Could it BE any more grey?!
As I write from inside my blanket burrito, I’m looking around me and seeing a lot of fabric. Wool, cotton, velvet, fleece, pretty much everything. For those of us who just can’t get enough of the hygge way of life, I imagine your home looks pretty similar right now. And there’s nothing wrong with that! But the one thing my home – and probably yours – is missing right now is a bit of life.
One of my favourite things about Scandinavia – and the UK, actually – is the nature. I love trees and flowers and fruit and even weeds, and autumn in particular inspires me to bring more of these things inside. Recently, I’ve been thinking about ways to bring more of the outdoors indoors, whether that’s through collecting, art or even just things you can buy.
If, like me, you’ve ended up with a ridiculous number of conkers (I still have a full bag left), why not get creative and make some beautiful home décor? If you have a strong needle, you can thread twine through conkers to make garlands which can be strung over windows, doorways, along shelf edges, pieces of furniture… that gorgeous deep, rich brown goes with pretty much any colour scheme, and you could even varnish them up if you wanted them to last longer. Or how about an eye-catching autumnal wreath, or scattering a few conkers around an arrangement of colourful squashes for a seasonal centrepiece?
You know when you find the PERFECT autumn leaf and you just never want to let it go? Is that just me? Anyway, the good news is that you can preserve those leaves and use them in your craft projects. You can use the good old ‘pressing in a heavy book’ method, or use wax, or even try microwaving them (who knew?!). Once your leaves are preserved, you can use them in all sorts of autumn crafts. How about sticking them around a glass candle holder, or even one of those big paper lampshades you can find at IKEA? You could make a mobile, gift tags, greeting cards… the only thing limiting you is your creativity. Check out this list for more autumn leaf craft inspiration.
Of all the seasons, autumn’s colours are by far the most beautiful to me. I love the spicy oranges, blazing reds, juicy mulberries and scorched ochres, and that’s exactly what I want to see in the art in my home at this time of year.
I recently came across Daphne Boder on Instagram, and I keep going back over and over again to look at her stunning pastel landscapes. Pastel feels like a good choice for autumn – you can pick up the vibrancy of the colours but also the softness of the golden light and the delicate shadows, and her work has totally inspired me to dig out my art supplies and try to create some pastel pictures of my own. I also have this real thing for ink art – I want to experiment with some scratchy pen-drawn leaf veins over the top of some chalk pastels to highlight the drama of an autumnal floor.
Or if you’re looking for something to do with the kids, you could always try leaf rubbing. Place a leaf under a sheet of paper and use crayons or pastels to gently rub over the surface. You should pick out the shape and the veins, and you can reuse the same leaf over and over again or lots of different leaves for a pretty patchwork effect. Once you’re happy with your finished piece, you can mount it in a simple frame for a permanent piece of art – and don’t forget to sign and date it!
If the idea of getting your art box out fills you with horror, you could always take a shortcut and buy a print of one of these famous autumn-inspired paintings. I find Autumn Forest by Ivan Shishkin especially lovely.
Flowers aren’t just for spring and summer! I LOVE having flowers in the house all year round, and autumn is no different. That’s why I was so pleased to be sent this pretty pink bouquet to show you from 123-Flowers! This is the Elegant Enchantment bouquet, and with pink being my favourite colour, I’m a very happy bunny with this joyful mix of chrysanthemums, germinis, alstroemeria, carnations and pistacia. And as you may remember, pink is still very much in for autumn – result!
I had a little poke around on the 123-Flowers site to find some more autumnal flower inspiration, and I’m particularly fond of the Amber Attraction bouquet with its orange, yellow and green blooms (HOW pretty are those peach roses?!), and the Vibrant Delight makes me think of sweet, bursting blackberries baked into a pie.
If you’re looking for flowers that are still in bloom at this time of year, think about celosia (with its natural autumnal colour palette), Chinese lanterns with their delicate, papery orange pods, goldenrod or autumn’s most popular flower, the chrysanthemum. For more autumnal flower inspiration, this House Beautiful article suggests 25 of the best.
Do you miss your natural influences when autumn comes around? What do you do to invite nature into your home at this time of year? I can’t wait to hear from you!
I received a complimentary bouquet from 123-Flowers; however all opinions are my own.