by Laura Seddon

Created on: September 12, 2008   Last Updated: September 17, 2008

The days are sunny and evenings are brisk, summer green is fading, yet a blaze of autumn is soon to come. Bring those harvest hues inside to warm your home and celebrate the changing seasons. A few simple touches will bring the beauty of the changing season right into your home.

Your local farmer's market is a great place to start. Here you will find both materials and inspiration. Decorate your table or mantle with a wicker basket filled with ornamental squash. Or, for a more modern take, swap a clear glass container for the basket. Indian corn tied by its husks is a simple and elegant decoration for your door.

For a more elaborate wreath, wire small bundles of autumn leaves to a grape vine base. Add small crabapples, pomegranates, or hard berries. Dried ornamental seed-heads can be added for another layer of texture and color. Bright red and yellow chili peppers, braids of garlic, and bundles of dried herbs make a nice kitchen wreath. A smaller wreath surrounding a large candle makes a beautiful centerpiece.

Flowers add joy to any room, and late bloomers such as chrysanthemums, zinnias and dahlias are no exception. Mix fall harvests with seasonal flowers for a unique floral arrangement. You can try sprays of ripe wheat, bundled with chrysanthemums, or dried grasses, oak leaves and zinnias. Choosing farm themed vases and containers adds to the harvest feel. Watering cans, mason jars, and galvanized buckets are all good choices.

Let nature inspire your palette. Think scarlet, orange, and yellow, like turning leaves, or tan, russet, and gold, like dormant grasses. These are all fine colors for everyday home accessories such as table linens, placemats, and tea towels. Toss some fall-coloured accent pillows on the sofa to add instant autumn appeal.

Don't forget to fill your home with October aromas. Harvest time was traditionally canning time, when kitchens bubbled with herbs and fruits. You don't have to put up quarts of canning to enjoy the smells. Just peel and core an apple, then slice into inch rings. Tie a stick of cinnamon with twine, then string the apple rings on top. Hang these by windows and doors. As they dry, they give off a delicious apple-pie scent. You can hang bundles of herbs, such as lavender, sage and lemon balm for both eye and nose appeal.

With a small effort and free or inexpensive materials, you can celebrate the harvest season in style. Bringing the colorful outside in is a sure way to make your home warm and welcoming.

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