Harvest Home Tour

Fall weather is right around the corner, but the fall decor is going strong inside our house! Besides Christmas, fall is my very favorite time of year to decorate. I love the warm colors, the pumpkins, the cozy candlelight, and all the things that come along with autumn. I always decorate early because I like it to last as long as possible! Whether you are an early decorator or not, maybe you will find a little bit of inspiration for some fall touches in your own home this year.

I have shown this space before and it continues to be a favorite area to decorate for the seasons. There are a couple of items that are almost always in this space. The large window has been on top of the mantel ever since we installed it a few years ago. It makes a great base piece for wreaths or layering signs in front of it. I also keep the rocking chair here and just change out the pillow and throws. The blanket ladder has also taken up permanent residence next to the mantel, at least for the time being!

This year I moved these diy shutters from another space and used them to flank the large window. If you can’t find a set of vintage shutters, this style is really easy to make. I made these myself in one afternoon and the hardest part was getting the angle right on the trim crosspiece. Each shutter just takes five pieces of wood. The sizes depend on what the overall size of the shutter that you want. After I assembled them, I first stained them, and then I dry brushed them with white paint. After they were dry, I sanded and distressed. Again, you could do any kind of finish that you wanted!

Another DIY was the wreath. I used a grapevine wreath for the base and then added various pumpkins and sunflower picks from the fall section at Hobby Lobby. I purposefully kept everything pretty neutral, but it would be beautiful with lots of rusty oranges and browns, too. I tucked in some greenery pieces and then finished it off with a shabby bow. I took all kinds of ribbons, burlap, and even some raffia and criss-crossed them. Basically you keep layering them on top of each other in an X shape. Then I took some raffia and tied it around the middle of the X. Once everything was secured, I just fluffed the bow, and voila, you have a shabby bow!

I hung several different blankets on the ladder. All differ textures and designs, but I did keep them all pretty neutral. Don’t forget that your blanket ladder can be used for more than just throws! Think of it as another shelf to decorate. This time I added a sign on the top rung. I found this at a local boutique store and I loved the look of it.

Even though it may not be the biggest element in this space, the things that I wanted most of all was a really lush, thick garland. Buying a garland as big as I wanted was cost prohibitive. So I got creative! Some times that’s even better. At first I thought I wanted all fall foliage, but then I decided to add in the greenery, and I loved it.

I found these maple leaf bushes at Walmart. The price was right for how big each bunch was, and I bought all that my Walmart had. Before your jaw drops, there was only 7 or 8! I probably would have bought more if they had them, but in the end they worked. I didn’t even have to get too “crafty.” There was no cutting apart the stems or wiring anything together. For the mantel ledge I simply laid the maple bushes down making sure they were layered to cover up the stem parts. When I got to the section that hung down over the side of the mantel, I simple bent the main stem section of one bunch. That acted as a hook and it hung from the edge. I took another bunch of leaves and stuck the stem part up into and then behind the one that was already hanging down. Once I intertwined the leaves, they just “stuck” together with no problem!

Once I was done with that, I just placing the greenery in where I thought it looked best. Most of the greenery is tucked underneath the leaves. To me it gave it the look of fallen leaves on a forest floor. Use your imagination and squint just a little and I’m sure you will agree!

I found this rug at Marshall’s back in the spring and it worked perfectly with my spring and summer decor in this area. I was fully expecting to change out the rug, but I was pleasantly surprised to see how well it worked with my autumn color scheme. Now I’ll save my money and search for something special for the winter season.

I hope that you have gleaned maybe one or two ideas that you can incorporate into you fall decor. Most of these things will work in many areas of your home, not just for a mantel space. Remember, the important things are to make the space reflect you and your family. Keep it cozy and you will enjoy it throughout the months to come!