Fall Decorating {Credenza}

Happy Friday!  I'm so ready for this weekend!  We are celebrating Thanksgiving with my mom and sister early this year, so I'll be chowing down some turkey in two, short days!  Woowho!

I've decided that my home is as decorated as it's going to get for fall.  Here is a little vignette I put together on top of the credenza in my entryway.

I won this adorable Itz Fitz wreath a few months ago over at Mandpidy. 

A wire pumpkin, a bundle of wheat, and a raffia-wrapped antique spool acting as a vase are grouped together on one side of the credenza.

While this fantastic fall tree topiary, chocolate pumpkin, and Itz Fitz wreath sit clustered together on the other side.

I love seeing this as soon as I come in the front door.  It makes me happy!

As much as I love all of my fall decorations, they will be coming down this week to make room for Christmas!  :)  Have a wonderful weekend!

Fall Decorating {Mantle}

Hello and happy Monday!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  Mine had a rocky start with a sick baby, but got better and better throughout the weekend. 

Last night I finally finished up my mantle!  I had taken down the Halloween stuff at the beginning of the month but struggled with this look until now.  :)

The staple on the mantle throughout the fall is the berry garland.  It is full of red, orange, and yellow berries and I stuff it a little more with fall leaves, and small pumpkins and gourds.  Then I pulled out this antique window pane (which has been sitting in my garage since I bought it a few years ago) and hung a beautiful fall wreath from the top with an orange ribbon. 

On either side of the window pane, sit chocolate pumpkins (see side note below), glass beaded pumpkins, and sunflowers.

Side note:  Do you ever feel like you share crafty brain waves with someone?  :)  Sometimes I'm hunting around blogland and see a project that is exactly what I had envisioned making or someone will leave a comment, "I was just going to make that!"  It goes to show you that great minds think alike!  I think Michele, from The Scrap Shoppe, and I were sharing crafty brain waves when we both decided to spray paint pumpkins brown!  Check out her's HERE.  She turned her brown pumpkin into a fall vase.

I decided to give these guys a coat of spray paint because they were cream and got lost against the creamy wall.  I wanted something dark and appropriate for fall so brown was the way to go (plus I already had a can from spray painting Kason's nursery furniture).  Then I dressed each one up with an orange ribbon.

Coming up this week:  Sutch an Inspiration, my fall credenza, and our Christmas card! :)  Have a fantastic week!

Fall Breakfast Table

I love this time of year.  I love the colors.  I love wearing warm and cozy sweaters and boots (haven't been able to do this just yet).  I love to fill my home with fall and all it's elements.

I bought these place mats on clearance at Kohl's a couple of years ago.  The variety of shapes and colors is a very "me" thing...just take a peek at my chairs. :)

My mom and I made some pumpkin center pieces for friends and ourselves a couple of years ago (another Ike crafting day).  We bought all of our supplies at Garden Ridge on sale BB (before blogging).  We cut a hole in the top of carvable pumpkins, filled them with fall colored flowers and berries, and finished them off with big, beautiful bows.  They turned out spectacularly!

I spied a few similar pumpkin center pieces at Michael's the other day with an $80.00 price tag (they didn't look as good as ours... :) just saying).  Wowza!  Don't be afraid to make your own.  If it doesn't look right the first time, take the pieces out and try again (the little block of floral foam in the middle of that pumpkin has too many holes to count).

I'll be linking up to some of my favorite parties found HERE!

Fall Trees

Hello Beautiful Bloggy Ladies {and perhaps Gentleman}!  I hope you are having a wonderful day!  I'm finally putting the finishing touches on fall decor in my home...I know I'm late...I procrastinate.  What can I say?

Thankfully, I didn't have to do too much to these fall trees that I made BB (before blogging).  Two years ago, Hurricane Ike blew threw Texas and left many of us without power.  No power means no work...for two weeks, so I had a lot of time on my hands and crafted up a lot of Halloween and fall things for my home.

I rescued these two branches from a neighbors "throw away" pile, gave them a coat of varnish, and plopped them in a pair of coordinating ceramic pots.  I decorated the limbs with fall colored beads.

For Halloween, the trees are adorned with gift tags I won off of eBay.  Each one has a vintage Halloween postcard printed on it and a little glitter for some sparkle.

For Thanksgiving, the gift tags are exchanged for fall leaves glammed up with glitter glue.

These fall trees sit on each end of the bar in my kitchen.  I love the natural element they bring to my home...and the little bit of sparkle. 

I'll be linking up to these parties!

Thankful Lunch Sack Messages {PRINTABLE}

Happy Monday!  I hope you all had a great weekend!  The Sutch's are suffering from sinus junk...all of us.  It's a big snot fest over here.  :(

Even when I'm not feeling too good (sick, sad, etc.), an unexpected surprise or message always puts a smile on my face.  I loved when my mom dropped a sweet note in my lunch sack or when Keith leaves me a love note on the kitchen counter, so I made these Thanksgiving themed lunch notes for my loved ones and I'm sharing them with you.

Simply click on the image to enlarge it, right-click on the image and select Save Image As, print it out, cut out each message, and surprise your loved ones. :)  Drop them in your kiddo's lunch sack, tape one to the steering wheel of your hubby's car to start his day off with a smile, or slip one in your coworker's mailbox at work.  There is a message for everyone. :)

Consider this free printable my "I'm thankful for you" message in your lunch box! :)  Have a turkeyriffic day!

Linking up to these parties!

