a Mantel

    For this mantel, I liked the look of layering mirrors on the mantel, but I only had one white framed mirror.
    So instead, I hung an empty white frame over the larger wall hung mirror – so it looks like two mirrors.
    I used clear fishing line to hang it. The top of the fishing line is attached to the top of the mirror with a thumb tack.
    So what do you think? You may have a few mirrors in other rooms of your house or in your decor stash that you can give a second life- using as is or giving the mirrors a coat of spray paint to coordinate with the room’s color scheme.
    For an even easier mirror over the mantel look, you can simply lean a larger mirror against the wall, and a smaller one in front of it. Instant Decorating at its best!!!

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      in Organization

      Making a 2 Tiered Kitchen Basket Stand

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      How to take a 3 tiered metal stand and create a 2 tiered kitchen basket tray stand.

      I am going to show you what I semi-handmade over the weekend. My goal was to add a little bit of fall decor in the way of texture and organizing to my kitchen.
      I always enjoy tinkering with items such as the 3 tiered tray stand in the photo below. I like to see if I can come up with something new, using a part of it, then swapping another part out or even completely repurpose it. I would love to design a line of decor items someday that go with all the ideas in my head.

      This is exactly what I did with this white 3 tiered metal stand that I use when entertaining and for the holidays in my kitchen. It was a gift from a friend when we first moved to the lake – Thanks Gail. 🙂

      The stand comes apart easily, so playing around with it didn’t damage it one bit. I can always put it back together in a minute when Fall is over and it goes back into holiday mode.

      Using parts of the stand, I wanted to create a new Fall-inspired wicker basket stand to replace this silver wire stand I use to hold produce. I like this stand and will use it again, but my kitchen is small and I get bored seeing the same things. Changing it up, especially for the seasons, inspires me.

      I took the 3 tiered white metal stand apart to make a shorter 2 tiered kitchen basket stand so it would fit under my kitchen cabinets. I used a thrift store wicker basket as the second tier.
      I love baskets and get excited when I find a new way to use them around the house that not only looks nice but adds warm and cozy texture, while giving me the exact function I need. 🙂
      You may be thinking, “What’s that on the top – a finial?”
      The answer – yes, but not just any finial, but a custom-made one using a tiny detail from nature that I collect.
      How to Make a Tiered Kitchen Tray & Basket Stand
      I realize that you will not have the exact same items I used to make my 2 tiered fruit basket stand, but I wanted to show you what you can do with any tiered stand you may have.
      Do you have a tiered stand of any kind? Maybe one made with ceramic or china plates? These types of stands are easy to take apart and reassemble. They can be found at most thrift and antique stores. Even if you don’t like the design, color or pattern of the plates, the stand part can be repurposed to your needs.

      Time needed: 20 minutes.
      How to Make a 3 Tiered Stand into a Shorter 2 Tiered Kitchen Basket and Tray Standtools and supplies needed:Tiered stand or parts from a plate standMetal washersLarge screw and nutTwineTacky GlueHot Glue and glue gun
      Gather Your Parts and Supplies
      I took the stand apart. I only needed the pedestal, the rod, the rod covers and bottom round tray. I also used a round wicker basket into which I made a rod sized hole in the bottom with an awl.

      Create a Stopper to Secure Center Dowel
      I screwed the rod to the pedestal base and then added the largest round tray from the original stand, the larger rod cover, my wicker basket and the narrower rod cover.Doing this, the screw end of the rod was just short of the top of the second rod cover.To make the stand secure, I had to find a nut that fit the threads at the end of the rod. Then I was able to insert the screw into the top half of the nut.Once the nut was on the rod, the screw that I had on hand to fit into the nut was a little too long, even when tightened. I didn’t want to see the screw threads so I added washers to cover the threaded section of the screw. Once the screw on the top was tightened, the entire assembly was secure, creating a very stable stand.

      Hiding the Washer to Create a Finial
      To hide the washers, I brushed tacky glue to the sides of the washers and wrapped twine around them. I placed the ends of the twine in the channel on the top of the screw.

      Secure Twine
      To secure this, I used a dot of hot glue. (Note: If you want to take the stand apart some day, don’t put glue where screw meets the washers.)

      Attach Top Section of an Acorn
      Using another dot of hot glue, I attached the top section of an acorn.

      All Done

      My Semi-Handmade Countertop Fruit Basket

      I love, love, love my DIY’ed tray and basket stand. It is exactly what I envisioned. Best of all, I did it in my own style and it didn’t cost me anything to make since I used items I already had.

