Fall in love with Fall Decor

Decorate your home inside and outside with gourds, leaves, pumpkins, nuts and other seasonal materials for beautiful fall DIY displays. Squash, pumpkins and a twig of ginkgo leaves (inserted in a flower pick) on mounded moss command attention in this bell jar set atop a terra-cotta dish. Substitute a terrarium, large jar or even a glass cake cover, if desired. Arrange a few spillovers outside the glass for a touch of spontaneity.

Vibrant dahlias in carved-out mini pumpkins delight at place settings. We used a candle carver—a small tool that removes candle-size chunks from fruits and veggies. Insert a votive holder as the "vase" for water and blooms.

Clear glass containers show off both candlelight as well as colorful materials.

Nestle a candle in popcorn kernels or other seasonal materials, such as candy corn or colored clear round stones (available in crafts stores). If you prefer, use a battery-powered candle for safety.

White pumpkins encircled by bittersweet vine and set along an orange table runner create a striking table arrangement.

Use repurposed candle holders for easy fall displays of small pumpkins and gourds. Look for inexpensive candle holders in varying heights at a garage sale or antiques store, then spray-paint black for a unified look.

While the trees may be dropping leaves outdoors, you can preserve them inside on this tree -- perfect for an entry display or party centerpiece.

Anchor a branch (we used manzanita from a floral shop) in a decorative potwith floral foam or rocks, then cover the top with moss. Decoupage color copies of gathered leaves onto small cards or hot-glue pressed leaves to cards. Tie to branches with twine or raffia. Add lines of favorite seasonal poems to the back, if you like.

Create simple but striking arrangements with autumn beauties. Try cattails, ornamental grasses, cone flower seed heads or dried hydrangea blooms.

Create this beautiful fall wreath with a variety of materials that reflect autumn's hues: gold, red, orange and brown.

Both your yard and a crafts store should provide a bounty of choices. A mix of fresh and dried materials looks lovely, but a wreath of all dried materials lasts longer.

Lightly soak a 10- or 12-inch ring of Oasis floral foam in water. Group your materials by color to plan each section of the wreath, then insert materials by the stems. We used tree leaves and fresh mums for red and orange bands of color, tree leaves and dried yarrow for gold, and dried oak leaves and pine cones for brown. Hot glue or T-pins help hold materials in place.

Make a leafy monogram to hang on your door for a touch of fall flair. Paint a papier-mache letter and let dry, then hot-glue dried or silk leaves to the layer in letters. Hot-glue a wire loop to the back of the door for hanging.