DIY Pumpkin Home Accent Pieces

Check out these ideas on how to make pumpkin accents pieces for your home this season and make it into a fun activity for the family !

With the fall season upon us, nothing makes your home more festive than decorative pumpkins throughout the house. You don’t have to go out and buy real pumpkins that will eventually rot, and that the squirrels will eat up. Instead , it’s great to have a blend of ceramic and fabric pumpkins all around. These accent pieces can be hand crafted and turned into a fun activity to do with the family. 

Check out my 3 simple methods for creating or recreating these pumpkins. The best part is you can save them and use them year after year!

Method 1- Painted Pumpkin

Have an existing foam covered pumpkin you no longer like? Well, just peal off the orignal layer and paint away. You can also purchase inexpensive foam pumpkins from the dollar store or craft store.

Material:

• Foam Pumpkin
• Paint Brush
• Paint - use a chalk acrylic 

Method 2- Fabric Pumpkin

Use your existing foam pumpkin and cover it up to give it new life. For this method you need to cut strips the length of the pumpkin and then layer on the fabric pieces.

Material:

• Foam Pumpkin
• Paint Brush
• Mod Podge- This works better than glue.

Method 3- Stuffed Pumpkin

This one is created 100% from scratch. Find an old sweater or any extra fabric you may have around the house and get stitching!

Material:

• Fabric
• Hot glue/ Hand Sew/ Machine Sew - for the length 
• Thread and needle - for the width
• Cotton or Fiber Fill
• Twine or any thick thread

Enjoy crafting and making your house perfect for the fall season!

Don’t leave any leaves unturned and get your Fall Decor on!

Nothing like the change of a season and the perfect opportunity to spice up your home.

1. Play Up Your Entry Way - Make sure you have a variety of objects and colors to really make your home pop! To start, you’ll need a festive wreath and some fake pumpkins along the floor. You can go with real ones but chances are you will only have orange (unless you paint them). That can get messy with rain and squirrels will eat right through them so, I recommend FAKE pumpkins. You should also vary the colors, sizes, and patterns. Another nice touch is to add some florals (mums) and lanterns along with other fun decor. 

1. Inside Scents - You want to walk into your home and smell sweet pumpkin pie in the oven and apple cider brewing in your tea kettle. For this step, you have options. You can go with potpourri, scented candles, or my all time favorite, an air diffuser. Some great essential oils that make a nice fall scent are: sweet orange, lemon, cinnamon, clove, vanilla, peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree, and cedar wood.   

1. Personalize Your Fall Decor - When decorating its important to be unique and what I love to do is add a family name or family initials to make your house look different. This adds a touch of personality to any home. 

Getting your Home Ready for FALL!

_{Leaks and Draft}

_{Check your windows and doors to make sure there are no drafts or open cracks. Colder weather is weeks away so make sure you are ready to keep the heat in!}

_{Inspect the Roof and Clean Your Gutters}

_{(This one is a difficult one.) We all know that not everyone is going up to their roofs like Santa to check for damaged tiles but if your roof is old you can assume that you have some damage up there that it will  cost you. Keeping your gutters clean is a great way to protect your home and is worth the investment, especially as new leaves will come down to clutter them soon.}

_{Get Ready for Power Outages}

_{If you can, it is always good to invest in a generator because of what the fall and winter weather can bring. If you already have one troubleshoot to make sure everything is ready in case, you need it.}

_{Trim Away}

_{Summer is the season when everything grows so as the fall approaches make sure to trim your bushes, shrubs, plants, etc. You do not want anything getting to close to your roof or power lines.}

_{Seasonal Furniture}

_{Start getting prepared for cleaning and storing furniture! These are expensive items so safeguarding them is a smart move so that you can enjoy them for years to come.}

_{Stock up on Firewood & Fertilize Your Lawn}

_{Order some firewood or gather your own and store it in a dry area so it is ready when needed. There’s nothing like a nice warm fire on those cool end of fall nights or even some smores with the family right before that big snow storm hits!  Of course, we cannot forget about that beautiful green lawn that surrounds our home. If you’re like me you know how much work it takes to maintaine one, so if you have a healhty lawn protect it and keep it that way!}

Worried about an open house during these COVID times? 

Does your agency have you covered?

Of course you're worried about people going in and out of your home, but if you want to sell your home and give it the marketing and exposure it needs an OPEN HOUSE might be a great option. Make sure your agent has you covered in all these areas. 

1) Marketing- You want to make sure that people know about it and show up. Signs, balloons, red carpet (why not). It should get all the attention it deserves.

2)Staff & Safety - You need a team, one or 2 agents won't cut it!

•  Temperature checker- Someone to scan everyone before they come in.

•  Security- Someone to stir the crowd, monitor the flow and ensure everyone has a mask.

•  Sanitizer - Someone at each floor to monitor how many people enter a room/ that they dont touch objects or any unnecessary handles/ knobs and are constantly sanitizing. 

•  Tour guide-  Someone to show you the home, talk through all the features and answer any question.

As you can see it takes a team of agents to run a safe and sucessful open house during these COVID times. Does your agency have you covered? 

4 Simple Ways to Make Your Home More Comfortable

If Moving Is Not An Option

1) Arrange a workplace

If you don’t have a home office or extra room I get it, do not be guilty of using the dinning room as your desk! Another option is to create a space in a corner somewhere in the house and claim it! Buy a new or used small desk, nothing bulky just a clean and stylish where you have a safe haven. Put a nice floral arrangement, a notepad, pen holder and find the spot for your laptop. Keep it clean and welcoming and it can match with the rest of your decor or furniture so that it blends right in.

2) Get Organized

This step is important because if your home is organized everything else will follow. It’s important for your mood and comfort. I recommend a bookcase for the house where the entire family can use a shelf and keep their reads. This was a life changer for me, from having books all over the house and in the kids bedrooms it was great to consolidate everything. It also makes a great backdrop for a business zoom meeting so this is definitely a must.

3) Give one of your bathrooms a makeover

It can make such a huge difference! I would recommend to do this for your main bathroom, that the whole family uses. If you needed to replace the vanity or mirror go ahead. Change up your soap dispenser and spice up your decor. Try to replace your light fixture as well, it will help alot. 

4) Invest in some furniture

It’s always a good time to replace those old couches and that used dinning room set. You’re going to be sitting on them more than you’ve ever had, so why not change them if they were due for an upgrade. If you don’t have the budget for this its perfectly fine, you can still spice up your furniture:

• Sand down and re-stain your dinning table.
• Get some sassy fabric and try to reupholster your chairs.
• Sofa’s are harder to swap so try some new pillow accents.

Most important of all have fun with it and have it a family project!