Daily Aesthetic Fix

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Daily Aesthetic Fix

by Kenvin Pinardy via photo.net

T-2: Turkey Weekend Countdown!

All-Things-Creative Wednesday

Pumpkins date back many centuries. The name pumpkin originated from the

Greek word for "large melon" which is "pepon." and was nasalized by the French

into "pompon." The English changed "pompon" to "Pumpion." Shakespeare

referred to the "pumpion" in his Merry Wives of Windsor. American

colonists in turn changed "pumpion" into "pumpkin."*

There are endless different fun and fabulous ways to use pumpkins for Autumn decorating. This year try adding a pumpkin or two or ten to your Thanksgiving festivities (pumpkin pie not included!)

Outdoor pumpkin decor:

Pumpkinscape

Pumpkin feeder

Gourd garland

Pumpkin planter

Painted Pumpkins:

Sparkle paint

Stenciled pumpkin

Elegant white

Decals

Pumpkin Tablescapes:

Pumpkin Cookware ;)

Pumpkin bowl

Pumpkin lid

Hollowed out pumpkins and Pumpkin illuminaries:

Pumpkin vase

Halloween isn't the only time for "jack-o'-lanterns"

Pumpkin potpourri dish

Pumpkin icebucket

Pumpkin candle holders

Pumpkin chandelier
Pumpkin basket


What are some other creative ways you decorate with pumpkins?
What pumpkin decor ideas from above are you going to use for your Thanksgiving?

K.

Images via: Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Weddingbee, AngelicalGifts.com, Close to Home, Good Housekeeping, Jamie Oliver, Country Living

*Origin of "pumpkin" via Natural Health Education and Home Business Facts

Daily Aesthetic Fix

"the pumpkin patch by pinhole"

photographer: Danielle Hughson

Image via CK Pinhole Photography

T - 3: Turkey Weekend Countdown! part deux

Okay, now that we have some ideas about how to decorate the exterior of our homes for Thanksgiving from the previous post here, how are you going to decorate the interior?

Again, Better Homes and Gardens is a fabulous resource. It literally has hundreds of Fall decor ideas and tips.

Here are some of my favourites (some will also look fabulous on your front porch as well)...

"Mumpkins"

Hollow out a large gourd and paint it gold to make a gilded gourd vase.

This is my absolute favourite! I just adore the yellow sunflowers and daisies paired with the pumpkins! It makes me think of childhood, storybooks, and hay rides :)

Your Thanksgiving decor doesn't have to be complicated. Simple bouquets of autumn-coloured roses are quite stunning.

More simple seasonal bouquets.



I love the look of this tower display with Fall foliage, flowers and fruit! To get a similar look follow these easy instructions:

* Start with a bamboo vase filled with gravel or other weight for balance.

*Insert mums with short stems into a ring of dampened florist's foam and rest the ring over sugar maple leaves in the top of the vase.

*Fit a pumpkin in the center of the foam ring, top with another ring of mums, and crown with a smaller pumpkin.

*Use a long pick to secure the pumpkins together.

Baskets filled with nuts, autumn-coloured fruits, squash, and foliage are both easy to make and easy on the eyes! Throw in a cloth napkin, a bow, or glue some acorns and pinecones on and you have a fabulous Thanksgiving decoration just like the baskets above and below :)

For a more involved DIY Fall basket project, you could try something like this.

What You Need

*12-inch square basket
*11-inch round basket
*9-inch round basket
*Floral foam for artificial arrangements
*Glue gun and hotmelt adhesive
*10 to 12 juice oranges, whole
*Cloves
*Kumquats
*Pinecones in assorted sizes from 1 to 6 inches *Wooden floral picks
*Assorted greenery
*Seeded eucalyptus
*Small pillar candle and holder


How to Make It

1. Choose three baskets that will stack with the largest on the bottom to the smallest on top.

2. Cut blocks of floral foam to fill each basket.

3. For the center of the largest basket, cut a circular piece of foam the size of the medium-size basket bottom and an inch higher than the largest basket's sides.

4. Place the foam in the large basket then glue it to the bottom of the medium-size basket. This will raise the medium size basket higher than the outside edge of the largest basket. Repeat for the small basket.

5. Stud the oranges with cloves in a variety of patterns.

6. Insert floral picks into the studded oranges and kumquats.

7. Wire floral picks to the pinecones.

8. Fill the baskets with oranges, kumquats, pinecones, greenery, and seeded eucalyptus.

9. Nestle a small pillar candle in the top basket.

These are very cool veggie candle holders. To see a tutorial on how to make them click here.

Stay tuned for more Turkey Weekend Countdown posts... tomorrow we'll be taking a look at some really fabulous Thanksgiving table setting ideas, more creative uses for pumpkins for All-Things-Creative Wednesdays, and much more!

K.

Images via Better Homes and Gardens.

T - 3: Turkey Weekend Countdown!

It's 3 days away from Thanksgiving weekend! More if you're American, but it doesn't hurt to start planning now!

Better Homes and Gardens has a plethora of Thanksgiving tips, how-tos, and ideas on how to put on your best holiday dinner yet. Pages, and pages, and pages... Holy TURKEY there's a lot to see here... and here!

So how are you going to decorate for Thanksgiving?

The first place to start could be your front door. Add a beautiful wreath to make for a festive invitation to enter...

You can get the kids to help with this one.

This one is my favourite! :)

I also really like these rectangular shaped wreaths shown above and below. They are pretty straightforward to make as well.

Materials

*Styrofoam wreath form (or a wire form)
*Sheet moss
*U-shaped florist's pins
*Florist's wire
*Hot-glue gun
*Preserved fall leaves
*Fall ornament (optional)

Instructions

Create a wreath hanger at the top of the wreath using sturdy wire wrapped around the form and bent into a hanging loop.

Cover a Styrofoam wreath form with sheet moss using U-shaped pins to attach the moss. (On a wire form, wrap thin florist's wire all the way around the wreath to secure the moss.)

Next, use U-shaped pins or dabs of hot glue to attach preserved or artificial leaves all around the wreath.

If desired, hang a pumpkin ornament in the center

What are some of your Fall decorating ideas for the exterior of your home besides hanging wreaths?

Which wreath is your favourite?

K.

All images via Better Homes and Gardens.