All kaleidoscopes by inkspired and KaleidoCam.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Autumn…
The days are getting shorter,
Mornings are darker,
And the weather is starting to crisp like an apple pie in the oven. Just a chill around the edges…
My thoughts are ready to switch from cheerful sunflowers and orange and green vases to the warmth of wood bowls with piles of red apples and brown nuts in them.
Yep.
Time to bring some nature inside. What better way to do that than with a few nature craft projects to decorate with. Let’s look at a few together.
A simple straw or grapevine wreath can easily be decorated with a couple bunches of Dollar Store flower bushes. Remove the flower heads from the stems if you want, then use a glue gun or thicker glue (like Aleene’s Tacky Glue in the gold bottle) to place the flowers, leaves and buds around the wreath. Always lay your design out first, before gluing. When it looks good, then you can start gluing things in place.
Rope a ribbon around if you want. Keep it simple however.
Let’s turn to some table decorations next.
Debbiedoos, Pinterest
Place cinnamon sticks around a pillar candle, and tie in place with twine or raffia.
You can use the same idea only substitute small decorative corn, twigs from fallen branches or even stalks of wheat and grass. Dab a bit of glue or melted wax on the candle to hold things in place if you need to before you wrap it up with string.
You can’t light your candle this way however, as you don’t want to catch your table on fire. Alternatively, put your candle in a glass container. Jelly jars, Mason jars, pickle jars - whatever you have clean and empty. Then you can decorate the glass with no worries. Do keep the flame BELOW the top of the jar for safety. Or use battery operated faux candles.
Here is a similar idea, using a hurricane lamp to protect the candle flame. Place securely in a low, flat dish. Fill the dish with nature - pine cones, nuts, small oranges, small pumpkins and squash, etc.
This arrangement has added some silk leaves and a strand of tiny battery operated twinkle lights.
Let’s get a little creative with those silk fall leaves.
Snip off any stems. Gather a glass container, cleaned and wiped with a cotton ball and rubbing alcohol. Using a sponge brush, brush on a thin coat of Mod Podge. Press a silk leaf into the Mod Podge. Move on to the next leaf, repeat, overlapping as you go.
The 1st photo shows how to make a clear glass ornament using this method.
The 2nd photo shows how to make candle holders from Mason Jars using this technique.
Better Homes and Gardens
Let’s get the kids involved, and paint some rocks!
No kids? Borrow some! Or ask a young-at-heart friend to come over for some painting fun.
It’s Always Autumn
I have done rock painting tutorials in previous blogs - just search for ‘rock painting’.
Don’t worry about washing your rocks, either. I just scrub mine with water and a nail brush. Let dry before applying paint.
If you use a Sharpie marker for details, put a coat of Mod Podge on to seal. Then spray with a couple coats of clear acrylic sealer. I like Krylon brand.
Place these rocks throughout your home - in plants, on a shelf, in a corner. Let your family or guests discover them! They also look cute grouped 3-5 in a garden area, or a few in a bowl.
Here is another painted rock idea:
Painted rock by inkspired
Brush the palms of little hands with acrylic paint, then press the hand to a piece of butcher paper. When dry you can add leaf vein and stem details with a black or brown marker.
If you use parchment paper or vellum and place in a window they look extra special.
Gathered Living
Fall is the perfect time to take family walks. Bring the dog on a leash. Be sure to carry a small bag (I like canvas) to hold any treasures you may find along the way. This is the time to collect fallen leaves, acorns, and a few last flowers.
As soon as you get home, press the leaves and flowers in a microwave flower press. Do be sure they are not moist or damp.
Here are several ideas you can use them for:
A Hanging Mobile
Use a fallen branch/twig. Tie twine or string at the base of each leaf. Add a dab of glue to the knot. Then tie the other end onto the branch. Again, secure with a dab of glue. Make a hanging loop from twine.
I like the addition of a few acorns and pine cones to this one:
Don’t like the fragility of pressed leaves? Why not Mod Podge them. Place leaves on parchment paper or wax paper. Using a foam brush carefully brush on a thin coat of glossy or matte Mod Podge. Use whichever you prefer. Let dry. Turn over, repeat.
Using this same technique, you can make leaf bookmarks!
If you don’t have time to Mod Podge you can also strengthen the microwave pressed leaves by gluing them onto vellum or mulberry paper. Punch a hole at the top and hang in a window for a charming nature-inspired suncatcher. I have included some basic leaf shapes if you want to use those as your base.
Remember those late blooming flowers you gathered? They will make lovely bookmarks or framed nature collages. Microwave press them. Then taking a small paintbrush carefully brush glue onto the backs and press onto home made paper, precut to your desired size. Glue paper to sturdy card stock, punch a hole at the top, thread some yarn or ribbon and you have a one of a kind bookmark. You will need to spray some clear acrylic sealer (I like Krylon) over the top to make them durable enough to use.
Or
Arrange a few flowers and leaves, following the directions above. Place in frame. Make a grouping of 3-5 frames depending on the size of your frames, and wall space.
While you have your frames out (I keep a stash of them from thrift store and dollar store finds) try this idea:
Attach acorns with hot glue or a thick glue like Aleene’s Tacky Glue. Don’t have acorns? Try other nuts in the shell like walnuts, pecans or almonds.
These next ideas you don’t even have to step outside for - just raid your kitchen pantry!
The next two ideas use both natural and artificial decorations. Don’t be afraid to mix the two. Do keep in mind that ‘fresh’ materials will get old and need to be replaced or re-done.
You can find old lamp bases, table legs or tall candleholders at the thrift store. Paint a solid color - I do like the black. Place a styrofoam wreath on the top, hot glue in place as needed. Set a pumpkin in the center. Then have fun with leaves, small branches, small flowers and medium sized ones also. Poke these into the styrofoam with a bit of glue on the end. You can ‘prep’ the hole with a knitting needle if you want. Twirl a string of tiny lights around it as another option.
This last photo shows an arrangement using a trunk as the base. You can also use a discarded suitcase. I think a small suitcase would look really good. Look around! The thrift store is your friend…
That’s it for today’s blog. I hope I have encouraged you to bring in some nature and decorate for the season. Any of these projects will look great through November. If you need a more Halloween themed decor, use these as a base and add in your spiders, bats and goblins. Then November 1 pull those out and you have a great item for the Thanksgiving holiday season.
‘Til next time,
inkspired
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