Decorating For Autumn Mabon

Decorating For Autumn

I love decorating for Fall, I make wreaths like this one shown and other items and fill the house with them as well as sell them at craft fairs and on my Facebook Crafty Page, you can order there

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Autumn is such a fun time of year to decorate with the rich color schemes. Natural elements fit in nicely with the rustic fall colors, so there are many ways you can inexpensively decorate for the season. Instead of using your glue gun to make seasonal decor consider buying grapevine forms-wreaths in different shapes and small swags, then use ribbon and seasonal picks that you weave in and out of the grapevine, rather than gluing. You can then remove and replace these for the new seasons. You won't end up having to store the wreaths or wall decorations, instead just keep the small items in a shoe box size plastic tub for each season and switch them as each holiday approaches. When they start to look worn, you can always give them to the kids to try their hand at making their own seasonal decor!



Gather pine cones, seed pods, acorns and fall leaves to put in wicker baskets. Use these on the porch or in entry ways for simple, rustic decorations. You can also use small branches with the pine cones and/or leaves still attached and place them in vases and crocks.



Potted mums this time of year are the same prices as cut flowers, or cheaper, so why not buy several, pot them up and place them around your walks, steps and porch. Tie autumn themed ribbons around the base of the pots. If you have room plant them in the ground after the blooms are gone and lay down some mulch (grass clippings or chopped leaves) for the winter.



Go for a rustic but yet dramatic look by placing a large grapevine wreath in an empty space such as the peak of the garage or the house. You don't need a bow for fall, and at Christmas you can attach a large red bow. It's simple, but adds so much!



Pumpkins and Gourds Galore! Put them everywhere. Try to find a grower or farm

market instead of buying them at the garden center or store. You'll find some

great buys on the "less" than perfect ones, but they are still great for

decorating. We buy small and medium sized pumpkins for .50 and 1.00 each year.

Grandpa always grows a biggie for the kids too! Put your gourds and pumpkins in

groups...place some on upside down pots to raise them up to different levels in

a grouping. Mix a mum or two in with them, and tie a few bows all around!



Winter Squash: Look for Hubbard and Turban squash. They have an interesting texture and a neat look to them. Decorate the porch, but don't allow them to freeze, and afterwards you can eat them for Sunday and holiday dinners! Group them in a large wicker basket.



Garland: Make a garland of smaller gourds with the long necks and Indian corn still in the husk. Use jute or twine and alternate between corn and the gourds. Measure a section of your porch. I have arches and hang garlands in each one. In the middle of the garland make a bow from raffia and pieces of torn rust or orange colored fabric. You can also hang the garland from a porch or deck railing.



Rustic Scarecrow: Instead of stuffing clothing, take two pieces of scrap wood and nail together a cross formation. Take a piece of muslin and place it over the top piece of wood-tie it at the "neck" and draw on a face with a waterproof marker. Dress your wooden friend in clothing, a hat and you can even put hooks on the end of each "arm" and hang buckets of flowers, a birdhouse or other fun items. Turn your scarecrow into a country lady by dressing her in woman's clothing and giving her a gardening hat, gloves, and small garden tools. The great thing with this is that you literally can use scrap wood and old clothing, and go wild with your imagination!


Tin Can Fun: Save those cans! Prime them and go to town painting them in fun fall colors. You can plant mums in the larger coffee type cans and in the others place wildflowers, dried grasses and branches to decorate outside.


Milk Cans: If you have any old worn rakes, shovels and other lawn tools laying around, put them to a decorative use. Place a couple of cornstalks in an old metal milk can, behind the tools, and tie a big fall themed bow around the milk can! You can do this with a large bucket or basket too.

Bringing Autumn Magic In
Adapted from Witch in the Kitchen, by Cait Johnson (Inner
Traditions, 2001).

There's nothing more luscious than inviting nature indoors in the
Fall: the brilliant colors of Autumn make our homes feel deliciously
warm and cozy as the weather turns cooler. Changing leaves, swags of
grapevine, and vibrantly-colored apples and squashes make gorgeous,
inexpensive decorations.
Find out how to connect with the abundant bounty and beauty of this
harvest season with these fun, easy tips for decorating with nature:

1. Preserve some colorful leaves. You can iron them between sheets
of waxed paper, microwave them for a few seconds, put them in a
solution of glycerin, or press them between the pages of a heavy
book. Then you can apply them to backsplashes, place them artfully
in a vase, mound them around a pile of gourds or squashes, or even
use them as coasters for your favorite beverages.

