Round-up: DIY Fall Décor

If you’re like me, then you love decorating your house for the seasons. Recently, I found myself spending way too much time in the seasonal décor section at a couple of stores when the sole purpose of my shopping excursion was to buy new stainless steel pots and pans. I ended up getting back on task and decided to wait on the home décor – even though I really wanted to purchase a new table centerpiece. What better way to show the changes outside than to reflect the season inside? Autumn brings warmth to the household, along with thoughts of family celebrations, friends and good food. With Halloween and Thanksgiving just a few more fallen leaves away, why not get started decorating for them now? You can even bring in the kids to help with these easy, inexpensive DIY fall décor projects.

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• This Cinnamon Apple Wreath Craft from AllKidsNetwork.com is a great activity for pre-schoolers and brings a lovely autumn aroma to your home – cinnamon. All you need is some construction paper, glue and a cinnamon stick and you’ll have a scent-sational seasonal decoration. Maybe you can even trick people into thinking you’ve been baking!
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• DoItYourself.com also has excellent tips for fall centerpieces. Nothing says fall has arrived quite like pumpkins and squash. Arranging seasonal foods like these into a centerpiece is the perfect way to announce the change in the seasons while keeping work to a minimum. Hit a local pumpkin patch with your friends or kids for a fun daytrip that will net the perfect pumpkins for your indoor and outdoor spaces. Out of Office blogger Maggie shares more about how to make the most of a pumpkin here. 
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• Photographing the beauty of the autumn landscape also creates opportunities for DIY decorating. With the help of FedEx Office, you can enlarge the photos you are particularly proud of and hang around the house on their own or as a collage. I have this adorable photo that I took a few years ago of Oreo up to his little knees in fall leaves that would be perfect. If you wanted, you could even repeat this project as the seasons change.
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• My fellow Out of Office blogger Jenny recently posted about having your children collect autumn leaves to create an educational nature book. FamilyFun.go.com shows you how to incorporate foliage into family fun by drawing around the leaves to make cute creatures. Afterwards, take their creations to your local FedEx Office where you can have them laminated and made into fun, seasonal placemats.