Fall Home Decor Trends: One Part Nature with a Twist

(ARA) – As Mother Nature wows us with fantastic fall colors and scenery, the latest trends in fall decorating and entertaining bring the beauty of the great outdoors inside. Give your home some fall-time flare by adding nature-inspired decor with unexpected crafty details.

“This fall, decorating trends are inspired by nature, but the key is to use these elements in new and exciting ways. Interesting themes, new colors and surprising details are making fall 2008 distinctive,” says Susan Atchison, manager of trend development for Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores.

Here are some decorating ideas and trends that you can try in your home:

1) Make pumpkins fun.
Pumpkins are the quintessential symbol of fall, but why not put a new twist on a classic? When ordinary pumpkins just won’t do, paint a collection of pumpkins and decorate them with scrollwork designs for instant I-did-it-myself appeal.

“Try painting artificial pumpkins, called Fun-Kins, a variety of colors. Rich blues and reds will provide a classic look. Then decorate with dimensional copper paint or iridescent brown paint,” says Atchison. “For a fun, brighter look, get inspiration from traditional prints by painting argyles, dots, checks, plaids and stripes in exciting color combinations for a fun mix-and-match pumpkin grouping that can be used year after year.”

2) Make it a crafty Halloween.
Halloween is a frightfully fun time, and with the holiday landing on a Friday this year, there’s bound to be a little extra celebration. Consider using inexpensive or leftover craft items to create frightfully fun Halloween decorations for little cost.

Atchison suggests making Jack-O-Lantern Illusions, which are made out of a quilt hoop that is painted orange with a fun jack-o’-lantern face hanging in the center with clear thread. They’re quick and easy and look fabulous hanging from the ceiling indoors or on trees outside.

3) A table aplenty.
Showcase the essence of fall’s natural beauty with a sparkling centerpiece everyone will adore. Fill jars and bowls with decorative fruits like apples and grapes, but add pizzazz with nontraditional fruits such as pomegranates or mangos.

“Put your own creative spin on the project by adding things you’ve purchased or found on a nature walk like pinecones, dried flowers or feathers,” says Atchison.

Add a special touch for your next dinner gathering by creating personalized handcrafted harvest place settings. Choose a decorative foam or plastic fruit and use copper paint to inscribe the guest’s name. Add a feather or other decorative detail and you have a tasteful place setting that turns into a fun take-home party favor once guests are ready to go.

4) Accents around the home.
Adding a touch of color throughout the home can transform it into an autumn environment in no time. Utilize colors to bring the feeling of the season into any room, from bathroom to kitchen to porch. Gorgeous golds and oranges, rich burgundies and browns, plus touches of teal and sage vividly reveal fall’s splendor.

Add a splash of color with a wine-toned table runner or visual appeal with a simple bunch of dried fall flowers filling the air with the pleasant aroma of the season.

“This fall, decor with a natural essence is popular, but be creative. Adding unique details to traditional items or utilizing colors in new and exciting ways can really make your house stand out,” concludes Atchison.

For more information and to get supplies for creating the perfect fall decor for your home visit www.Joann.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Craft Project Ideas

Craft 1) Scrollwork Fun-Kins
Skill level: No experience needed.
Approximate crafting time: 1 hour each plus drying time.

Supplies and tools:
* Fun-Kins Carvable Pumpkins, various sizes
* Acrylic paint in colors of choice
* Paintbrushes -- 1-inch and 1/2-inch flat
* Spray gloss varnish
* Dimensional paint, copper and iridescent brown
* Plate for paint

Directions:
1. Basecoat the entire pumpkin with acrylic paint. Let dry.
2. Shake the dimensional paint bottle to get a full load of paint at the nozzle. Beginning at the stem, create a swirl. Continue around the stem, varying the swirls, and building upon the original ones. Continue about a quarter to a third of the way down the pumpkin.
3. Add dots to the design, if desired.
4. Return to the stem and decorate it.
5. Set pumpkin aside to dry.

Tip:
Paint Fun-Kins Carvable Pumpkins in 2 stages -- first with stem up, second with stem down. When painting the bottom, stand it stem down in a container that supports it until it’s dry.

To get spray gloss varnish at the base, insert a disposable cup or other tall object inside the hole at the bottom to lift it from the surface. After spraying the surface that faces you, rotate pumpkin to get the other surfaces. Spray the stem from the top as well.

