I can hardly believe it’s October already, but the calendar doesn’t lie, so it must be true. I’m afraid to blink, or it will be Christmas! As much as I love the cheery red decor in my kitchen, it looked very summery, and I waited a little too long to bring it in. It’ll be perfect again when it’s closer to Christmas, but in the meantime, I wanted some autumn decor in the kitchen.
I don’t have room to store boxes full of seasonal decor, so whatever seasonal decorating I do, I need to be able to use it for several different seasons. For example, I don’t want to decorate more than once in the autumn, so I started with some natural elements and vintage decor, as the “base” of my decorating. I “shopped” my home for vintage pieces I already had. When all the shops are loaded with seasonal decor that looks so cute, it’s easy to forget that you probably already have everything you need – you just need to mix things up a little, and add some natural elements that can be disposed of when the season changes. What little money you do spend, should be reserved for things that can be used for more than one season.
The October book pages banner I hung above my antique kitchen stove can be switched out for November pages next month. I can actually switch out the pages every month of the year if I want, because it has beautiful hand drawn illustrations for every month of the year.
It is a facsimile reproduction of an early 1900’s nature notes diary (available on Amazon here).
I used twine and vintage clothespins to hang the pages on, which I can move to other spots in the house if I want to later. Instead of book pages, mittens could be hung on them in the winter, or sprigs of flowers in the spring and summer.
I keep a basket full of pine cones, acorns and buckeyes hanging in my entryway all year, so I just pulled out a few to display on an antique scale. I picked up two scales at a yard sale last weekend. The other one is super rusty, and I’d like to hold onto it for awhile, but this one has a little less rust – really the perfect amount in my book.
It’s available in my online shop here.
I collected some leaves that had started to change color. I scattered a few on my antique kitchen stove, and I love how they look just resting on an old plate and hymn page.
The antique blue Ball jar used to be my kitchen dish soap dispenser (seen here). It’s the perfect color to hold some pretty white and yellow blooms I gathered today.
As I’m creating vignettes in my home, I always make sure to use a variety of textures.
I looked everything over, and I had paper, metal, glass, fabric, wood and natural elements, but there was still something missing…
… candlelight!
The lantern I used in my Summer Tour was the perfect finishing touch. The candlelight looks so pretty shining through the cross bars.
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So pretty, Angie! I have that beautiful book, too…I always forget to use it! Thank you for sharing!
I really, really love this, Angie! You may have just given me something I can put on my Christmas list. My family will thank you! Is the book “The Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady”? Happy fall!
Very nice Angie … nothing better that bringing natural elements in to enjoy. I just picked some acorns and they are so pretty. Love the book pages and the candle light makes everything so pretty.
Happy Fall.
Audrey Z. @ Timeless Treasures
So lovely Angie! I definitely want to copy this idea!!
Thanks Anne!
Great post…yes, being thoughtful about storage in choosing changes for the seasons can apply to everyone. Another easy storing–design tool is fabrics: tablecloths, runners, placemats, pillow covers, bed linens, even colored sheers, can change the whole mood of a room and don’t require very much storage space. Thanks, Sandi
Good point, Sandi! I bought an evergreen colored tablecloth a few years ago, because I knew I could use it for Autumn and Christmastime.
Beautiful Angie! It is so simple and peaceful! I love it! Happy Fall to you!
Thanks Margaret – happy fall to you too!
Really love all the Vintage goodness you’ve added to your Fall vignettes, Angie. They have loads of character that draws you in to want to learn more about each piece. Love it!
Thanks so much, Marie! 🙂
I think your Autumn decorating was wonderful. I decided this year to get rid of some of mine,i have too much and yours is so natural and lovely.
I just have too much, “stuff”, and didn’t want to add to it this season, Marlene – shopping my home and the great outdoors kept me from doing that!
I Love all these Ideas,I Love Farmhouse style.
I also don’t like to store seasonal items.
This helps a lot, Thanks!
Angie, you’re too much! Thanks for reading my mind about not wanting to store too many seasonal decorations. As a teacher, I learned how to make something work for me from one season to another, e.g., background bulletin board paper in colors to fit the next two months…reuse something over again as often as possible…to save time, resources, and money. And that lead me to do the same thing at home. Now, I find myself getting rid of store-bought decor and wanting much more of what nature provides to us! Thanks for the lovely and simple ideas to make our homes cozier!
I love this beautiful vignette…I find it comforting…maybe it’s the soft light of the lantern that lends that sort of feel? I also love that it’s not overly-obvious autumn…you know the ones with big, bright orange pumpkins, hay bales, scarecrows etc…not that they are bad, but I just like your subtle style much more! Thank you for sharing this with us…from now on, instead of buying more, I will look to what I already have for inspiration!
I love your natural decor and I am going to have to get the book because I want a book page wreath. I always have pinecones, acorns and shells all over my house! My husband knows what I like and when he takes the dog for a walk in the morning he will often bring me a fallen pinecones or a handful of acorns or sometimes when a small brance falls off of a tree I will get that as my present. Thank you so much for all of the free printables you give us. It is really appreciated!
angie you should totally be an interior designer!! simply amazing, everything you make!!