Category Archives: Fall Parties

Fall Festivities!

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It is finally starting to feel like fall in Southern California – better late than never I suppose! Although trees are already lit and on display at the mall and Christmas decorations have taken over all craft store seasonal sections, I am not quite ready to trade in my pumpkin spice lattes for egg nog. I would be lying if I said I hadn’t started my Christmas shopping or that I’m not excited for new Lifetime movies to debut, but there are still plenty of fall festivities (and crafts!) to look forward to before St. Nick takes over. Thanksgiving is still two weeks away, after all!  Over the next couple of weeks, friends will gather for Friendsgivings, Turkey Trots will be organized across the nation, and we will feast and celebrate all that we have to be thankful for with loved ones on Thanksgiving. My point? There is a lot of fall left to enjoy – although my disposition may be far from enjoyable as I am trotting on Thanksgiving morning…

Whether you are just trying to hold on to these last couple weeks of fall, hosting a fall feast, or actually in the big leagues throwing a full Thanksgiving gathering (terrifying), the decorations below can be the perfect addition to your next fall get together!

PUMPKIN VASE

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Why use a boring vase for your centerpiece when you can use a pumpkin!? To make this flower arrangement, I cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin and cleaned out the inside, as if prepping it for carving. I made sure that the bottom was flat, and arranged the flower bouquet in a mason jar of water which I then placed in the pumpkin. Yet another great use for mason jars! I cut the stems fairly short so that only the flowers emerged from the pumpkin, and tied ribbon around the pumpkins to add a little more flair to the table.

FESTIVE FALL WREATH

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I really think that party decor starts at the porch, so I decided to create this fall-themed wreath for the front door! I used burlap and thick fall ribbon (on sale at Michael’s) instead of deco mesh, giving the wreath a more structured look. I even bought a few fall garlands with fake leaves and berries that I glued to the wreath, and I used the extras as additional accent decor on the mantle and tables.

PUMPKIN POTPOURRI

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Potpourri can be a great way to add an aromatic accent to your fall centerpiece. No scented candles needed! For these jars, I found fall-inspired potpourri with a cinnamon-based scent and added wood shred, burlap, and twine for a rustic touch!

Mason Jar Potpourri

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How to create an aromatic table accent:

What you will need: mason jars, roll of cord (slightly thicker than twine), potpourri, burlap ribbon (around 5″ thick), wood shred

During the fall, I become slightly (err… really) obsessed with all things pumpkin. When I saw a bag of pumpkin spice potpourri at a gift store, I figured there had to be something I could do with it. I found extra mason jars, burlap, and cord in my abyss of craft supplies, so I decided to make potpourri jars! They ended up being the perfect accents to the centerpieces at our fall feast, and they smelled scrumptious!
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To start, I filled a mason jar about a quarter-full of wood shred, and filled the rest with potpourri. I used the wood shred as a filler to conserve the potpourri (and I thought it gave the jars a more rustic look), but you can fill the entire jar with potpourri if you have enough! With my roll of burlap, I cut a square that covered the entire mouth of your mason jar, and removed the inner disk from the cap. I then screwed the cap back on the mason jar so the top was covered only by burlap, allowing the aroma of the potpourri to permeate the room.

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I used cord to tie a bow around the top which held the extra burlap down and added the perfect finishing touch to the jars. I added candles, fall leaves, and a ceramic pumpkin to the table to create a simple but festive fall centerpiece!