REGION – November has arrived. It’s “stick season” in New England. The brilliant colors of fall begin to fade. We await the arrival of the first snowfall of the year. The air is crisp with a sudden, peaceful feeling of home.
Grab your family and go for a walk in nature. At first glance, it seems that the landscape color has faded. Yet, if you look closely, nature still has plenty of gifts to offer us. Forage your way through the woods, and look for items that vary in texture, shape and color.
Explore the fields and woods near you. You will discover that there is a bounty of textures, with sudden pops of color that you can use to bring the outdoors in. Gather them up and have some fun with the items that you collect. Add interest to your home, spread some joy, and embrace the season.
Get creative with your family members, to include all ages. A walk in nature is refreshing. Be curious, look for interesting objects, see what you can find. Acorns, pinecones, a variety of evergreens, shrub branches with berries or seed pods (holly, bittersweet, grapevine, cattails, etc.), feathers, and more. Use your imagination. Gather up basic craft items that you should have in your home, including hot glue, toothpicks, permanent markers, glitter, acrylic paint, spray paint, string, and wire.
Use your imagination, and have some fun. Here are a few suggestions.
Acorns
Decor – Draw decorative patterns on them with fine-tip permanent marker pens.
Beads – Drill a hole through the center of each acorn, paint, then string for bracelets, garlands, and wreaths.
Holiday messages – Hand-paint acorns using festive colors, write a festive message, and place them in a decorative bowl; invite guests to take one.
Placeholder – Write a guest’s name on each and use as seat placeholders for the table.
Pinecones
Wreath – Wrap wire around the base of each pinecone, or form clusters, then attach to evergreen wreaths, floral arrangements, or garlands.
Home decor – Brush or spray paint on tips and place in a decorative bowl.
Bird feeder – Attach a string to the pinecone, spread peanut butter on it, then dip it in birdseed and hang it from a tree branch.
Wreath – Wrap grapevine to form the base for a wreath, or use a Styrofoam base, then hot-glue pinecones tightly together to cover the base. Paint the pinecones if you want to add a bit of color.
Evergreens
Wreath/garland – Wrap bundles of greenery cut to 5-inch lengths with wire, then wrap bundles around a wreath wire base, or together to form strands of garland, attach acorns, pinecones, and berries with wire.