Easy Chevron Wood Slice Fall Wreath

I kept our fall wreath pretty simple this year.

I started with a straw wreath form (the same one that I used for our Spring wreath) and wrapped it with chevron ribbon that I found at Hobby Lobby.  

Seth cut me some thin (~1/4" thick) wood slices from a dead tree in our yard that I drilled holes in and connected with jewelry wire.

I used a wood burning tool to burn the letters to spell "fall" onto the wood slices.

I added a simple burlap bow and called it done.

The front porch isn't 100% finished for fall yet, but I'll post pics soon.  

Have a great week!

Radio Silence and What I Love About Fall

I apologize for the lack of posts recently.  Things have been busy around here and we had a project setback this past weekend (I'll share the story with you in a future post).

I did want to pop in and stir up some excitement about my favorite season.  FALL IS ALMOST HERE!!!  I've got some ideas for our fall wreath and fall mantel.  I just need to find time to start crafting.  I'm hoping to get moving and share some finished pics with you soon. For now, let me leave you with a roundup of images depicting some reasons that I love fall.

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What are your fall favorites?  Happy Thursday and War Eagle!

Simple, Nature-Inspired Fall Mantel

I promised you a post about our Fall mantel and then I dragged my feet.  It's because I was tweaking it. I'm still not sure I absolutely love it, but I'm tired of editing and rearranging it.  So I'm calling it done.

As with the wreath for the front door, I decided on a mostly green and blue color scheme. 

I started with my DIY antiqued mirror (I'll post a tutorial soon) and I just couldn't resist mounting Fred the moose onto it.  (I may take him down later and mount him above the television - not sure yet.)

The candlesticks are from World Market and I picked up the blue and green tapers from Hobby Lobby.  The decorative green ball is also from Hobby Lobby.  The antlers are leftover from my Fall wreath and I made the simple felt leaf garland after coming across Sarah's tutorial.

The autumn essentials print was a freebie from Jones Design Company.  I've had the hourglass for a few years (I think it was from Hobby Lobby) and the pumpkins are faux pumpkins from Joann's that I spray painted metallic silver last year.

Sorry for the crappy pictures.  I was experimenting with lighting and it did not go well.

We have finally mounted the TV and I put up a gallery wall around it.  Unfortunately, this living room is just getting waaayyyyy too busy so I think the gallery wall is coming down.  :(  I'm finding I have difficulty not filling up empty wall space.  It's days like these that I wish I had an interior designer on speed dial.

Hope everyone enjoyed their Fall weekend!

Five Small Touches of Fall

I apologize for the decline in regular posting lately.  There are some projects in the works that I should be able to share soon.  I guess I am good at starting things but not always finishing them in a timely manner.  For now, I wanted to share a few more things I've done around the house to add small touches of Fall.

First, I found this doormat at Target a few weeks ago and just could not pass it up.  The size was too small for our front entry, but it works great at our back door leading out to the carport.

It makes me happy every time I see it.  I think it's the colors and the leaf motif.  It just screams fun Fall decor to me.  And it doesn't hurt that it color coordinates with the door fulfilling my strange need for things to match (which I am trying to let go of slowly).

Secondly, Seth and I bought some pumpkins at the local farmer's market a few weeks ago to put on the front porch.  It's nothing too fancy - we decided to keep it simple this year.

Maybe next year when we are more settled, we can spice it up a bit.  I think some height would definitely help so I'll have to be on the lookout for something to fulfill that need. Maybe some old crates or a discounted garden stool.  I also like the idea of spooky decor. Nothing with blood and guts but just a good amount of eeriness (is that a word?).  I like these ideas below that I found on Pinterest.  I think next year I'll try a raven/spider/insect theme.  

insect and faux bois pumpkins

LOVE the ravens

spooky hanging bats

DIY spiderweb welcome mat

cheesecloth banner

Third are a couple of new pillows I found on Overstock.  I got them for two reasons - 1) they have more Fall colors in them than our blue and green ones and 2) one of the colors in the fabric will surely coordinate with whatever color we finally decide to paint our front door (again with the matchy, matchy - it's a sickness).  

Fourth - I created a Fall tablescape.  Again, nothing too fancy.  I started with a burlap runner that I picked up last month on a visit to Collierville and some candlesticks and vases that I already had from West Elm.  I added some new green taper candles from Wal-Mart, some branches from one of our oak trees whose leaves had started to turn, a couple of orange owls that I picked up at Kohl's for 65% off and then another 20% off with my coupon, and some fake pumpkins that I found at Jo-Ann's and spray painted white and silver.

