Fall Floral Mantel Arrangements...$12.99

Well, this morning I woke up to snow on the ground...burrr! I wasn't ready for that one.  I decided I should put up a little fall decor so I can "get in the mood" and stay positive that summer is over...BOO!  I do however love the snow on the ground and a good warm fire so I say "Bring It On"!  The one thing I didn't want to do is spend any money on decorating so I went down into my storage area and pulled out my bin of floral stuff to see what I had.  I then ran over to Hobby Lobby and picked up a package of Preserved Willow.  One thing I learned while doing floral arrangements for Hotels in Minnesota was to always use a base ingredient that was a preserved "REAL" plant/floral item.  The reason for this is it makes the arrangement to "appear" REAL and not fake.  Below is what I ended up with.  Not bad for a total of $12.99!

I used 2 urns I already had in storage!

At Hobby Lobby I purchased 1 package of preserved willow and these grapevine pumpkins!

Then because the Grapevine pumpkins had short stems I attached each one to a curly willow stick by using floral wire.  You'll never be able to tell after I put this in the arrangement. 

Next, I added flowers and wired pine cones on some sticks and even added feathers I got from a hunting friend.

This should get me thru fall...Woohoo!

More...Autumn Decor

Every fall I go through the same argument with my oldest son, it sounds something like this, "Mom put up some Halloween decorations!"  "Well, I really don't have time to and I dislike scary things!" "Come on Mom pleeeease buy some of the spider web stuff to put on the trees out front." "Oh...that stuff makes a mess!"  "Mom, give me a break we are boys we want spiders and skulls!"  "Great, well I will see what I can do!"

This is what he got for decorations I have a feeling he will not be to happy, but everything was free and didn't cost a dime....LOVE THAT!

One of the kids old Halloween costumes (I made) stuffed with bags of leaves, a pumpkin for a head and fake flower eyes!

Inside the house I filled containers with nuts instead of candy (Omega 3's anyone?)

On one tree I used some webbing I found in the storage container.  I added spider lights for the scary appeal!

I hung a lighted Halloween sign I also found in the storage container!

This I did for me! A cute pumpkin sitting on a bird bath!

New Fall Project!

Yesterday, I talked about redecorating which gave me an idea! Make something!!!!  Some of you know I do flower arrangements as a side business!  So here is a little project which is fun to make and very natural!

You need:
1 paddle of wire
3 large pine cones
1-2 bows either you make or have them made
3 clusters of fall leaves
1 fake pumpkin/ or more if you wish
Anything grown in your area you can forage for: (Dried flowers, turkey feathers, different grasses, anything you like)!

Method:

• Lay out materials to get a feel of what you are going to use!

• Next take about 2 feet of wire and cut it off the paddle.  Then hold 1 pine cone and wrap the wire around the top.

• Next, add the other 2 pinecones next to the first one and wrap the wire around those.  Making what looks like a triangle in the center of the 3 pine cones.

• Next, add the leaves, dried flowers or feathers.

• Next, add the pumpkin and bow and you are done!

• These are beautiful hung from the any flower hanger which previously held those summer hanging baskets!