by Joilene Rasmussen

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

Autumn Comforts for Your Home

Nature's bounty is lying on the ground at your feet, and wasting in the fields and gutters. How if you could capture a bit of it, and invite it home? Autumn makes a worthy guest.

First, take stock of what you have available. Check your supermarket, yard or garden, or perhaps your neighbor's (with consent!), to see what you have to work with.

Here are some suggestions to get you started:

Gourds and squashes, pumpkins
Corn of many kinds (field, over-mature sweet, blue, Indian, broom, popcorn-on-the-cob)
Autumn or late summer grasses, carefully dried by hanging upside down in a bunch
Sprigs of berries from bushes or cedars
Chilies or other peppers, dried (snip the ends barely off and tie the stems to a cord for hanging)
Fallen leaves, preserved by ironing between sheets of waxed paper, or carefully drying between paper towels inserted into the leaves of a large book
Bunches of dried herbs or flowers (dry upside down, hung away from direct sunlight)

But now, what do you do with these things? Try your hand at arranging a centerpiece on your coffee or dining table, or piano or mantle. Tuck in anything that strikes your fancy, and experiment with vases, pretty plates and doilies, and even fish bowls. Consider adding beautiful stones, marbles, or candles. Use bird seed or other grain to help things stand up properly in any containers. After all, if you don't like it in an hour, you can always change it around, or eliminate some items. Windowsills can serve as good display shelves, and a wreathe or bunch of flowers, grasses and berries, can be handily tacked to the end of a cabinet (doors in frequent use tend to shake these fragile items too much).

Examine whether you can artfully arrange a bowlful of leaves, flower buds, or small cobs of corn in a china hutch, or perhaps on a counter.

Many of these items can be tucked away in a box for use again next year, or, if they get worn, can easily be replaced. Be sure to eat any winter squashes or the like before they begin to wilt, as they should not be kept long at room temperatures. A moderately cool porch or basement can make a good long-term home for them, if you don't intend to use them in a few days.

Don't overlook the present color scheme of your home. Adding a simple throw to a chair or couch, the colors of which compliment autumn memories and emotions, or choosing an appropriate tablecloth or wall hanging, can add the finishing touch to your scrumptious-to-the-soul outdoor decorating.

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