five quick fall decorating tips for your home

I flipping love fall. I love the coolness, the falling leaves, the snuggly blankets, the ambiance of the fireplace, and the coolness. I know I said "coolness" twice, but I live in Texas and it is still in the 90s here. 

I have 5 quick fall decoration tips for those of you that are still in the grips of the insane heat ready to get your fall on...

1. Real vs. Faux...I say go for both! I absolutely must have real pumpkins. Part of the fun of the season is picking out pumpkins with your family & friends! (Tip: Soak your pumpkins in 1 part bleach to 10 parts water for 10 minutes, rinse and dry, then rub & buff them with Vaseline...it will preserve them, and make them shine!) Mix them with some that you can reuse year after year.

Here is a great tutorial to turn those dollar store pumpkins into a beautiful show-stopping mantle. {post by Susie Harris}

2. Incorporate the colors in your home...I don't have many of the typical fall colors in my home. I do use some muted orange pumpkins, but I love white. Along with white pumpkins, I use lots of greenery (mostly preserved), and other things that coordinate with my decor that you might not normally see as "fall" items. Artichokes, succulents, dried hydrangeas, pheasant feathers...they all have such soft beautiful greens, grays, browns & purples.

3. It doesn't have to be expensive to make your home feel like fall...burn a pumpkin candle, cut clippings from your tree (magnolias are my favorite with their brown and green leaves), gather pinecones and dried fallen leaves from your own yard, or feathers from your chickens (I totally did that..some are really beautiful!!!). You can even hit up the dollar store and grab those cheesy fake pumpkins and give them a faux finish. I painted a whole slew of them last year with pretty blues, grays, and creams. They are my favorite! Don't forget thrift stores too (spray paint those ugly and outdated items a glossy white. You would be shocked at how chic a 70's mustard yellow and brown owl can look painted white and perched on your mantle). 

4. Keep it simple...natural elements are always beautiful. They make a home feel warm, and not too forced. Most importantly, many of them are free. Don't overdo it or you will feel like you are in your grandma's attic (no offense grandmas, we LOVE you).

simple white pumpkins on preserved moss in and antique sewing machine table drawer

5. Lastly, build a base for your Christmas decor with your fall decor...Using lots of greenery and white, I can easily slip in some red berries, or vintage glass ornaments (or plastic that look like glass, if you have rowdy kids like mine) into your arrangements. On the rustic dough bowl arrangement in my last post, I can easily take out the pumpkins, artichokes, and succulents, and pile up some ornaments, fake snowballs (I can't wait to show you how to make those), or pinecones in their place.

I will be posting some more tips this week, as well as more photos of my own home all dressed for fall.