DIY Autumn Projects & Decorations

It was in the 30s when we woke up this morning, and it was HARD for us to get out of bed. The house was cold, the duvet covers were warm, and none of us wanted to get up and get moving. But we did!

Despite our chilly mornings, I absolutely love fall. It is cool, crisp, and perfect here in Colorado — with the possibility for snow later this week! Eek!

I am deep into the One Room Challenge, but it is also time to decorate for Fall and Halloween and all things pumpkin! I don’t do pumpkins until October — I like to use real ones, and I want them to last until Thanksgiving, so we wait until mid-October to bring on the fall decor.

If you are still making that seasonal transition like we are, I have a few projects and ideas to help you along as well as some amazingly easy DIY Halloween costumes. I rounded it all up for you here as an easy reference!

Cozy, Hygge Beds for Fall

First, up: sleeping. This weekend I changed out our duvets from the lighter summer-weight duvets to our warmer, cozier duvets for winter. I’ll be washing those lighter ones and stowing them away this week. Why are we so cozy at night? Because we sleep Scandinavian-style. This is one of the best things I learned in my travels. Sleeping without a top sheet and blankets, cozied up in a duvet cover is the definition of hygge — and it means better sleep for all of us. Read on for more about why!

Autumn Decorations

I am pretty practical when it comes to seasonal decor — especially fall and Halloween. We don’t do scary Halloween, first of all. We do cute. And I don’t want to decorate for Halloween and then less than a month later turn it all around for Thanksgiving. So I rely on the same colors, themes, and ideas for both Halloween and Thanksgiving. Lots of pumpkins and gourds. Natural elements. Candles. Then I switch out just a few things — a table runner, jack-o-lanterns, and whatever we make to hang on the branch chandelier. Here’s an easy DIY bunting that will take your home from September through Thanksgiving. And here are some details about how to create your own branch chandelier, too.

Halloween Costumes

Part of the reason we don’t do much decorating for Halloween is because I am usually really busy making Halloween costumes. I LOVE making costumes! Here are a few of our most recent costumes. The Lumiere costume (from Beauty and the Beast) is still my favorite! And I’ll add this year’s costumes to the post once they are made… but we haven’t even nailed down what those costumes will be just yet!

Books for Fall

Finally, if you are looking for some good book suggestions for the next few weeks with the children in your life, here’s a list of what we are reading. We have a book basket by the bed which I keep filled with seasonally-appropriate books for bedtime reading. However, this week we started the Harry Potter series, so I think we will be occupied with witches and wizards for a good long while.

Happy Fall, Ya’ll! Here’s to a great week! Work continues on the One Room Challenge Workroom Makeover. You can follow along on Instagram, and I will have another weekly update on Thursday. But if you are a subscriber, you’ll get the update on Wednesday!

Cheers!
Angela

@Midmodernmama

One Room Challenge

There's No Place Like Home

It’s fall! It’s cozy! Finally, it is time to snuggle up and thoughts turn to home…

My husband and I met long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away called Minnesota. As newlyweds, he was a student at the University of Minnesota’s graduate school of Architecture, and we spent many weekends dreaming about designing and building our own home. One day we visited a home designed by then-Minneapolis architect, Sarah Susankah. That home was on a parade of homes, and it was an example of her philosophy: The Not So Big House. It was a revelation. Everything that contemporary American home design said — big, bigger, biggest — is wrong according to Susankah. The big, bigger, biggest attitude consumes more resources, wastes space, and builds homes which create divisions and separation in families rather than bringing them together.

We went home from that home tour and immediately bought Susankah’s book, The Not So Big House. It has been a touchstone for us as we considered which homes to buy (this is number three) and what renovations to consider (this house will be our third major renovation). More than anything, The Not So Big House helped to shape our thinking about quality over quantity, energy efficiency, and sparing resources.

I have more about The Not So Big House today on my website. I hope you’ll check it out! Susankah has written several other books as well as other resources on her website, too.

And don’t forget to check out the Autumn Bunting project I posted last week. Not only is there a longer bunting for a fireplace or doorway, there’s also a cute little one that says “Home” which is perfect for your front door. The downloads are free, and the buntings use items you probably have around your house. Put it up instead of a wreath for the season. Enjoy!

Happy Wednesday!
Angela

The Not So Big House

Sarah Susanka

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DIY Autumn Bunting

Free Download!

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New Today: Gifts!

I have been spending a lot of time thinking about gifts and giving as I am preparing for The Nice List to arrive. Have I mentioned that I can’t wait!

Well, today I have two gifts — one for you to give, and one for you to keep!

To give…

Best Baby Gift Ever

My friends and family seem to be in a baby boom! So many babies have been born in the last month! So today I am sharing my favorite baby gift to give. It isn’t expensive, and it is the best baby advice new parents will get! I’m writing about Me Ra Koh’s amazing book Your Baby in Pictures! Check it out!

This is the best gift we received! Find out why and see some of the pics I took of Bambino.

The Best Baby Gift Ever

To make & keep…

Autumn Bunting

This week I pulled out our fall decorations, and welcomed fall into our home. I made this sweet bunting for our fireplace, and I’ve written up instructions for you! You may have the materials needed already at home — paper lunch bags and two kinds of ribbon plus the free printables I’ve provided. It is really simple, and looks very cute on a fireplace, a doorway, or anywhere you need a little boost.

Instructions and printables to make this sweet autumn garland for hearth or door.

DIY Autumn Bunting

And as a bonus I have also included a free printable for this cute garland for your door — or a smaller spot that needs a little touch of hygge. You’ll find it on the Autumn Bunting page, too!

Happy Fall, y’all! Wishing you crispy apples, cool breezes, and crunchy leaves today!

XOXO
Angela