Fall Foraging Decor and Pumpkin Preserving
I love seasonal decor as much as the next person but it can feel overwhelming to outsource the right decor and keep up with the trends and costs associated with having your house look a certain way.
If I'm going to spend time and money on decor, it will be incorporated into a fulfilling activity for my family and it will be done for under 20$. Best yet, because I’m not technically following trends, rather following my own taste for decor, I will be reusing my fall decor for years to come!
Fall Wreath
First up, my semi foraged wreath. Remember when foraging for florals, wearing gloves is a good idea. Ensuring you have the right identification also goes a long way in keeping your family and your pets safe.
Acknowledge and respect the land that you're foraging from. I was on Treaty 1 land in Manitoba. It’s also of the utmost importance when foraging to only take what you need. A rule of thumb that I abide by is once i’m done my forage, it can’t look like I’ve been there. Ensure there is adequate wild supply of a plant before harvesting and not taking an entire patch but rather, picking through a vast area only gathering what you need.
My natural material includes:
Yellow Dock Root
Yellow Wheat Grass
Wild Meadow Wheat
Pinecones
Pearly Everlasting
Dried sunflower and dahlia from previous flower arrangements.
With all do-it-yourself projects, unfortunately you will need abit of store bought supplies. Here’s what I used.
Pre-made metal or twig wreath.
Thin crafting wire
Glue gun
Plastic acorns (I told you it was semi-foraged)
Beige, macrame style lace
Sturdy scissors
Quite simple to gather, and it took just over two hours to forage and assemble. Note that it’s quite messy to make a wreath. Setting up outside or in the garage is a good idea.
Spooky Birdhouse
I included my 3 year old with the first part of making this decor. We painted store bought birdhouses with black and green paint.
Natural ingredients used to decorate were:
Reindeer Moss
Dried Citrus
Cat Tails
Yellow Wheat Grass
Purchased Material:
Pre made birdhouse from the dollar store or thrift store.
Tempera Paint: Black and Green
Brushes
Glue Gun
Leaf Sticker (which I’ll be removing, its giving 90’s decal. I’ll be keeping my stickers for stationary purposes.)
This activity was so easy, fun and inexpensive. I can’t wait to fill them full of feed to birdwatch over the winter!
Pumpkins - preserving your design!
My top 3 tips:
Cut the bottom out, not the top.
Wipe down with vinegar on inside and out when doing your initial wipe down.
Once carving complete, liberally apply petroleum jelly all over and within all exposed flesh cut outs.
My pumpkin has been outside for 7 days and looks the same as it did the first day it was carved! It’s a treat to have your hardwork preserved for as long as possible. Aside from the pumpkins, your wreath and spooky birdhouse will be preserved for years to come.
Happy Halloween weekend!