by Nicole Selley

Created on: September 12, 2008   Last Updated: January 30, 2009

Don't you just love autumn? It's the time of the year when leaves turn into a warm golden brown and evenings are not too cold yet, but cosy enough to cuddle together in earlier, dark evenings. You can bring some of the magical transformations you can observe outside into your home with some the following easy ideas.

Idea 1 - Flower Arrangements
Collect some dried flowers from your garden or a nearby park and pose them into a vase or into any other container nothing stops you from being creative! To arrange them in more complex and stable patterns use some florist's foam. Ideal plants are: Shrubs, ornamental grasses or perennials. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /

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Alternatively an arrangement of colourful leaves is a lovely and easy idea. You even could try a collage of leaves, shrubs and photos which can be placed into a picture frame. Go for a nice walk and have fun collecting everything you like. The end results will become a lovely memory for you and your family of that nice day out.

Decorate your counter tops and cabinets with some herbs and shrubs for a nice warm feeling and lovely smells.

Idea 2 - Colour and Decor
Decorate your home with some warmer, heavier colours, such as coffee coloured bed throws or pillows to bring autumn's natural warmth inside. Other easy changes to your decor include lampshades (you can buy a different coloured lampshade or sow one yourself) which give the light and the room a changed ambience, or place mats in deep, natural colours.

Idea 3 - Scents
Which scents come into your mind when you think of autumn? Cinnamon, nutmeg, nuts, apples? Candles or incense sticks with these scents are available and help you to prepare for comfortable evenings in the dark season.

You can even create your own candle arrangements. Just place a floating candle into a bowl with water, mixed with autumn spices and leaves. It looks beautiful, but be careful that the candle cannot light up the leaves by accident.

Idea 4 - Autumn food
Autumn brings lovely fruit and vegetables back into season, such as apples, pears, pumpkins or nuts. Use them to enhance your dinner, but also use their smells and appearance in decorations and centrepieces. Little bowls (ideally wooden or golden) filled with above fruits and nuts and some autumn leaves bring you immediately in the right mood.

These little touches will make your home feel warmer and make you feel ready to enjoy shorter days and longer nights. Now sit back with some nice hot herbal tea and chocolate cookies and the darker season can begin.

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