Autumn Archives - Yearning to Create

Jack O’Lanterns

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “I’m not real keen on Halloween.” But I do like to decorate for the seasons so pumpkins really work for me because they can be out for Thanksgiving early in October, and hang around for fall decor and Halloween. (Let me just add that I’m so glad our Thanksgiving is the second Monday in October, rather than the fourth Thursday in November because . . . I would just die having to have autumn decor up that long when there is all that beautiful Christmas stuff just waiting to be displayed!!!)

So let me take you on a tour of a few of the fake pumpkins hanging around my house.

My kids made these, some at YW’s and some at a craft class (thanks Shauna!)

It’s just a 2×6 cut out, painted, sanded, etched, stained.

I love how the etched lines POP after the stain is applied. The eyes are nails.

My Visiting Teachers dropped this cute pumpkin off on the last day of October because they hadn’t been able to visit me that month (thanks Shauna!).

He holds leaves and sits by my fireplace, or rather, by what will someday be my fireplace.

Check my fireplace out here.

This little pumpkin is just one of those thin little wooden things you buy and paint yourself – another thing one of my gals made.

Etching and distressing sure works wonders!

This one I made at Relief Society.

You can read more about this little candle holding pumpkin here.

And this here is my kind of pumpkin carving . . .

. . . I worked hard to light the candle and slip it in the open back of this metal Jack O’Lantern!

And there’s no stinky gooey mess to clean up!!!

And there you have it – all the effort I put into decorating for Halloween!!!

Now to find some new hiding places for all that candy that’s about to invade my house!

Jack O’Lantern Candle Jar

I made this cute little Jack O’Lantern candle jar at a Relief Society Meeting many years ago – back when we still did crafts at our monthly Homemaking night!

I guess the first step would be to choose your jar.

So, the very, very first step would be to get one of these little class candle holders from your stash, or from a dollar store. Then go back to the first step!!! You need to choose a jar thats top is the right size to hold your candle holder. Mine was some sort of food jar from the glass recycling bin. (Making a cute pumpkin from garbage is definitely good recycling!)

You’ll need a little votive candle for the stem. Green or brown look nice and stem-like.

In order to paint on a glass jar, you first need to paint the jar with something. I don’t remember what it’s called, but you can find it wherever you buy craft paints. It’s a medium that makes it so your paint will stick to the glass. You really need to do this step!!!

Then paint your jar in your choice of pumpkin colour. I added a few lines which are supposed to look like the ridges of a pumpkin – see those redish lines?

And the whole thing is toothbrush splattered with black and gold paint. Be sure all your paint is dry before you paint or stencil on the face. And don’t forget to add those gold dots in the eyes.

Embellish with rusted tin leaves, wire curled around your pencil, and jute.

And you’re done!!!

You know, I made this many years ago and bring it out every autumn, and I have still never lit the candle. Maybe this year?

All-Season Frame

Having a craft hanging around that works for all seasons is a great plan!

I made this one at Shauna’s craft class and my daughter made the blue one. I stenciled some words onto mine, inspired by something similar I’d seen in a Country Sampler magazine a few years back.

You can get these wooden frames and insert pieces from Micheals.

Anyway, to make an all-season frame, I decided to attach my snowflake with velcro.

Then I chose a few other shapes to use for the rest of the year. The flower covers spring and summer. Simply attach a piece of velcro to each backside. I suggest doing the snowflake first as it’s the most awkward shape to fit.

I especially love it when it’s time to take out the snowflake and insert the flower! Oh happy day, the long winter is over!

Isn’t that just so “happy”?

After painting these inserts, I sanded them and etched them with a blade before staining them.

And Autumn is pretty cute too – this one always seems to be on display for the shortest amount of time.

The biggest problem with this craft is remembering where I stored the out-of-season pieces. If I was smart, I’d velcro them to the back of the frame!

“Thanks” Scriptures

A few years ago I was asked to do centerpieces for our family Thanksgiving Dinner. We must have had a huge crowd that year because we held it in the Seniors Center with six round tables. Let me add that I much prefer doing centerpieces than preparing food!!!

I wanted to focus on the “Thanks” part of Thanksgiving so I made up six little scripture placards to sit in the middle of each table. They had a sprig of fall leaves behind them and loose leaves sprinkled around.

So here are my six top favourite scriptures about “Thanks” . . .

I simply printed them off the computer onto paper and glued them onto cardstock so they would stand. Oh and there was a little antiquing the edges and a leaf sticker as well!

And I think this one is my personal favourite:

Wonderful little messages to reread every Thanksgiving!!!

Which is your favourite?