Autumn on the doorstep

Here are a few ideas to help add autumn appeal to your property:

Table decorations can become focal points for any room. Embellish a pillar candle by standing equal sized ears of dried regular corn, or Indian corn, around it and then gluing in place. Finish off by tying with twine.

Cut the top off knobby gourds and scoop out the innards. Cut small diamonds all around the gourd. Make a hole in the upper third section on each side with a screwdriver. Insert a wire and make a handle. Place a small tea candle inside and hang in an appropriate place.

If you have some exceptional looking leaves on your property (threadleaf maple, grape or colourful maple leaves) preserve them in a garland by laying each leaf between two sheets of waxed paper, smoothing a dishtowel on top and then pressing with an iron. Cut around each leaf and then string them using a fine embroidery thread.

Another way to bring nature inside is to rub a glue stick on the back of especially pretty leaves and press them artistically in the corner of a window or across the top or bottom as a border.

Retailers are finally realizing the huge potential in mums for autumn sales and as a result the price has tumbled. Take advantage of this and include several pots in fall decorations. A clever way of displaying them is to hollow out a pumpkin and set the pot inside.

Nothing quite says welcome like a wreath at the entrance to your home. Pick up a grapevine base at your local craft store for a threefold purpose. You can work fresh blooms like dahlias, sunflowers or chrysanthemums from your garden into the crevices while they are still presentable.

Stretch the season by replacing real blooms with silk ones and fall foliage. Afterwards you can fill out the wreath with flowers you’ve dried for an interior accent.

For unusual fall arrangements, fill a large glass vase with long-stemmed autumn blooms then slide colourful cobs of Indian corn inside flush against the sides.