Fall is upon us and whether you live in the northern part of our great United States where Fall will soon be in blazing evidence or in the southern part where Fall comes is less obvious ways, it is fun to decorate your home and yard to reflect this colorful and eventful season. For most persons, Fall denotes cooler temperatures and the enjoyable colors that go with it. Thanksgiving is also a part of Fall as is Fall and harvest festivals celebrated in many communities. This is the time of year for all kinds of pumpkin recipes including pie, cake, bread, and cookies. Squash is also used in many of the same tasty treats. Just take a peek online, and you will find many different ways to use Fall vegetables, including delicious soups, salads, and hot dishes. What about candied yams and sweet potatoes, a Fall favorite?
But, back to decorating your personal domain to further bring the joy of Fall into your home and yard. While there are many costly decorations easily purchased, for some, this is not included in their budget. But don’t despair. There are ways to decorate for Fall without spending a lot of money. To begin with, think about the colors of Fall, red, orange, yellow, and brown. What items do you already have around your home in these colors? Towels and sheets can be used for effect as a tablecloth or colorful furniture cover. If you have children, check in their stuffed animal collection for squirrels, foxes, bears, or other forest animals and birds. Use them as part of your decorating. Children enjoy coloring and using a bright orange can decorate and make great pumpkins from plain paper plates usually costing under $1.00. Put these pumpkins on walls and in windows. Using plain copy paper cut and color fall leaves to sprinkle around your home along with the pumpkins. Candles too are inexpensive and add a nice touch.
Decorating outside is a bit more challenging as wind and rain need to be accounted for. Paper plate pumpkins won’t work. At this point, you will likely need to spend a small amount of money so maybe going without dessert for a couple of nights will garner enough to help. The best places to look for and obtain Fall outdoor decorations are yard sales, thrift stores, and dollar stores. Artificial flowers can be used in place of real plants (and they don’t take any extra care) in flower beds and interesting containers you can make yourself from milk jugs, soda bottles, coffee containers and so on. A small can of orange, brown, and yellow paint goes a long way. Artificial flowers can be twisted into a lovely Fall wreath for your front door. And, what yard doesn’t need a Fall scarecrow? Use some old clothes stuffed with plastic grocery bags for the body and a basket or soccer ball covered with a large plastic garbage bag for the head. Use a permanent marker to draw on the face. Use string or yarn for hair and top with an old hat of any sort. Find a chair, a plastic lawn chair works well, to set your scarecrow on. If possible, set your friend on your porch to avoid most of the wind and rain, though he or she will dry out.
These are just a few ideas to help you spruce up your home and yard for Fall. You will likely have some ideas of your own to add to the above. The main thing is to enjoy decorating as you enjoy the delightful Fall season. And remember, being thankful is a big part of Fall, and no matter how little or how much you have, there is always something to be thankful for.
