I made this fall table centerpiece a couple years ago, but I’ve never written about it here! I know it’s a little early to find all the things you need, but I’m starting to see quite a few fall decorating ideas in the stores (and even some Christmas ones, oiiiyyy!). The centerpiece didn’t cost much, and it was easy to create, but it made a great display on my fall table.

You can use items you might already have on hand from your garden or back yard. Here’s what I used:

• Assorted small gourds
• Pine cones
• Votive candles
• Hedge apples
• Fall leaves (away from the candles)

I put everything in a rectangle basket with low sides to hold it all together for display.

First I cut the center out of some small round pumpkin shaped gourds, then removed the insides and slid a votive candle into the hole. I didn’t do a great job of getting the hole the right size. I just eyeballed it. If I made them again I think I would measure instead of winging it. I would also use a glass votive holder around the outside, in case the candle burned too low!

Then I just arranged everything in the basket, and re arranged it until I got the look I wanted. The display did turn out very nice over all. I tried it with just the votives with the gourds, some pine cones, and a couple hedge apples. I added a round candle that I had to the centerpiece. I couldn’t decide whether I liked the round candle, or just the votives.

It made a great addition to our fall table. I think it would make a great centerpiece idea for a fall party, or for your Thanksgiving feast. Just be careful your candles don’t burn too low (keep an eye on them), or put them down inside a glass votive holder before you insert them into the gourds!

Image (c) L Gerlach

Just because the days are getting shorter, it doesn’t mean you have to move the party indoors. Fall is a great time to have an outdoor party. Kids love hay rides, bonfires, scavenger hunts, wiener roasts, and haunted houses.

I thought I’d put together a few outdoor lighting ideas for your fall party.

Autumn Leaves Paper String Lights are a great festive and decorative item for adding color and light to a fall or autumn party. Each string light has 10 lanterns, each made from molded paper to recreate autumn leaves.

This Set of 3 Paper Jack-O-Lanterns make for great Halloween lighting decorations, hang them indoors or outdoors. Each set of 3 includes a large (19.75″diam), medium (17.75″diam) and small (15.75″diam) lantern. Each lantern is made of paper with wire frame construction.

Decorate and light your garden or deck with these Bamboo String Lights. The natural tones will add a touch of uniqueness and understated elegance to any space. It comes with ten dyed bamboo lanterns and a white cord with end-to-end plugs.

This beautiful Set of 10 Multicolor Accordion Paper Lantern String Lights will go great with fall color, and add a splash of color of their own. These paper lantern string lights come in a boxed set including ten accordion shaped paper lanterns in a variety of colors. Each accordion paper lantern features a floral print bottom with a hanging tassel.

Fall is such a fun time to create a backyard display, with all the fall colors, and textures. You can create a unique look by combining several things together into one display, or repeat one theme throughout your display. Here are a few fall backyard decorating ideas to help you get started.

What can you put in a fall backyard display? Here are a few things to consider:

• Mums~ Their blooms are spectacular in the fall, so you should definitely consider them for your fall decorations.
• Pumpkins
• Leaves
• Colorful gourds
• Straw
• Scarecrows
• Corn Shocks
• A large container or background, like a large barrel, small wagon, wheel barrow, or wood fence, can help bring the whole display together.

An old wooden box with some straw pumpkins and gourds can make a cute fall display for a porch or entryway.

A large backyard fall display can be a great background for fall photos, or a great backdrop for fall entertaining.

For entertaining add straw bales for seating, and use old sawhorses and boards for tables with plenty of corn shocks to cover the legs. Keep it rustic and fall with plenty of reds, oranges, yellows, and browns.