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With Autumn approaching I start to think of how I would like to bring that change of season into my abode. Well, this year I am planning to use some of the gourds we grew in our vegetable patch as flower vases, and candleholders. And in some cases, after scooping out the seeds and pulp you can make a nice and healthy treat of cooked and flavoured seeds.

The colors are naturally accurate on pumpkins, and various squash, and provide ample housing for the larger sunflowers which I adore. Those towering sunflowers need a sturdy base, and the proper visual balance which the gourds provide. And since we can never eat, or give away all that we grow, it is a wonderful way to ensure they get used for good.

As for holding candles, the smaller squash can be hand picked for this purpose. What I like best is that I do not have to be concerned about candle wax getting stuck on them. No cleaning involved, but I am not entirely sure about composting them in that condition. If I am feeling particularly crafty I will carve out leaf patterns and make votives out of them.

Just talking about this makes me want to head out and start gathering the ones I want, but patience will be rewarded. As I am saving this as a project to complete with my grandkids when they come to visit next month. They are gonna just love this, as it will involve getting messy. In the meantime, I think I will start to look for pumpkin seed recipes.

We have seen a great number of uses for flower pots, aside from their originally intended one. Some are just for creative flair, and others are of a more practical sense, but each holds a special place in our hearts as we have truly taken to these multi-use approaches, and never tire of finding new ones.

This month we found yet another particularly delightful way to put one, or many flower pots to work, and though it is really just for the summer and spring months, it is still a keeper. This is seasonal because it keeps any food items you bring outside and place on a table or picnic blanket safe from creepy crawlies, or uninvited winged guests.

Take an absolutely immaculate pot with a drain hole and turn it so that the wide mouth part is the base and what is normally the bottom has become the top. And believe it or not you are done, you have an automatic food cover. This can be used to protect dips, salads, chips, fruits, you name it.

If this seems all too easy, and you want to snazz this up a bit take a decorative cord, run it through the hole and loop it back through. Then tie a knot in the ends of the cord that are inside the pot. Now you have made a cute handle to lift the flower pot. This is one of those simply sensational finds that your guests are bound to compliment and then copy.

So it is fifteen minutes until your guests arrive and you have no centrepiece for your dinning table, or decoration for your entryway. No worries, you can still throw something fabulous together, that will fill the space and get your guests attention.

Run outside and collect some of those gorgeous dried leaves that are resting ever so gently in your garden. Pick the kind that have retained some green on one side, or have a variety of reds , browns and oranges running through them. Grab a decorative container like a low lying wide mouthed galvanized wine bucket, or an opaque bowl to conceal the steams. Then freely arrange the leaves as you would a floral arrangement. Create a focal point and a flow of movement.

Repeat the same effect in a smaller, but similar styled container for the area where your visitors will enter the house. Remember the more oversized the leaves the more of an impact they will have.

As Christmas is fast approaching, it is beginning to look as if with all the snow we might not be travelling to grandma’s for the big day after all. As such, I have been frantically analyzing what needs to be done to prepare for the dramatic change of plans should they occur. I am putting the issue of obtaining a last minute turkey out of my mind for the minute, and am focusing on things like decorating the dinner table.

One great trick for an ultra easy and quick table centrepiece for the holidays only calls for three ingredients. First, you should gather the largest glass vase, if you have a couple of others that are smaller but match in shape then bring them out too. Fill each with a variety of round tree ornaments in colours such as silver, gold, blue, red or green. I opt for gold and silver so that it is still relevant throughout the New Year’s celebrations.

Finally, tie a large bountiful bow around the biggest of the vases and place in the middle of your table. It is as beautiful a display as it is simple to pull together. So, as soon as I know for certain that we are staying home for the holidays, I will make this very table decoration.

Well the Christmas advertising campaigns are already in full force on the television, so the pressure to get the decorations up starts to grow. Oh well, might as well get a good six weeks of enjoyment from the twinkling lights, abundant wreaths, and even the mistletoe I guess.

The thought of hanging up holiday decorations usually appeals most to those who put them away last year in an organised way. For those who did not, it is a little more cringe worthy. So, make this the year in which you put the lights into proper containers that keep them separate and safe. Invest in sturdy boxes and tissue paper for the ornaments and nativity scene.

This will lessen the chances of breakage, or tangling, but increase the chance of you looking forward to pulling all those things out next year in October. Because at the rate they are going, that is when the Christmas commercials will get going in 2011.

An often overlooked space to decorate is the back of dinning chairs. And because it is so rare for that area to be accentuated, it means that any seasonal indicator will really draw attention. Thus, you can keep things simple, and use very basic articles to decorate the backs of your seats, but that extra touch will get you many compliments for sure.

Gather some natural ornaments, such as acorns or small pine cones. Add glue and glitter at definitive spots and then attach them to extra large satin ribbons in fall shades. The difference in the items brought in from the out of doors will create a dramatic impact when the shimmery ribbon becomes its backdrop. Obviously, the way these decorations are tied on to the chairs will vary based upon the seats style. We recommend that you keep things as simple as possible, and tie in loops or large bows to keep all affixed.

For many, the true excitement of Valentines Day is limited to primary school days. However, you can continue the festivities at home by creating special valentines decorations and valentines mailboxes with you kids. These can be super fun projects, and the ideas available on the web are amazingly abundant.

Of all the ideas, my personal favourite is definitely the mailbox arts and crafts creations. All ages can be involved in transforming such common household items as paper plates, or old laundry detergent boxes into personalized boxes of sweetness.

Ribbon, doilies, construction paper, glitter, dried flowers, brown paper bags, or stickers make all the trimmings easy. Be sure to make one of these boxes for each family member, no matter what their age. They can be filled with small treats and notes of affection, both of which everyone can bond over.

When most people think of seasonal decorations they visualize ornaments, ceramic winter villages, and elaborate lights. Thus leaving out a formidable contender for strongest impact of all the holiday additions in ones home, fragrance. To walk into a house and inhale an aroma so enticing that you are certain the homeowner is baking, or perhaps making cinnamon cider is exquisite.

While glancing at the covers of home décor magazines during the holidays, you can almost sense that the place being photographed is filled with an appealing scent. Therefore, to make your place as dynamic, include an assortment of candles throughout it. And if you are vying for a position as homemaker of the year, you may even consider making the candles yourself. Christmas cookie, balsam and cider, eggnog, fresh baked bread are sure fragrance winners, and quite memorable to boot.

Some of the all time best sellers of stylish home magazines are the holiday and seasonal decoration editions. These grab our attention for several reasons, such as the wonderful creativity involved and the effort exemplified. We would all love to have the picture perfect home that changes its personality with the seasons, and you absolutely can have this dream come to fruition. Often, when one attempts to create a winter wonderland or spring awakening environment on their own it falls short. What is lacking is the knowledge of what pulls a theme together. This is the year you get it right, and we are here to show you how.