Here's my extremely lame attempt at decorating for fall. Please bear in mind that we are on a missionary's budget so there is seriously no money for buying absolutely anything!
I wanted to find some sticks in the yard for placing around the hurricane that you'll see in another picture and came back with this totally cool branch (oops! a bit too big for the dining room table!) So, my trusty little pea-sized brain got to working and here's what it came up with:
I hung it over the (hand-me-down ugly) sofa next to the (hand-me-down ugly dorm room looking) lamp. My thought is to find some cute thin ribbon and hang a few small pictures of our family on it. Like a "naturely" (like that new word?!) family tree. Seriously, tell me if it's totally lame! I'm new at this and don't want to begin creating horrid excuses for decorations if I can be stopped now!!
Here's that hurricane. I'm totally in love with it. I got it last year after the season was over on a super clearance. I payed something like $3 for it. It's glass with mosaic type glass tiles on it. I put it on the dining room table and you can see the sticks that needed to be trimmed from the family tree branch I threw around it. It seriously needs help and I've got no ideas!
Here's a pretty little pumpkin pot with fall flowers and leaves that someone gave me last year. (Oh and please don't miss those super sweet boys in the photo!) I put it on the (hand-me-down 70's scratched up) side table next to the (wejustgotmarriedliveinadarkapartmentneedsomecheaplighting) lamp.
And thus ends my fall decoration repertoire!
This next one is a real conundrum. We have this really neat shelf between the living room and the front porch. I really like it, but in the 5 years we've lived here I haven't known what to do with it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
8 comments:
Dear Debby, I'm a Debbie too. I appreciate that you are missionaries for the God that we serve, and I appreciate that you are raising your boys to always be thirsty for more of him. We have raised our kids to be thirsty too and to never, never, ever walk away from God's calling.
I have a few inexpensive ideas for you for fall. I love to decorate and try to do it cheaply (thrift stores, or make things).
First, boiling cinnamon and nutmeg in water or apple juice makes your place smell good. Slice apples, dip them in cinnamon and let dry for several days. You can place them in a small bucket, cup, or even wire them on a hanger and make a wreath. You can shape the hanger in to a heart shape if you want. Also add some greenery to those shelves. I bought one little ivy plant for under 2 dollars and snipped one little stem off about 4 inches and set it in water till it rooted. Then I put it in dirt and let it grow into a plant. From one little plant I have made 20. Remember to have faith as a mustard seed! Everything starts small, but in God's hands becomes bigger and more mature.
One last thing...Anything can be spray painted (which is cheap). I have spray painted buckets, shovels (orange to look like pumpkins) baskets, candlesticks, mini blinds. You can tie alot of things together for fall by spray painting a basket and then filling it with pine branches, pinecones, cinnamon sticks, dried fruit. Inexpensive material, sheets, or curtains can be made into tablecloths, pillows. (use fabric glue if you don't sew). Ask God to bring things your way that other people are trying to get rid of. Even at our roughest times financially (working at a church actually with 3 small kids) I found that when I asked God to provide (for my hearts desire) for decorating my house, HE ALWAYS DID. He wants to give you the desires of your heart.
God Bless, and have fun with fall!!!!
Debbie
Come by my blog, I have spray painted alot of things in my past posts!
How about some sticks on those white shelves? haha. Personally, I'm not crazy about the sticks, but it is kinda interesting and worth leaving up for a little while. I'd definetly put some family photos up on those shelves, maybe a stack of books, some of those little pumpkin gourds on the little tiny spaces. That's what comes to mind...
Hi there! I've seen several blogs who use sticks to display family pics from :). Some put them upright in a vase or urn. You could even spray paint them, too! Your hurricane on your table is so pretty. Try a table runner or piece of fabric folded to look like a table runner to "lengthen" the table, and place pinecones, acorns, mini pumpkins, leaves down the length of it with the hurricane in the middle. I would decorate the shelves, just minimally. Use a pretty vase with flowers or stack of 3 books on each shelf,or every other shelf. Use something that would look nice from either side. Having a heart for a welcoming home is the most important thing, more important than the "look", and you've got that :).
Blessings,
Stacey
Hi sweetie, I just want to come give you a BIG HUG and tell you that you are doing great. You have got a great start and it is wonderful to see you out there making your house YOUR home. I am so proud of you for serving the Lord and being a missionary family! You have blessed me just by being such a willing servant.
I love the ideas the previous ladies shared. It isn't so much the money as it is finding simple, doable ideas and figuring out how to achieve them. I think you are off to a great start, and with friends like you have (above) you will find some great tips and tricks in blog world!
Thank you for being a part of Fall Nesting week. So nice to meet you and I hope you'll visit often.
Blessings,
Melissa
I think you have some wonderful ideas! Just experiment! I really like the twiggy look!
Big TX Hugs,
Stephanie
Angelic Accents
Hi Debbie, your ideas look great. You just have to have an imagination. I was in your spot financially long ago when I was a young mother and single. I would take the kids out to the fields and we would pick wild flowers and hang them to dry and spray with hairspray (the cheapest I could find) and place them in coffee cans, or cups, or whatever I could find. I also like the weeds, some of them are kinda pretty. I also like the ideas of the other ladies too. You can always find nuts, pinecones, leaves and sticks and make arrangements, and tie up with rope or some brown string. I also buy things at walmart and garagesales alot and fix them up to suit whatever project I'm currently on. Check out my website, I have a few projects I have done in the last couple of months as I'm new to blogging. I look for cheap things to fix up and make my own.....so keep looking and have fun. Everyone has to start somewhere! So far, what you have done is great.
ok, i totally just saw the family tree idea on diy's show creative juice so if i am totally crazy i'm at least not the only one! ;) by the way, the "ugly twig" is now gone since dh was less that thrilled with it! =) oh well! i'll keep trying! he's really pleased with the other things i've done!
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_photo_projects/article/0,2025,DIY_13772_5221133,00.html
Sure, try the sticks in the hurricane for a dramatic centerpiece. If the kids can't reach the shelves, put assorted-sized small candles all in the same color palette on a few of those shelves. THey're always on clearance. Or count on nature for FREE decor: pinecones, pumpkins, gourds, leaves in little glass bowls from your cupboard.
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