In talking with friends, we’ve found that we’re not the only ones who feel like Thanksgiving week kind of sneaked up on us this year. We’re all more than thrilled to spend some time decompressing with family and capping it off with pumpkin pie, but the festive fall spirit hasn’t quite extended to our homes yet.
Are you in the same boat? Been too distracted by the outside world to get your home in harvest-season celebration mode? Try the suggestions below — these projects are all quick and easy, and make use of the one thing we all have in abundance right now: colorful, fall leaves.
Fun home decor projects using fall leaves
Tabletop Trees
Love these for the Thanksgiving table. There’s a little work involved here — mostly painting paper towel tubes and a little glue — but the result is festive and sweet, and totally Thanksgiving-appropriate.
Hanging leaves
A super easy way to dress up your windows for Thanksgiving — make it a really quick and temporary dress-up project, or dip the leaves in wax, and they’ll last well into the winter.
Autumn leaf bouquet
Definitely a favorite, and definitely the most time-intensive of the projects we put on the to-do list. But these fall leaf roses are as beautiful as a spring bouquet, but warm and cozy for the season. The tutorial on Design Sponge makes the process seem pretty easy, and all you’ll really need is some colorful leaves, twigs, scissors and some floral tape to make some decor you could keep throughout the year if you really wanted to.
Autumn leaf windchime
You’re not going to get the telltale peaceful sounds out of this windchime, but you will get a burst of color for your porch or deck, and with it, a warm Thanksgiving welcome for your family and friends.
Pressed leaf wall art
Another beyond-easy project that doesn’t have to stay as just seasonal decor. If you already have some floating frames sitting around, all you’ll need to do is hunt for a few colorful leaves that you love, dry them inside a heavy book, frame and hang/arrange. (If you don’t already have some extra frames, Target usually has cute/inexpensive ones.)
Pressed-Leaf Ornaments
Particularly appreciate how this project can transfer into your Christmas decorating plans. For Thanksgiving, hang them on potted plants or on the decorative branches you have in vases, like the picture above. Then once the tree goes up, move them over. Cute from fall to winter.
Hope these ideas give you a little quick inspiration if you’re scrambling to dress things up for Thanksgiving guests. If you’re about to start hunting for a new place to host your holiday celebrations, we’d love to help — give us a call and tell us about your wish list!