Fall(ing) in Love

I love Autumn, and I love decorating, so you’d think I’d be a huge fan of seasonal decor. But the truth is that, aside from Christmas, I rarely have the time or money (or storage space!) to invest in seasonal decorations.

Until now.  *dramatic music*  Dun-dun-dun . . .

This year, prompted in part by my “Be Creative Every Day” challenge, I decided it was high time to embrace my inner craft nerd and bring some fall cheer to the Riker home.

Some lucky people have fireplace mantels. Others—sans fireplace like me—make do with faux mantels like a wall shelf or ledge or, more accurately in my case, a “pantel” (piano mantel!)

{ Yes, I’m a nerd like that. }

I decided to whip up a few decorations to add some fall flair to our beloved piano-mantel. My main criteria for this mantelscape was “reduce-reuse-recycle.” In other words, everything had to be free-free-free (already on hand) OR cheap-cheap-cheap (easy, inexpensive DIY).

Here are the highlights:

1. Yarn wreath

Cost for materials: $18 — for 14-inch straw wreath form, two skeins of coordinating yarn, and a selection of faux floral stems.

This DIY wreath is the only fall decor I spent money on really! It was easy-peasy, but a little time-consuming (though simple enough to work on while watching TV). Determine your pattern, wrap (and wrap and wrap and wrap!) the wreath in yarn, and trim/hot glue your florals. I followed this tutorial/design by Emily at Decor Chick. If I had to do it over again (and I have plenty of yarn left over to try), I might have gone with an 18-inch wreath instead of 14-inch to better fill the space, but neither Hobby Lobby or Joanne’s had that size in stock when I went shopping. C’est la vie!

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2. Book page pumpkin

Cost: free!

The book I used was a cast-off rescued from our donation pile, and the stem is a piece of hardwood mulch from the garden. If you’re trying this, I’d recommend using a mass-market paperback, which has the right compact size and thick pages to stand up nice and full. I used an x-acto knife to cut through my pages. It was tough to keep the cuts consistent all the way through and required some clean-up trimming with scissors, but in the end, I decided that added to the “rustic” factor. (Remember: there’s no such thing as perfect.) I still haven’t glued the front and back pages together; right now, they’re just pinned together with strategically-placed paper clips, and I might keep it that way for easy dis-assembly and storage after the season’s over.

UPDATE: Here is my step-by-step tutorial for making a book pumpkin. Try it! I promise it's easy, simple, and oh-so cute!

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3. Soup can pillar candle

Cost: less than 50 cents — for ribbon.

I had an “ah-ha” moment while taking out the recycling one day, when I realized that 18.6 oz soup cans (Campbell’s Select Harvest, among others I’m sure) happen to be the perfect size to fit a 3-inch pillar candle. Turn the can upside down, add a band of decorative paper (I used a leftover scrap from our wedding save-the-dates) and any other embellishments you choose (burlap ribbon for mine). This is so simple and cheap, I’m almost embarrassed to share it with you, but I promise, it looks fab and no one will ever guess it’s a recycled soup can under there unless you tell them! Bonus points: This craft is infinitely adaptable to any season, depending on your choice of paper and embellishments.

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4. Ribbon-tied book pages

Cost: free!

Another book rescued from our donation pile. I started tearing pages out for another craft project but then came across this epigraph at the front of the book: “One lives but once in the world.” – Goethe.  Such a beautiful quote! So I stopped tearing up the book and put the pages on display instead, tied with a scrap of blue ribbon. It’s simple and sweet, and people always stop to read the quote as they walk by.

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5. Antique teapot

Cost: free!

I collect teapots, and this one belonged to my grandmother. It’s the perfect fall-colored topper for a small stack of books. (These same books are nearly always on my piano in one arrangement or another.) This one gets its own close-up for sentimental value alone

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So there you have it—my first attempt at public crafting! Yikes! Thanks for stopping by!

Disclaimer: I won’t pretend these DIY projects are the most original or beautiful or perfect, but I made them and I love them just the same, warts and all. (I suppose I’ll feel the same way about my future kid(s) someday too…) Props to Miss Teresa @ Sagebrush Ridge and Emily @ Decorchick for the original tutorials. Also, in case you have a head injury and weren’t sure, I don’t claim to be a professional photographer either!

Now it’s your turn! Are you a fan of seasonal decor? Have you tried your hand at any fall crafting? Am I the only one who thinks that some people go a little lot overboard when it comes to seasonal decorating? Is there such a thing as too many pumpkins? (Please say yes.) What’s your favorite budget-friendly seasonal decor trick?

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If you’re looking for more mantel ideas, check out the Fall mantle link party at The Lettered Cottage today.

Tags: book craft, fall craft, fall mantel party, fall wreath, pumpkin craft