Fall Mantel {DIY Projects}

So this is a tad late, considering I am taking down my fall decorations this week and replacing them with Christmas decor!!  But better late then never, right?  Since we are only in this apartment for six months (less than two left!!) I haven't been big on decorating.  To me there's no point in pulling out all of my decorations (that I packed up reallllly well) to have to pack them up again.  But since we actually have a mantel (that doesn't have a TV on it) I can't leave that bare!  Here's what I did with the decor I have year round (that the movers packed up and unpacked).  I also added two DIY projects-the yarn wreath and fabric pumpkins.

To make the pumpkins I loosely followed this tutorial. But they are very simple to make.  Take a roll of toilet paper, wrap a piece of newspaper around that, stuffing the edges in the roll opening.  Take a fat quarter sized (18"x21") piece of fabric and wrap that around the roll the same way you did the newspaper.  There's no right way to do this, I just made sure to keep the fabric folds tighter so it kept a round-ish shape.  I did have to trim some of the corners of fabric off to get it all into the roll.  Now for the stem.  You could use a real stick, but I didn't feel like wandering around our apartment complex looking for sticks so i improvised!  I took 3 q-tips, hot glued them together and wrapped brown felt around that.  Then I finished them off with a green felt leaf!

Cost: $.88 (or FREE if you have everything!)  I had the fabric and felt on hand and picked up a 4 pack of cheap toilet paper at Kroger for $.88 (we use more expensive toilet paper so I wasn't about to use that for a craft project! haha!). 

To make the wreath I wrapped a wreath form with yarn, securing it with hot glue every few wraps around.  To cover up the wreath form I did some overlapping too.  Then I made some fall flowers out of felt and hot glued those on.   To hang it I wrapped some brown satin ribbon around the wreath.

Cost: yarn - $2.50 at Joann's + wreath form - $1.80 (normally $2.99 and used a 40% coupon at Joann's) = about $4.30  (I had the felt and ribbon on hand, and have yarn left over).

Up next, Christmas decorations!!

Fall Wreath Tutorial

Sorry for the delay in posting.  I have been consumed with studying for the Praxis 2 exam I took yesterday.  I am hoping to start a MAT (Masters of Arts in Teaching) for elementary education in January and the Praxis was a requirement for admissions.  It was a tough test to study for since it covered everything that could be taught from grades K-5!  But I think it went well, I'll find out for sure in about 4 weeks.

So now that I am done with that, hopefully I can post more.  Especially with Christmas coming!  I'm so excited for Christmas!!  I already started listening to Christmas music at work and watched Elf last night.  But Brett made me promise no decorations till after Thanksgiving.  I agreed even though I would love to put them up now!  Especially since Hobby Lobby & JoAnn's have their Christmas decor on sale.  But soon I will be starting on Christmas presents.  I'm hoping to make most of them.  I enjoy making things to give to other people and I think it means a lot more to know someone took the time to make something for you.  And hopefully it might save some moolah.  

A lot of my gift ideas involve sewing, which I have wanted to learn how to do recently.  I don't have a machine so I've been waiting until I got the okay from Hubby to buy one.  But we found out that Brett's grandpa had a machine that his grandma never got to use and he offered it to us.  And we brought it home tonight!  God is so good!  A new, free machine from family is much better than a new one we had to pay for!  I don't know much about machines but its a Janome.  The model is now retired but it's in brand new condition and perfect for what I'll use it for.  I'm SO excited to get to sewing!  Since I have a big stack of fabric I wish I could use it tomorrow instead of going to work!

Now for the wreath.

After Halloween was over I decided to take down the wreath I made and replace it with a fall wreath.  I got a wood wreath form at Dollar Tree that was a light wood color so I spray painted it brown.  

I picked up this little can of brown spray paint at Michael's in the clearance aisle.  When it rang up, it was $.01!!  And the girl just took it off so I got it free!  Yay!  This is the spray paint sprayer I mentioned in my last post.

