"Home Decor" 

Pumpkin Fall Centerpiece 

Supplies

Medium-size pumpkin 6-inch pillar candle Sprigs of bittersweet, preserved leaves, vines, or artificial berries Sharp knife Marker

Instructions

1. Snap or cut the stem off the top of the pumpkin. Placing the bottom end of the pillar candle on the top of the pumpkin, tightly trace the perimeter of the candle's bottom with a marker.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut vertically just inside the traced outline. The cut portion can then be discarded.
3. Wedge the candle securely inside. If you've cut the hole a bit too large, simply place a can or other object inside the pumpkin as a base for the candle. If necessary, keep the candle from tipping by wedging one end of a vine in between the candle and the cut edge.
4. Tuck in a few leaves and sprigs of vine around the base of the candle.

"Thrifty Decorating Ideas" 

Table Decorating: Decorating with Winter Squash Colorful as turning leaves, winter squash are the spokespersons of the harvest. Natives of the Americas, these nutritious veggies sustained the Pilgrims in their first winter in the New World. Today, squash is still a cold-weather staple. As charming on the outside as it is hearty on the inside, squash is pretty enough to be a centerpiece, vase or serving vessel. It's easy—easier than carving a jack o'lantern—and kids of all ages will love to help! Vases Scoop out a squash, place a container of water in it and fill with a bouquet of seasonal blooms. Centerpieces Pile an assortment of small squash in a footed cut-glass bowl or big wooden bowl. Soup Bowls Hollow out small squash for individual bowls and big ones for soup terrines

Table Decorating: Golden Pinecone Place Cards  Direct your holiday guests to their seats with the touch of a very special decorator—Mother Nature! The "pinecone store" may be as close as home, your neighbor's yard or a local park. Best of all, they are free! Gilding the lily—or in this case, the pinecone—will just cost you pennies. For each place card: Spray a pinecone with gold paint and let dry completely. Insert a card with a guest's name on it into the petals of the cone. Place each card by the appropriate place setting.

"Thanksgiving Craft Tips" 

Thanksgiving Decoration - Cloves and Oranges

A simple decoration for Thanksgiving is cloves stuck in an orange. I did this last year with my children and they loved it. Whole cloves have a pointy end that can easily stick into the orange. Let the kids come up with their own designs. It has a wonderful scent also!! Thanksgiving Mantle Decor Collect some artificial fruit and set them on a variety of lifts and levels using vases, compotes, glasses, or other decorative containers. We've used beaded fruit, silver compotes, and glass vases, but you might also do a rustic themed mantle using artificial reeded fruit and wood levels. Arrange fruits in three groups of three, using the vases and compotes to lift each piece to a variety of heights. Place topiaries or potted plants between the groups, accenting the greenery with a handful of red twigs gathered from the yard.

 "Craft of the Month"

Spice Ropes

Materials: Raffia or yarn scraps; calico or gingham fabric scraps; scissors; spices (cinnamon, clove, etc.).

Instructions:

1. Using several strands of either raffia or yarn, make a 2 1/2 foot braid and tie off ends in knots so they don't unravel.

2. Cut small pieces of the fabric into circles about 4 1/2" in diameter.

3. Place cinnamon, clove or other desired spices in center of circles, gather fabric and tie with yarn or raffia.

4. Make several of these spice pouches and evenly spaced, tie them to the braid for a scented country kitchen decoration.

A Cornucopia Craft Project
 

Cover work surface with plastic or paper. Set a small bowl upside down on the work surface. make 9 newspaper ropes (see below). Wrap one rope around bowl rim with bowl upside down on the work surface. Cut off any excess length and glue ends together. Glue and tape in place until glue dries.

Glue one end of another paper rope to ring around bowl, leaving other end free. Attach 7 more ropes around ring in the same way, spacing them evenly.

Bring free ends together over bowl. Pull then off center to form a curved horn shape and glue in place. Set aside to dry. When glue is dry, remove bowl.

Make 15 more paper ropes to weave into the cornucopia.

Glue end of a new rope to one of the cross ribs near top of basket. Weave other end of this new rope in and out of ribs.

Attach another rope to end of new rope if it is not long enough to go all the way around. Trim excess rope when a circle is completed. Glue end in place.

Glue another new rope to a cross rib directly under woven circle just completed. Continue this method until you have filled in the open spaces between the ribs.

To make fruit and vegetables, crumple sheets of newspaper into balls and long thin shapes and tape in place. Tape the loose edges to hold the shape.

Cover shapes with 2-3 layers of papier mache. Set in a warm dry place to harden. Paint and shellac all pieces (including basket) as desired.

Newspaper ropes

Cover a work surface with plastic of paper. Lay a full size sheet of newspaper flat and drizzle white glue all over it.

With a scrap piece of cardboard, spread glue to cover the entire sheet.

Lay another full size sheet of newspaper on top of the glue, 1 inch lover than the sheet below it.

Starting from the bottom, roll the 2 sheets together into a tube. The uncovered edge with glue will hold the roll together.

Twist the paper tube into a rope.

These ropes can also be braided together an made into wreaths.