Craft 2) Jack-O’-Lantern Illusions
Skill level: No experience needed.
Approximate crafting time: 1 hour each plus drying time.

Supplies and tools:
* 14-inch, 16-inch and 18-inch quilting hoops
* Acrylic paint -- three different orange colors
* Foam brush
* Clear polyester thread
* Thin hand-sewing needle
* 9-by-12-inch craft foam, 3 sheets 3 mm thickness, black
* Tacky glue
* Scissors

Directions:
1. Paint inside and outside of all hoop sets and allow to dry thoroughly. Use a different color orange for each size. Two or three coats may be needed to achieve desired effect. Hang to dry.
2. Design jack-o’-lantern faces and cut out from black craft foam.
3. With clear polyester thread and needle, poke tiny hole through top of each face piece and tie to inner hoop to make face mobile.
4. Glue the outer hoop at right angles to inner hoop.
5. When dry, tie a piece of thread to hoop screw and hang.

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How To Create Inspiring Spaces Using Flowers At Home

NF Note: Flowers are such a part of our daily lives in Fayette County. Whether they evoke memories of fresh love or comfort during the hardest of times of life, they can make us smile.

Photo: ©2008 AS Eldredge. Used with permission.

(StatePoint) Your home should be more than a collection of rooms used for different purposes. It should be a place that restores your soul, refocuses your energy and creates the proper atmosphere.

While redecorating can be expensive, beautifying your home with flowers can be a powerful yet economical way to create the desired atmosphere.

Decorating your home with flowers can be more than just a cost-effective way to make your personal space reflect your taste. Research indicates flowers hold an intrinsic, natural energy that, when used throughout the home, can create positive shifts in emotions.

In fact, a Harvard University study introduced small bouquets of flowers into people's morning routines and discovered that respondents immediately perked up, feeling happier and more energetic.

"We need and deserve simple ways of creating homes where we feel happy and harmonious by disconnecting from the hectic pace of the world outside," says personal fulfillment expert and best-selling author Jayme Barrett. "Flowers are a wonderful way to ease the stress of everyday life and refocus our emotions."

Anyone can introduce a range of positive energies in the home, stresses Barrett, who applies the principles of Zen and feng shui to floral design. Here are some easy ways to create different soul-stimulating atmospheres in your home, simply by decorating with different flower varieties, color combinations and vase styles:

* Serenity: Allow your mind to unwind and release tension. Loosely arranged hues of blue, violet and lavender can evoke serenity and help clear the mind of stress. Flowers to achieve this include hydrangea, delphinium, lisianthus and stock. Consider placing the flowers in a cobalt blue glass vase in your entryway to set the tone for tranquility as you step inside your home from the chaotic world outside.

* Love and Romance: The right floral decorations can spark intimate connections and blossoming love. A tight bunch of flowers flush with burgundy and red embodies feelings of passion and romance. Incorporating lush pinks and peaches will help invite love and inspire kindness. Place a circular vase (the perfect shape for never-ending love) containing such flowers as stock, roses or alstroemeria in your kitchen or dining room, to help instill love while you nourish your body at mealtimes. These can be a great addition to the bedroom, too.

* Wellness: The proper arrangements can evoke balanced feelings of mind, body and spirit. Yellow is the primary color for this emotional energy, as it represents the sun, life force and health. Supplement a big burst of blooms with greens, which induce nature's healing energy, and white, which reflects serenity. Locate this energy in the living room or family room to enhance the space of relaxation, meditation and family connection. Choose an oval or round terra-cotta, wood or bamboo container to provide grounding and balance. Suggested flower options include gerbera, carnations, solidago, hydrangea, callas, pompons and chrysanthemums.

* Inspiration and Motivation: Infuse your soul with rejuvenating energy! Use red flowers to epitomize motivation, fame, courage and power. Design an up-shooting spray that also includes sensuous, rich orange and fuchsia, which suggest enthusiasm and exuberance. Try roses, callas, Asiatic lilies, snapdragons or hypericum. A tall mirrored or shiny metal container of any kind will stoke inspiration. Mirrors boost positive energies which will circulate through all endeavors. The home office is an ideal place to inject this motivational energy.

For more information on decorating with flowers, visit www.flowerpossibilities.com or www.aboutflowers.com.

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