Bringing The Outdoors Inside Your New Home For Fall

Just about the time autumn rolls around everyone is ready for a change of scenery. Why not bring some of that scenery inside your home so you can enjoy that taste of fall indoors. Light it Up - This time of year there are a plethora of scented candles found from grocery stores, to specialty shops like Pier 1. They range in price and quality as well. Whatever your budget you can find candles which bring the evergreen, apple, cinnamon, pumpkin, and spices indoors. It may not yet be fireplace weather, but accent candles will bring in that soft glow that firelight is made for, while bringing along some of the smells of fall. Make Your Own Simmer Pots - Sometimes the smell of candles can be a little overwhelming to some, or the cost is just not justified in the family budget. Perhaps taking a natural approach is a better way to go on the budget and on the nose. If you are underwhelmed by factory-scented candles, try making a homemade simmer pot. Choose from an array of ingredients including:

• Cinnamon sticks
• Whole Cloves
• Nutmeg
• Dried lavender
• Dried Chamomile
• Pumpkin spice
• All spice
• Anise
• Bay leaves
• Evergreens
• Fruit rinds - including orange, apple, pear or lemon (Save them as you cook and freeze them, then bring them out for your simmer pots)

Choose the mixture you'd like to simmer and bring a small pot of water to boil on the stove. Set it to simmer and add water every 30 minutes. Don't leave the pot unattended. This will not only act to bring the scents of fall into your home; the steam will also humidify the dry air. Bowls of Homemade Potpourri - The idea of boiling water on your stove all day may not be your thing, but if you'd still like to bring a bit of the outdoors in, consider mixing the same ingredients into decorative bowls and hurricanes throughout the house. Add pine cones, pine needles, and acorns for decorative appeal. If you'd like a few other decorative items for your glass creations, consider going to a craft store to pick up ceramic cherries, snowy white glitter, glass beads and artificial fall leaves that won't turn to brown in your arrangements. Or for a more natural appeal buy bags of hazel nuts, peanuts, pecans, and other fall nuts in their shells to add to your arrangements. Bows of Beauty - If you have access to evergreens, trim some branches and bring them indoors to make garlands for your fireplace mantle, banisters, or doorways. With simple twine you can bind them together and tie them along banisters or put up temporary hooks to position them over doorways and along mantles. You can add in cinnamon sticks, pine cones, and other fall favorites. Leaf rubbings - Get the whole family involved with a fall craft project for all ages. Make the leaf collecting a family affair while finding different shapes, sizes and colors. All you need for this project are leaves to your liking, some crayons in a pallet of fall colors--consider reds, oranges, yellows, greens, purples and browns, and white paper, though you can go to the craft store and get crafty and creative with different kinds of paper. Lay your leaves vein side up on a flat surface and cover them with size and style of paper of your choice. Select your crayon color and peel the paper from it so that you can use the side of the crayon to rub gently over the top sheet of paper. Play around with different leaf arrangements and layers. Not only is this a fun family project, but a great way to frame some inexpensive fall artwork and change the season on your walls as well. Have fun with fall ideas and get creative with the whole family.