The first day of autumn is September 22nd. However, now that we are nearing that date, I can finally embrace fall decor, in spite of the heat here.

In August I visited a store filled with fall decorations. They had artificial fall trees that were quite attractive.  I miss the beautiful autumn colors of New England and wanted to purchase two of the trees….until I saw the price tag ~ a whopping $350 each! So what does a typical Yankee do? Take lots of pictures and try to re-create them for far less money.

We’ve had several storms here in the last few months and lost many tree branches.  I picked through the debris pile and found these.

I trimmed off the side branches.

And ended up with six trunks. This view is the back of the old original barn-looks like it’s time to repaint!

Using a fast drying cement, my husband secured the branches into two buckets. Cement is a good choice for the bucket because it will secure the branches, but also weight them so they don’t tip over.

Look at the ingenious way he stabilized the branches while the cement dried.  This short piece of decorative railing was left over from my last historical restoration. I hope to use it somewhere in our yard or garden.

The bases were sprayed with black paint. Remember to tape off the trunks with blue painter’s tape so they remain a natural color.

I purchased a few bunches of fall leaves from Michaels when they were having a buy one get one free sale. Unfortunately, I wasn’t paying much attention to the leaf style so I ended up getting both maple and oak leaves. I suppose you could mix them on the same tree but I chose to be a purist and make one maple and one oak tree.

Using a small drill bit, drill holes into the trunks.

Remove the stems from the artificial bunches using wire cutters and expose the bottom of the wire.

Insert the stems into the holes that were drilled in the trunks.

Keep repeating until the trunks are filled with leaves.  We used a liquid glue to secure the branches.

After the glue dries, the branches will easily bend to the position you want. We used some blue tape during the drying process on those branches that were floppy.

When the top was finished, I used moss and a few artificial leaves to soften the base.

Here is my maple tree:

And here is the oak:

I can’t wait to share with you how I will incorporate these fall trees into my autumn decorating! I know the trend is to decorate with monochromatic colors (white pumpkins, white gourds), however, I LOVE the oranges, reds and browns that this season brings.

Happy Fall Decorating!

The front door to our home is original to the 1910s.  At four feet, it is wider than most entry doors. With the side lights, the entire entrance is almost 8′ wide.

Getting a properly scaled wreath is a challenge.  Most wreaths are 24″ to 28″ inches as measured by the outside tips of leaves or flowers.  This size just look puny on my front door.

This weekend, I went to the French Bee, known for their arrangements and wreaths, but their prices were a bit shocking ($749 for a wreath…..whaaaaatttt???). Even with their 50% off sale, I couldn’t justify spending that amount of money (with 2 children in college and preparing for a third tuition).

I’ve been pondering what to do for Spring so I dug out an old (really old) wreath I found in the well tower.  It was dusty, covered in spider webs (I obviously failed to store it properly) and was a bit less than round.  The framework is made from grapevines and felt solid.  The artificial flowers and leaves on it were rather skanky and faded.

Some of the raspberries were missing or chewed up and it was clear to me that this wreath needed a facelift.

Because it was so dirty, I washed it with a garden hose and left it in the sun to dry.

As always, the dogs want to help with any DIY project I tackle.  So as I was standing back, enjoying the sun and looking at my clean wreath, my beagle, Sox, attempted to lift his leg on it.  After scolding him, he did move on to do his business.

I removed all the yellowed plastic magnolia flowers, the broken raspberries and faded leaves.

Some of the underlying vines were in good shape, so I left those in place.

Using new artificial hydrangeas and lilac blooms, I added these to the wreath base.

I did not use a glue gun, but managed to tuck the stems into the grapevine~~which seemed to hold.

I debated whether to add a ribbon, but decided against it.  With a red door, the contrast in color is simple and understated.

Recycling and repurposing materials you already have~~is so economical and efficient!

Will your front door have a wreath for Spring? If you are looking for a spring wreath, Balsam Hill has a beautiful selection  (unfortunately they are too small for my front door). Some of their new spring designs were created by Courtney, one of my favorite bloggers, at French Country Cottage.

Whether you repurpose an old wreath or buy something new, happy Spring decorating!

 

 

When I was in my 20s, I offered to take a work shift for my friend, Gwen allowing her to escape on a weekend mountain trip.  When Gwen returned, she presented, as a thank you, a collection of wild grasses and cattails she had gathered on her trip, wrapped in burlap with a gorgeous ribbon.

The sweet gesture made such an impression on me…so much so that I truly think about nearly each and every gift I give.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, you may be giving flowers as a gift to a loved one, friend or co-worker. Here are two very different presentations with the same roses.

I bought the roses at Safeway.  I wanted all pink roses but they only had 2 dozen available. I wasn’t sure about mixing pink and red but I added 2 dozen red anyway.

I covered a box (I used a square box) with wrapping paper.  I initially wanted a solid color but I didn’t have anything so I used this sweet paper from The Enchanted Home. The ribbon was a scrap that I had in my drawer and it works with the colors of the paper.

I was just at Michaels and they have several different size boxes, in both solids and prints, which would work too.

I found (in my collection of vases in the basement), a round, short glass container that would fit snuggly into the box.

Gathering 8 roses in a bunch, I wrapped them in twine. I continued to do this with the balance of the roses, until the container felt full and lush.

With a craft punch (again, from Michaels) I cut a heart out of pink paper stock and tied it with baker’s twine.

Here is the finished product.  The picture below shows this arrangement with all pink roses.

Since the container for the next arrangement was a bit larger, I added the red roses to the mix.

This pink, fabric-covered basket (from Debi-Lilly) was purchased from Safeway last year for $2.00.  Our grocery store often has great discounts on their floral products, especially after a holiday. It is normally a plant holder, but the glass container fit right into it.

It’s interesting how a solid color container creates a totally different look. And I don’t mind the red and pink roses in the same arrangement.

I added a different color craft paper heart, to create some interest.

So use your imagination when presenting flowers.  It doesn’t need to be expensive or luxurious.  Being thoughtful is priceless and the recipient of your gift will appreciate it.

Is there one you like better than the other?

I love a bargain, especially an unexpected one!  During a simple grocery shopping trip to Safeway a few months back, I stumbled upon a 75% off display of floral items.  Not that I need any more vases, but I was so drawn to the cool, serene blue color of these glass ones designed by Debi Lilly.  I purchased 6, yes 6 of the smaller ones at $3.25 each and the two larger ones were $3.75.

Don’t they just make you happy?  I also bought the most beautiful white roses with a pale pink blush to the petals.  Hard to believe the flowers cost more than the container but I’m thrilled with my discovery!  It’s nice to find unique items in ordinary places and at such a great price.

A very long time ago, I worked for a company that had fresh flowers delivered to everyone’s desk each week. Flowers add such an elegant touch to every environment.  Wouldn’t this make a great hostess gift or a “just because” gift to a friend or family member?

I get to enjoy 3 arrangements on the living room mantel and 3 on the dining room table!  The blue containers are perfect for adding a touch of spring to the house! Love, love, love a bargain!!!!

I hope you have a bargain story of your own.  Also, treat yourself to some flowers ~~you deserve it!

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