Fall is in the air and if you’re like a lot of people, you’re looking for a few simple ways to welcome the season into your home. Fall decorating ideas don’t have to be basic, nor do they have to be overly complicated or difficult to pull off. Take the typical stars of any fall decorating scheme — mums, pumpkins, and leaves — and come up with creative ways to display them in or around your Philly home.
Mums and Pumpkins
Pumpkins on stoops or doorsteps and a collection of potted hardy mums by the front door are often one of the first signs of fall in Philly. This fall, instead of keeping the two separate, combine them into one interesting decorative object. Turn the pumpkin into the container that holds the mum. Pick out a pumpkin that’s big enough to hold the pot of a mum, but smaller than the actual plant. A standard, round, orange pumpkin will serve you best here. Choose a mum in a bright, contrasting color, like hot pink or yellow.
Cut and carve out the pumpkin, scooping out the seeds and any flesh, so that there’s enough room in to hold the mum. Slip the pot into the pumpkin and set it on your doorstep or just inside the entryway to your home. To keep the pumpkin from rotting, when you water the mum, take it out of the pumpkin holder and let excess water drain away before restoring it.
Where can you get pumpkins for your fall decorating ideas? Greensgrow Farms in Fishtown has a selection and also sells mums in various sizes. If you want to make a day of it and head out of the city, Linvilla Orchards in Media has a fully stocked garden center and farm market.
A Tabletop Arrangement
Odds are, you have a clear glass vessel, such as a vase, a trifle dish, or a large glass cookie jar that doesn’t get much use. If you don’t plan on making trifle this fall and don’t foresee having a lot of cookies to store, put the dish, jar, or vase to good use by filling it with small pumpkins or gourds and letting it be a pretty centerpiece on your table. Get even more creative by spray painting the pumpkins silver, gold, or bronze before putting them in the dish.
Pressed Leaves Hanging
The City of Philadelphia has one of the largest city park systems in the country. All that park land means one thing: plenty of fall foliage. Spend a day wandering around your neighborhood park collecting leaves that have fallen off of the trees, then use those leaves in your fall decorating scheme. A simple, but elegant way to display the leaves is to arrange them on a large board, then place the board in a poster frame. You can also choose smaller frames and display each leave individually. Hang the smaller frames on a wall in a grouping.
Creative Candles
Bring a bit of mood lighting to your home decor by creating fall-centric candles. Few people actually enjoy eating candy corn, so put it to better use. Fill a glass votive holder or short vase with the candies, then nestle an LED tea light in the center. If you prefer, you can use unpopped popcorn kernels instead of the candy corn.
Decorating for fall doesn’t have to be boring and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Use what nature gives you, whether it’s leaves, pumpkins, or mums, and make your home festive for the season.
Image Source: Flickr/Andy Atzert
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