Gingerbread and Pumpkin Trifle

Hello, Gorgeous Crafts & Sutch Readers!  :)  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  The monkey and I went shopping on Saturday at a thrift shop to find some clothes for his Halloween costume.  He is going to be Frankenstein because he already has got the walk down!  :)  We scored on some pants and a little blazer that I'm going to refashion and Frank up for next Sunday.

On to the deliciousness that is this final EEK WEEKS project!  A bowl full of fall goodness...gingerbread and pumpkin trifle!

Now I'm no Betty Crocker by any means, but I do enjoy a good dessert and I especially love making them when they are super, duper easy!  I've dumbed down this recipe from Paula Deen and it is pure heaven.

I followed Paula's recipe but substituted six vanilla pudding cups for the cook and serve vanilla pudding.  I also added a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the whipped topping a la Sandra Lee.  I've made this trifle several times and I always come home with rave reviews and an empty dish.

If you want to dumb it down even more (which I've done) or you are in a time crunch, buy gingerbread or pumpkin bread from your local bakery or grocery store.  It's just as delicious, looks just as fabulous, and saves you time.

Coming up this week:  Sutch an Inspiration, Kason's Frankenstein costume, and some fall decor.  :)  I can't believe this is the last week of October.  It has flown by and I have to admit I'm going to miss seeing all of the black and orange around blogland.  Have a super week!

I'll be linking up to some of my favorite parties!

Mossy Fall Plaques

Hello, All!  Happy Monday!  I hope you had a great weekend!  We were able to spend time with family and that is always a good thing. :)

For this week's EEK WEEKS project, I thought I would tone it down and make something natural that could be displayed in your home for the entire season.

I'm sorry I do not have a full photo tutorial, but this was super easy to make so I'll just talk you through it. :)

You will need three wood plaques, spray paint (I used brown), scrapbook paper, Mod Podge, craft foam brush, scissors, moss sheet, ribbon, and a hot glue gun.  Optional supplies:  distressing ink and jute.

To begin, spray the plaques with spray paint.  While the paint is drying, cut out fall shapes from the moss sheet.  Have you seen this stuff?  I found it at the Dollar Tree, and I only used one sheet for this project!

I found images of a pumpkin, an acorn, and a leaf on Google images, printed them out, cut around the images, and used the cut outs as stencils to cut the moss sheet.

Measure the top of the wooden plaque and cut the scrapbook paper to fit, distress the edges of the paper with ink, and then Mod Podge the paper to the plaque.

Hot glue the moss to the plaque and embellish with jute (a curly vine for the pumpkin, a rim for the cap of the acorn, and veins for the leaf).

 Hot glue ribbon to the back of the plaque and hang on a nail.  I really wanted to hang the plaques from decorative knobs, but wanted to keep my budget in mind so I hot glued a button to the end of each nail.  Personally, I think it is my favorite part of the project! :)

I'll be sharing this project at these super wonderful PARTIES!

I have to admit that I'm a little sad there is only one more EEK WEEK project left!  I do promise that is will be positively pumpkiny deliciousness!  :)

Coming up this week:  Sutch an Inspiration on Tuesday, a giveaway on Wednesday, and a look at some of the fall decorations around my home on Friday.  Have a wonderful week!

Pumpkin Pillow and Garland

Hello there!  Another Monday is here and guess what!  I have not one, but TWO super, duper EEK Weeks fall crafts to share with you today!  Prepare to fall in love with these fall crafts because they are too cute!

Let's start with a no sew pumpkin pillow.  You will need:  a brown pillow (mine is store bought because I don't have a sewing machine :)), doilies, green felt, craft paint (combination of orange, yellow, red, and brown), textile medium, spray adhesive, wax paper, a hot glue gun, and jute.

Start my mixing your paint colors until you get the perfect orange for your pumpkins, add the textile medium, and water to the paint.  Dip each of the doilies into the dye, wring them out, and lay them on a sheet of wax paper to dry.  When they are completely dry, toss them into the dryer to heat set the paint.

While the doilies are drying, make the stems for the pumpkins using jute.  Make a zig zag with the jute and put a line of hot glue across the bottom to keep it together.  I used a straight pin to help hold it together while I was gluing.

Cut out heart-shaped felt leaves and arrange the pieces on the pillow.

Spray the back of each piece with spray adhesive and put onto the pillowcase.  Take a sheet of wax paper and lay it over the pieces.  Press down around all of the edges to ensure a strong bond.  You could use hot glue for the stems and the leaves if you want to.

Hot glue a piece of jute onto one of the pumpkins.

Make a loop with the jute and glue down.  Repeat this a few times to create the curly, twirly vines.

Toss on your sofa and enjoy!

Now for the equally adorable garland.  You will need dyed doilies, jute, hot glue gun, material for stems (either bark, felt, or jute), and materials for leaves (either silk leaves or felt).

Dye the doilies using the same technique as above and allow them to dry.  When dry, thread the jute through each doily.  Hot glue a stem to the top of each one. I had these great little birch wood chips from a wood chip Christmas tree that fell apart, but you could use brown felt or make jute stems like we did for the pillow.

Now add leaves and curly, twirly vines to the pumpkins.  You can make them all the same or do each one a little differently.

I think adding a few leaves onto the vine is a fun, 3-D touch.

 

Hang the garland and LOVE it!

Didn't these doily pumpkins turn out so insanely cute?!  I can picture these on a canvas too.  They would make fantastic fall art!  The doilies for the garland were bought at the Dollar Tree in packs of two, so it was a very affordable project!  I am adoring my new fall decor!

I hope I've inspired you to create some doily pumpkins! :)  If you do, let me know!  I'd love to feature you!

I'm linking up to these fantastic parties! 





See you tomorrow for another installment of TO DO Tuesday! :)