2. Food is art. Find a local Farmer's Market or roadside stand and
load up on apples, pears, pumpkins, decorative squashes, nuts,
gourds, and Native American corn. A simple wooden bowl loaded with
these treasures makes an abundant centerpiece. You can parade them
in a line on a mantel-piece or pile them in a basket. What you don't
eat, you can enjoy looking at.

3. Other treasures. Bring in grapevines to twine along the
countertops, or make wreaths for doors or cabinets (see our article
on making your own Inner Harvest Wreath). If you live in an area
where bittersweet is not a protected plant, harvest some to put in
an earthen vase. Corn shocks are traditional to stand beside a door,
but broom corn makes a beautiful and less usual alternative with its
graceful russet fronds.

4. Beeswax candles. The amber color and honey-sweet aroma of these
safe, all-natural candles just evoke the golden glow of autumn. As
the days get shorter, it can be a soothing ritual to burn a beeswax
candle at dusk.

5. Echo Fall colors. Bring in the Autumn hues of russet-red, vibrant
shades of orange, deep greens, mellow golds, wine-reds, and vivid
scarlet with cushions, towels, scatter-rugs, or other decorative
accents. My family has a brightly-colored autumn leaf potholder and
a set of pumpkin-shaped mugs that we use with pleasure year after
year. Find the simple treasures your family will enjoy.

6. Try this creative and relaxing Leaf Meditation. Find a perfect
autumn leaf and spend some time really looking at it, noticing the
variations in color and shape. Trace its outline on a piece of
paper, then try your hand at coloring it in with colored pencils,
markers, or paints. Slowing down and taking time to savor the beauty
of something as simple and commonplace as a leaf opens our eyes and
hearts to nature's magical variety. You may want to cut your colored
leaf out and glue it on the cover of a journal to keep you company
throughout the autumn months. Or do several leaves to decorate your
cabinets or walls!

7. Think water. Western European traditions often associate Autumn
with the element of water, since it is a time of deep feeling and
flowing away: birds migrate, trees shed their leaves. Honor this
ancient idea with a bowl of water in a special place. Notice how
water evaporates. As you refill your bowl throughout the autumn
months, give a little thought to your own feelings, and the things
that you are in the process of releasing from your life.
***
Celebrating Mabon

By Jill C. Yarnall

Altar and Home: It is appropriate to decorate your altar and home with traditional Autumn colors of gold, orange, red, and brown. Decorations might include pumpkins grouped on the doorstep, dried flowers and wheat attractively arranged in a stone vase, Indian corn hung from the front door, fall leaves scattered across the altar, and baskets of apples.

Fresh Apple Candle Holders: Apples can be easily made into clever candle holders by making a circular cut into the stem area and hollowing out a space big enough to hold a votive candle.  Place the candle snugly in the hole and light.  This decoration is especially appropriate because apples are sacred to Pagans for the pentacle shaped arrangement of the seeds inside.  To see this for yourself, slice an apple in half from side to side rather than from top to bottom.

Mabon Thanksgiving Dinner: To remember and honor the harvest, Mabon is designated as the Witches' Thanksgiving.  Gather friends and family on the Equinox for a harvest celebrations in grand proportions.  Serve roasted squash or turkey; mashed potatoes; fresh whole grain bread; vegetables; corn bread stuffing; cranberry sauce; pumpkin pie; hot spiced cider; and wine.

Gourd Rattle: It is easy and fun to make a dried gourd rattle. Follow these easy instructions: allow the gourd to dry completely; drill a hole in the area opposite the stem; pull out the fibrous material inside with tweezers; fill with a few dried beans; glue in a stick that fits the hole for a handle; and decorate if desired. This instrument can then be used for ritual, private meditation, or drumming circles.

Gourd Dipper: To make a gourd dipper, take a fresh gourd; slice off an area to be left open for dipping; scrape the insides clean; and allow to dry in a place protected from insects and high humidity.  The dipper can then be used for scooping grain, herbs, seeds, incense, or other magickal items.

Hayrides: Organize or attend an old-fashioned hayride to honor and celebrate the harvest.

Harvest Platter: Choose a large platter on which to form this centerpiece.  Arrange dried or silk leaves, pieces of wheat, nuts, small Indian corn, small gourds, sugar pumpkins, and candles together on the platter.  This centerpiece can be lit before each meal to remind all those gathered around the table that the final harvest is near.