Bring the flavor of autumn inside

No matter where you live, autumn has a charm all on its own. For those living near foliage, breezy crisp days stir memories of woodland strolls beneath red, orange and gold painted trees. For those living in warm climates, autumn memories may be only the October page of a New England calendar! In either case, adding autumn decorative accents to your home can be fun and easy.

Fall colors

A day's autumn outing is just what the doctor ordered. Grab the jackets, hop into the car and head up to the fall colors. Take a stroll through the woods collecting autumn leaves, tall grasses, cattails, pinecones and wild flowers. It's a good idea to check for insect hitchhikers in your collection. Note:  Be aware that the taking of plants is prohibited in state or national forests.

No autumn leaves nearby? Your local florist, craft shop or thrift shops have plenty autumn décor items to offer. Be creative. Also, don't forget a camera! Digital makes it easy to snap away. Landscape photos, as well as tight shots of leaves, will bring those fall colors indoors.

Another ideas would be to visit your local supermarket. Beautiful greens and reds of autumn apples are piled high. Clusters of colorful dried Indian corn meet you at every turn. Eyes are bombarded with the bright orange of pumpkins, as well as greens, oranges and whites of multi-shaped and striped gourds and squash. Collect some autumn veggies as decorative accents to your home.

Use the shapes and colors of Mother Nature's autumn harvest to create your works of art. It doesn't have to be difficult nor fancy. End tables, counters, walls, the dining room table and even the floor are your accent targets.

Thanksgiving decoration ideas

Autumn leaves!

• Arrange a large vase with branches of autumn leaves.
• Fill your prettiest wicker basket or large bowl to the brim with loose leaves.
• Sandwich five or six of the prettiest, most colorful leaves between the two sheets of glass in a shadowbox frame.
• Laminate leaves between two pieces of plastic to create autumn placemats.
• Sprinkle autumn leaves in the center of the dining room table, then accent with orange or gold table napkins and candles.

Fall veggies (apples, gourds, squash, pumpkins and dried corn)

• Fill a clear glass mixing bowl or straw basket with a colorful variety of fall veggies. Add a splash of orange ribbons just for fun.
• Stack a few husked Indian corncobs into a serving bowl as a dining room accent.
• Scatter a variety of colorful gourds and squash into a corner of a kitchen or bathroom counter.
• Create an interesting pile of pumpkins by the stairway. Add a sprinkle of an autumn leaf or two.
• Pile a beautiful arrangement of shiny green apples into a glass pie plate for a hint of the pie to come.
• Display a shiny colander of multi-colored squash and gold ribbons.

Fall Flowers

Flowers like mums, pom poms, sunflowers, asters and cornflowers are beautiful in any location and in any container. Add a few cattails or sprigs of leaves. Display as a woodlands bouquet or one type of flower by itself. Let your imagination go wild with creative containers such as:

• Ribbon adorned mason jars
• Antique coffee pots
• Baskets
• Coffee mugs
• Small wooden boxes
• Decorative paper bags
• Old coffee cans or tins

One picture is worth a thousand words

Your woodland walk has left you with an abundant selection of digital autumn images? Here are just a few ways to take advantage of select photos.

• Enlarge into a poster.
• Print and laminate into placemats.
• Frame for display on a wall or small easel
• Download onto a digital frame for a rotating show.
• Have them imprinted onto coffee mugs or mouse pads.

Scents of the autumn season

Don't forget your nose! Tease your sense of smell with scents of the season…pumpkin pie spice, cider, and cinnamon. These scent will be the icing on the cake of your autumn indoors and come in a variety of forms.

• Candles
• Potpourri
• Incense
• Oils

Sit back and enjoy

Okay! Autumn has shown its face inside your home. Now, heat up some cider or cocoa, then sit back and take it all in. The snows of winter can't be far behind, so enjoy autumn while it lasts!

Other autumn decorating ideas
Fresh pumpkin centerpiece
10 autumn doorway accents to bring color to your entry
Fall decorating trends