According to the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID),
fall is one of the busiest times of year for people who work in the
home decorating business. “The calls just pour in from people who
want to spiff things up before the holidays,” says B.J. Peterson of
the Peterson-Arce Design Group in Los Angeles. “They’re getting in
the mood for entertaining, or have people coming in from out of
town and want to make an impression.”
Fall isn’t only a busy time of year for interior decorators, but
for arts and crafts stores as well. Do-it-yourselfers flock to
stores like Michaels, the nation's largest specialty retailer of
arts and crafts, not only for materials but for ideas. “It doesn’t
matter if you’re a novice or an experienced crafter. Home
decorating is so easy, anyone can do it, and you can find
everything you need to complete a project at one of our stores,”
says Laura Byrne, Director of Marketing at Michaels Arts & Crafts
stores. Among the most popular do-it-yourself projects in the fall:
wreaths, candlescaping, seasonal decorating and decorative
painting.
Wreaths and Floral Arrangements
Creating a wreath is one of the more popular and easy crafting
projects you can do this time of year. Wreaths can be round,
square, or any shape you desire to complement your style. Hung from
a door or a wall or placed on a tabletop, wreaths are a wonderful
way to add the elements of the season to your home. Items that can
be used to decorate a wreath are as limitless as your imagination.
They include silk or dried flowers, fruits, vegetables, berries,
ribbons, and bows. You can find everything you need to create a
wreath at your local arts and crafts stores, which have a wide
selection of decorative tools and embellishments. For novice wreath
makers, many websites now provide step by step instructions to help
you create your very own wreath. One of the newest additions to
Michaels.com even includes interactive visuals to guide you through
the wreath making process:
www.michaels.com/easywreaths.
B.J. Peterson says one of the easiest ways to set a mood in a
room is with a floral arrangement. “You can really let your
imagination run wild when you create one of these,” she says. “For
fall, you can use pinecones, seasonal fruit, evergreen branches,
dried flowers, or even reeds to fill a vase, decorate a table or
fill a corner of the room. The idea is to bring a piece of the
outdoors inside.”
Candlescaping
Another popular and easy way to bring the look of fall inside is
through candlescaping. At its most basic, multiple candles can be
displayed on a large platter. Taken to the extreme, it can be an
entire room filled with decorative candles of varying heights,
sizes and shapes, filling the space with soft, warm light, creating
a cozy environment for your family.
“Candlescaping is more than just scattering a few pillars
around; it's creating a mood or telling a story using texture,
scent, color and light. The candle aisles of your local Michaels
store are filled with beautiful pillars, tapers and tea lights in
every imaginable size, shape, color and scent, allowing you to
develop a look that fits your own personal style,” says Byrne.
To create a more unique look with candles, some people use
stencils and paint to decorate the candles with seasonal motifs.
Fall leaves, English ivy and pumpkins make great accents this time
of year.
Dimensional Paint Decorating
An easy way to add accents to candles, and many other surfaces,
including walls, vases, fabrics, and more, is with the use of
Texture Magic, a pre-colored dimensional paint packaged in an
easy-to-use tube.
If you have ever frosted a cake, you are already an expert at
applying Texture Magic. Spread the paint on the surface you want to
decorate then add your accents, such as glass beads, metal pieces
or ceramic tile, and press objects in the wet paint. This process
allows you to capture the look of high-end mosaics at a great
price.
You can also use the paint to create an impression. Simply
spread a thick layer of Texture Magic on the surface you want to
decorate, let it set a bit, then press the object -- a foam stamp,
leaf, or flower petal -- into the wet paint. Remove immediately,
leaving the image pressed into the surface. Arts and crafts stores
offer all the tools you will need for a home décor project as well
as larger sizes of paint.
Carvable Pumpkins
And what crafter’s fall décor wouldn’t be complete without a
bunch of pumpkins on the front doorstep. You can find realistic
carvable foam pumpkins in all shapes and sizes at craft stores
along with all the tools you need to bring them to life. These
pumpkins add a seasonal touch for fall that can last on your porch
or table the entire season. Use them traditionally or get
imaginative creating topiaries or carving whimsical characters and
seasonal images. If you’ve struggled with carving the real things
before, you’ll be amazed how easy it is to accomplish results with
carvable pumpkins.
Fall home decorating is easy, simple and inexpensive to do
yourself. So go ahead and try it, you’re bound to create beautiful
home décor accents that will be both eye-pleasing and unique.
Courtesy of ARA Content