I guess I could have moved that step stool in the background.  But, hey, I'm keeping it real here.  This is how we are living - with boxes, tools, step stools, and bubble wrap all over the place.  

And....fifth.  While at the farmer's market this past weekend, Seth and I picked up a huge mum and a couple more pumpkins to dress up the mailbox a bit.  

Not a great pic with that shadow.  I said I was working on my photography but I didn't say I could control the sun. Eventually, I will learn what time of day I need to photograph each part of our house and yard to get the best lighting but I'm not there quite yet.  

So, with some simple, inexpensive additions we have added a bit more seasonal charm in our house.  It doesn't look like we're going to get a fireplace mantel installed before the end of October.  Maybe I'll be able to create a Thanksgiving mantel.  OH - and also for me a huge part of the holidays are the smells.  I bought the Apple Pumpkin fragrance from Yankee Candle (go to Bed, Bath and Beyond and use a 20% off coupon) and it is divine.  It makes our house smell just like Fall.  

What do you guys do to spruce up your home for Fall?  Do you have a favorite candle or fragrance that you use during this season?  Anybody decorating their porch with insects or ravens?

My Fall Wreath

I LOVE Fall!  It is by far my favorite season.  I love the chill in the air, getting to wear my boots again, the leaves changing color, the smell of bonfires, football (WAR EAGLE!), making & eating delicious soups, going to corn mazes - haunted or not haunted, baking apple pies (Seth's favorite), picking out pumpkins, going hiking, and roasting s'mores. What's not to love about all of that?

I also love decorating my house for my favorite season.  We still have many boxes that we haven't even begun to unpack and I am nowhere near the hanging pictures/art stage, but I can't let fall come and go without some new decor around the house.  I think I'm going to tackle a new wreath, a tablescape for the dining room, and something for our mantel (which we don't have yet, so I guess mantel decor will only happen if we make it and put it up before fall is over).  I started with the wreath.  I pinned this page of amazing Fall wreaths on Pinterest months ago and have been dying to make one ever since.

I especially love the yarn wreaths that everyone is making these days - like the first wreath on row #2.  LOVE IT.  I love the colors, the nod to argyle, and the all around look of it. So, I used this wreath as my inspiration.  

Supplies that I used:

• styrofoam wreath form (the largest I could find was 16")
• spray adhesive (already owned but probably could have just used the glue gun for the whole project)
• jute twine (already owned)
• orange yarn
• felt in brown, green, and orange
• felt in white (already owned)
• faux acorns (already owned)
• glue gun (already owned)
• ribbon for hanging (already owned)

I thought my inspiration wreath was wrapped in twine and I had some on hand so that is what I decided to use for mine.  (Turns out she actually used brown yarn, but I like how the twine gives mine a bit of a rustic feel.)  I started by wrapping my wreath form with the twine, spraying with the adhesive every so often as I went along.  (Note: I would recommend purchasing a straw wreath form as they are thicker and more substantial than the styrofoam one that I purchased.  If you are going to wrap it, leave the plastic on otherwise the straw will probably go everywhere.  I wish I had done this, because mine looks a little thin and puny.  Oh, well.  You live and learn.)  Wrapping the wreath was the most time-consuming, monotonous part.  It took me around 1.5 hours.  I don't do well with monotonous tasks like that, so I did half one day and finished it the next day.  

When I was almost done, I ran out of twine.  So, I set out for Joann's and came home with more.  It was actually about twice as thick as my original twine, but it's not super noticeable.  As hard as I try, nothing I make is ever going to go as planned or turn out perfectly, so I'm learning to stop agonizing over it and just expect it and live with it.

I used the fun orange yarn to create my "X" or argyle-esque pattern (again, not perfect).

Then I got to work making some felted flowers.  I watched this tutorial first since I was a felt flower first-timer.  I randomly glued on the flowers and acorns (except I did make sure to cover up the small, odd-looking "X") and ended up with this.

Here it is hanging on our front door.  The door knocker, house numbers, and other yucky brass hardware will be gone one day - whenever we get around to painting the front door that is.  Now I can't wait to buy some pumpkins and other fun Fall things for the porch.

Is anyone else absolutely in love with Fall like I am?  Are you making any Fall decor for your home?