Clutter Busting: Decorating on a Shoe String Budget Part 2 “Autumn Memories Inspired by Nature”

Create memories by making fall décor with items that you already have in or around your home. Not feeling especially crafty? The best way to become inspired and get ideas is to grab your children and go on a nature walk. Allow your children to come up with suggestions on their own! Take along a bag and collect some items throughout your walk; pinecones, wheat, interesting fall leaves, some twigs, acorns, etc.

Bring the nature items home and have the kids help create beautiful fall decorations from what you found. This task has nothing to do with showcasing how crafty you are, and everything to do with the time spent working with your children. What is great about the majority of these decorations is that after the season is over, the decorations can be discarded and there is no need for storage.

Here are just a few of my suggestions:

• An opaque pitcher filled with tall wheat makes a wonderful fall centerpiece
• Create a pinecone wreath by hot glueing piencones to a grapevine wreath
• Fill a bowl full of pinecones, acorns and cinnamon sticks. Not only does it look great, but it smells wonderful as well
• Spray paint some branches black and put them into a container or bucket. Fill the container with stones up to a few inches from the top to keep the branches steady. On top of the stones, place some plastic wrap. Now, pour on your favorite candy corn or pumpkin candy. It will appear that the bucket is completely filled with candy. You can have the kids help make ghoulish ornaments by using a toilet paper square covering an acorn to hang on the Halloween tree.
• Update photo frames throughout the house using pictures of your children dressed up for past Halloweens. For even more interest, try and find pictures of when you were a child at Halloween.
• Pumpkins and candles: For an absolutely elegant look, display white pumpkins in assorted sizes and shapes with white candles also in various heights. Be careful to protect furniture underneath the pumpkins!
• Hay bails, corn stalks, pumpkins, old clothes… get creative!! Create a one in a kind pumpkin headed scarecrow!!

Spend a little time with your children and allow them to let loose their creativity. Not only will you create gorgeous decorations, but memories as well. When you discard the decorations at the end of this season, the memories of the time you spent with your children will be tucked away with them forever. These types of memories cannot be purchased for any amount of money.

Enjoy creating fall masterpieces and memories!
Betsy