DIY: Fall Home Decor

Elevate your fall harvest dinner or thanksgiving. Place arrangements on side tables, end tables or a serving table. The natural colors of fall, warm the home and welcome family and friends. You can also accent the arrangments with candles, green plants or your favorite family crystal. Whether you want that down home, farm feeling or that sophisticated, uptown look. Fall is fabulous, and the possibilities are endless. Go ahead, run with it and make your next dinner party or family gathering fall fabulous. I know you want too.

Whether it's fall or not. You can always use warm color tones to your home decor. Browns, yellow, orange and rust red, adds a rich palate of colors.

Some of the essential tools used in a florist shop are:

• Wire cutters, pliers and pruning shears, floral wire
• Floral tape and floral foam. Both wet and dry foam.
• Floral glue and a glue gun.
• Along with containers for flowers.
• A sharp knife and scissors.
• Including a variety of flowers, both fresh and silk.

Basic tools can be found in the local hardware stores, craft shops and can be purchased, online. The pruning shears I use can be found in the link through Amazon.

Fall is an amazing time of year. Why not hang on a little longer and bring it inside. Farming and fall harvast, just seem to go together. Like peanut butter and jam, or sugar and spice. Thanks giving, fall harvest dinner. What a great time to celebrate, family, friends and food. Let your home dream of fall.

• Hold the stem of the flower in your hand like a knitting needle. Close to the bottom end of the Stem.
• Attach the tape, at the lower part of the stem and roll between the tips of your fingers as you use the other hand to wrap the tape towards the flower head.
• Make sure you slightly overlap the floral tape as move up the step.
• Once you reach the underside of the flower, tear off your tape. Pulling slightly, to stretch it out and press in place.
• Even and smooth is the look you want, once all stems are wrapped. Now they are ready to use.

Do you have an unsightly water cooler or water pump in your dining area? Did you know that a bird cage, iron lamp or a plant, Can be used to accessorize what you already have? You can also place a candle in the center. It doesn't even have to cost a lot of money. Everything you choose adds another layer of fall in the home. Here is yet another way to create a piece, out things you have already lying around your home. The only part of this arrangement I purchased, was the fall colored leaf vine.

Are you on a budget and want to add fall color? Use a centerpiece you already have. Or check out the local discount stores or value shopping stores, and refresh it. Fall is a great time to use natural colors, like burnt orange, red, yellows, browns, and greens. It can be as easy as adding a fall colored vine. Take the silk vine and wrap it around your most loved plant or centerpiece. No glue or wire needed. Simple yet colorful and fun to make. If you prefer real over silk, then gather leaves from your yard and use them around your home instead. Or you can turn the leaves into a garland, just add string or twine. Discount stores and dollar stores now carry a wide price range and a variety of silk flowers.

Start by having all the needed decorative floral pieces in front of you. If you want to make any of these for other occasions, just swap out fall colors for ones that compliment your home. Then follow these directions.

1. Plug in the glue gun and start preparing your items as it heats up.
2. Rest the glue gun on a heat resistant surface, like a coaster or pottery saucer.
3. If your flowers didn't come in a bunch, then trim to your required height for container and wrap each stem in floral tape. For bundled snip ends with wire cutters and separate.
4. Begin the arrangement by trimming floral foam to fit your container. Use the paring knife to cut the foam. Use a narrow piece of the foam or turn on end and glue into the vase or bowl.
5. Place the largest of the flowers into your container first, Without gluing into place. Doing this is called a test fit. It allows you to see how the Arrangement will look before it's glued into place.
6. Once you are happy with the placement, then go back and dab the end of each wrapped wire, with glue and put back in place. Then glue smaller flowers and filler, or leaves around them. Then finish by filling in with any accessories you want in the arrangement.

The picture above is the arrangement style, that's described here. It's what I call the half round or perfect fall arrangement.

FYI: If you are still unsure about arranging the flowers yourself. The lady in the flower chef book, is wonderful and easy to follow. The link takes you to her book. She is brilliant at teaching basic flower arrangements. You can always use them exactly the way they are, in the bundle you purchase them in. Just place the Flowers in your container and move and bend until your happy with them. You can even put rocks in the bottom to help hold them in place.

The challenge is for the whole family.

It doesn't even have to be for fall. The kids will love it.

Get the family involved in fall arrangements. Children have this amazing ability to be creative. I challenge you. Give a child a chance to show you what they can do. Try this: Give them no directions. Set up the table with all the supplies to do something creative. Let them choose what they want and make it their way. My grandchildren surprise me every time. I can't help but smile just thinking about it. Let the memory making begin. My granddaughter made this simple, yet lovely arrangement.

Even though using silk flowers can be cheaper and easier to use. Cheaper is not always better. When it comes to silk flowers, the quality changes accordingly. Some occasions still scream for the real thing. What better reason is there, then a wedding. Make your own, real bouquet. Some florists are now making two bouquets. One to keep and one to toss at the wedding. It's been my experience as a florist, that the majority of people still prefer the real thing. One example was my own sisters' wedding. We completed all bouquets the night before her wedding day. We were busy little bees. Life is good. There is nothing better, then getting ready for such a blessed occasion. My sister and husband married in the fall. My favorite time of the year. How great is that? I used to be opposed to silk flowers of any kind. Well not anymore. The quality of silk flowers has come a long way. Sometimes the cost and ease of use make them the better choice. My preference is real, but now I can make exceptions.

In conclusion I just want to to say, you can make these arrangements too. Whether you use fresh or silk. If your celebrating fall or the harvest, these beautiful arrangements can be made in no time flat. If you have a glue gun and flowers, let your imagination run wild and arrange away. Take my challenge and get the kids involved, fun will be had by all. It doesn't even have to be fall. We all have that vase waiting to be filled, take it down and arrange away.