Fun With Fall Decorating

The fall season is often met with melancholy, as it marks the shortening of daylight hours and the movement from bright sunny days to cooler temperatures and darker nights that come too soon. But, as the deciduous trees shed their leaves, we acknowledge that things change for a reason. For trees, it’s a way of going dormant in preparation for the harsh winter season, awaiting renewal in Spring. For humans, it’s a time to appreciate seasonal splendor and prepare by making our homes cozier for autumn.

Fall delivers much magnificence: mountains of colorful leaves, fresh crisp air, pumpkins, mums and more. From summer shorts to warm sweaters, lemonade to hot apple cider, baseball to football, and riding bikes to taking a hay wagon ride, lots of change is upon us. The fall season provides opportunities to have fun. One may do something adventurous, such as climbing a mountain to observe fall foliage, or simply curl up by a roaring fire on a cold autumn’s eve with a good book in hand or friendly company near. Autumn is also a time when we can spread our joy of the season to others by creating a warm and welcoming home with these easy fall decorating tips: *Create a welcoming entryway to your home. Front porches can be adorned with comfortable furniture and accessorized with all-weather rugs, autumn spice-colored mums, plaid cushions, or pillows, throw blankets and more. Add battery operated outdoor lanterns by the front door and place a bright autumn wreath and welcoming doormat by the front door to greet visitors. *For Halloween, add pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns, dried corn, hay bales, swags of leaves, fall flower arrangements, and more. Or go scary by introducing cobwebs, fake spiders, mummies, tombstones, and ghastly ghosts to your décor. These seasonal updates provide a quick way to elevate drama and keep spirits high for the holiday! Your home is ultimately a reflection of you and the happiness you feel. Thus, it is important to keep your entrance way friendly, approachable, cheerful, clean, and inviting. All décor should be chosen carefully to showcase or enhance and not hide the best characteristics of your home’s exterior, such as a covered porch, beautiful handrail, colorful stained widow, or dramatic walkway. The key is to be selective, choose colors, themes, and natural and manmade pieces that mean something special to you. As always in decorating, avoid clutter that can detract from your main goal of creating a visually pleasing environment, and opt for designs that sing “Welcome Fall.”