      When making the finial top, I didn’t have twine. So I applied a retail display trick (where we had to be super resourceful when creating displays for the store). Did you know that removing strands from burlap, which I did have – gives you pieces of twine. 🙂
      Do you have a tiered stand in your home that you are not using? Can you redesign it to fit a new need or for the season? Maybe use two baskets if you have them. That is what is so nice about DIY’ing – you get to be a designer.
      On another note…. I know my bananas are spotty, but I let them get that way. I freeze the spotted bananas and use this Frozen Fruit and Banana Whip Maker to make Banana Berry Whips or Chocolate Nice Cream. It makes it easy to make a variety of plant-based alternatives to ice cream. So I always have bananas getting spotty in my countertop fruit basket.
      If you like to see baskets or tiered stands on your kitchen countertop, here are a few I found:
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      in Decorating

      Thinking Ahead to Fall Decorating

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      Notice the title of this post is… thinking ahead to fall decorating, as I am not quite ready to actually decorate my house for fall yet. It has been on my mind now that summer is slowly winding down.

      Fall Mantel DIY Ideas
      I have been reflecting on past fall seasons and how I decorated the house. This year, I want to make the fall season feel even more extra comfy-cozy… as if placing an extra blanket of calm and comfort throughout the house.

      Remember the catch phrase from the 90’s… Cocooning?
      Hunkering down in place, but with all your cozy comforts around you to make sure that you had everything you need to live a comfortable life right in your own home. This is what I am planning on doing.

      We have no trips abroad planned or party invites like we did last fall. Life this fall will be about sticking close to home.
      This fall, with uncertainty about the pandemic and more still looming, I want more than just decor to create a comfy fall home.
      I want the “whole lifestyle package” that fits my life, wants, needs, and budget. Life is too short not to make the best of every second of every single day, even if they are mostly spent at home.
      I am finding that this is what I am seeking more than buying new “stuff” to simply decorate the house.
      Decorating for fall this year is going to be more about making sure the decor feels just right for how I want to “be” at home.
      Being at home for you could mean setting up a desk in the least used room for your 9-5 job or a place where your children can learn at home.
      As fall arrives and the weather gets cooler we will find ourselves back inside more. Time for our inner homebody to shine instead of feeling stuck inside like many of us did back in the early spring 6 months ago. In the spring, we were in shock and not mentally prepared to be homebound.
      Now we have time to plan ahead to make sure we have everything we need to make the most of our time spent more at home this fall.

      Sourdough bread by Alexandra Cooks
      My youngest makes the best sourdough bread and guided me to Alexandra Cooks’ website to learn how to make it. She gave me a portion of her sourdough starter to get me started on my own bread baking journey.
      The smell of fresh bread baking brings back fond memories of simpler times that I want to embrace in my life.
      Good smells add to the ambiance of a home.Remember, creating a beautiful home is not just about the decorating.
      When Decorating for Fall I Am Going to Make Sure That:
      I have cozy comforts in reach – good books, good internet, favorite music, as well as good food and wine stocked in the pantry.

      Since Ed and I are not going out to the movies and dinner every week like we used to pre-pandemic. I want to make sure we can create some “special evenings” in our weekly schedule. For us, this is movies and good food. For you it might mean something entirely different.
      We are saving money by not going out to eat, which in turn gives us more money to splurge a little on better wines and better cuts of meats and fish for Ed and plant based for me to make at home to enjoy. We also order dinner from our favorite local restaurants to pick up every Friday night.
      TV shows this fall will mostly be reruns as TV show production was put on hold like everything else. So for me Netflix, Prime Video and streaming new release movies will be key for movie watching.
      I also upgraded my Spotify account so I could listen to music anywhere in the house that makes me feel good all day while both working and just hanging out.
      Making sure I have all that I need to do these pursuits in the style I want on a daily basis is what is important to me.
      My Fall Decorating Plans
      Decorating for fall this year has me thinking that it doesn’t necessarily mean using lots of pumpkins, gourds, and plaid blankets, but maybe something not so contrived.
      I did buy a velvet pillow back in June to use on my sofa come September. It has great texture and is perfect for my white and woodsy decorating scheme that I am trying to build upon.
      I made up a list of fall decorating projects that I plan to do around the house and post about. The first one you will be seeing involves this…

      Last summer, one of the patio umbrellas on my deck broke. We fixed it the best we could. This summer “our fix” broke and the umbrella is a goner.
      Instead of throwing the whole thing in the trash, I threw away the mechanical frame and kept the Sunbrella fabric cover you see in the photo above. Next week I will share with you what I am doing with it.
      Come September, I will start removing the warm weather touches around the house and will slowly begin to add items that will give a subtle ‘nod’ to fall since Fall doesn’t officially arrive until the end of September.
      I hope that I will inspire you to make the best home life you can for yourself in your own style this fall…
      Whatever this means for you, try to plan and make sure you add it to your home and life as the weather begins to transition into the Fall season of 2020… the year most of us will never forget.
      Let’s make the fall of 2020 unforgettable, not because of the pandemic, but by the ways we make the most of how we choose to live in our homes in the best way we can within our style and means.
      Staying home in your own style is the new lifestyle to embrace.

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      in Decorating

      Instant Fall Decor: Basket Vase

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      Nothing goes together better when decorating your house for fall than baskets and dried hydrangeas from your yard. Fall floral arrangements in baskets = fall. I am sharing a quick, no-skills-needed way to display those arrangements in your home in a rustic, yet modern way. This year, my decorations for fall are going to be […] More