I picked up these fall fake flowers up at Michael's on sale.

To put them on the wreath I just popped them off of the stem.  They come off really easily.

I also decided to use some of the package of leaves I picked up at Dollar Tree.

I started by hot gluing on the leaves as a base.

After I glued leaves on about a third of the wreath I started with the flowers.  I probably wouldn't have put the leaves on because it made getting the flowers in the cracks a little harder.  But with a little more hot glue and holding it till it dried, it worked fine.

Once I glued on all the flowers, I tied a piece of jute twine to the top and hung it on our door with a wreath hanger. 

I love it!  And the cheap price makes it even better!  

Cost:

Wreath - $1

Paint - Free!

Leaves - $1 (but used elsewhere too)

Flowers - $2.39

Twine - $2 (at WalMart)

Total: $6.39 (but I still have spray paint, leaves and twine!)

Fall Decorations!

For some reason, I have never decorated for fall (or any other season for that matter) just Christmas.  This year I really wanted to decorate!   I haven't changed much since I moved in March of 2008 so I think now that it is mine AND Brett's home, I want to change it up a bit.  Well, a bit might be an understatement because I have been thinking about repainting the bathrooms and getting other furniture for the "office" to make it more functional.  But enough with my mini-tangent, I'm sure redecorating will be for other posts (unless we move soon).  Back to fall...


To take care of my fall decor needs I made a couple visits to my favorite stores (in no particular order) Michael's, JoAnn's & Hobby Lobby!  I should have gone to Hobby Lobby first because they had a ton of stuff and it was all 50%, but I was by the other stores first.  But I got everything on sale (40-50% off) so it worked out okay.  


Now for some pictures...

Our kitchen table centerpiece

The yummy pumpkin spice candle, candle holder and candle decoration came from Michael's.  I wanted a table runner to put the centerpiece on, but I didn't feel like paying $15 for one (and that was on sale!).  Plus our table is round and I'm not sure how I feel about table runners on round tables.  I think I'm too OCD for how it would lay.  Anyways, the candle is on a green silk-like napkin I got at Hobby Lobby (LOVE this green!  Green is my favorite color, but this green is so rich & perfect for fall). It was way more affordable than the runner & place mats.

On top of our DVD shelf

The leaf candle holder is from Michael's, the pumpkin & decoration around it are from Hobby Lobby.  Under that is the other green napkin from Hobby Lobby.  While reading another blog (and I cannot remember which one, oops!) I snagged an idea from them.  Each year of their marriage they buy a new (fake) decorative pumpkin & write the number for which year it is on the bottom.  I loved the idea of giving a simple decoration sentimental value!  So we have started that tradition too and above is our first pumpkin!  :)

Our fireplace area

Since our TV and all that goes with it is on top of our mantle, I'm left with decorating around it.  I got the cute Happy Harvest sign at Hobby Lobby.  It's made to sit somewhere, but it got lost when I put in on the ground in front of the fireplace.  So I took a small nail & hung it from a P on the front of the mantle.  It stands out great against the white wood.  I got the scarecrow from JoAnn's (he was too cute & I think it's Brett's favorite).  And on the opposite side is a 2nd candle holder from Michael's.

I hope you enjoyed our fall decorations!  Since we live in such a small space I can't go too over board on the decorations.  But I do have pumpkin and apple candles all over!  Unfortunately nothing was handmade (I wouldn't know what fall craft to make besides something with pine cones or pumpkins), but maybe I'll think of something!  

While I was out shopping I came across fake carve-able pumpkins.  So cool!  Did anyone else know they existed?!  No mess & you can reuse it--cool!  But then again I love munching on baked pumpkin seeds.  Mmmmm...

Hope you're getting in the fall decorating spirit!  Not too many hours before its the 1st of October!

Blessings,

Lauren

P.S.  While getting my fall decorations I also got supplies for a couple jewelry projects that I'm super excited about.  And I'm looking around on etsy for supplies for another one.  Stay tuned!! :)