Festive Fall Decor You'll Love

Add a few rhinestones to this DIY felt tree for a little extra glitter.

What you'll need: thick cardboard, felt in fall colors, glue, brown electrical tape

Make it: Download the 3-D Tree template; trace it onto two pieces of cardboard, and cut out. Cut slits in the trees, according to the dotted lines on the 3-D Tree template diagram. Slip the tree with the slit at the bottom over the tree with the slit at the top and apply glue to the areas where the two pieces meet. Use some brown electrical tape on the trunk of the tree for added stability. Cut out different leaves from the felt and attach to the tree with glue -- don't worry if the leaves are different shapes and sizes.

Recycle some bottles to make a great table centerpiece or windowsill decoration.

What you'll need: vinyl, brown empty jars, craft scissors, Mod Podge, bundles of wheat

Make it: If your bottles have labels, soak them in warm water for 10-20 minutes and then rub off the label. Spell out "FALL" with your favorite font on your computer, and print. Trace onto some vinyl sheets and cut with craft scissors. Apply Mod Podge to the backs of your letters and attach to the bottles. Finally, insert a bunch of wheat stems into the bottle -- you want them to fit snugly.

Link together these felt leaves to add some fall color to your house.

What you'll need: cardboard or paper, different colored felt, brown or black thread, scissors

Make it: Make several leaf templates -- you can trace real leaves or freehand a few. Trace your template onto different colored felt and cut out. Using a sewing machine, add the leaf vein detail. Keep threading the leaves without cutting the thread, and you'll automatically link your leaves into a fun, colorful garland.

Let your kids sponge paint some paper leaves to make this beautiful branch decoration.

What you'll need: leaves, drawing paper, scissors, acrylic paint (in red, orange, and yellow), sponges, hot glue gun

Make it: Gather some leaves from your yard, trace them onto drawing paper, and cut out. Cut your sponge into ?-inch or 1-inch blocks, and dip them into the acrylic paint. Dab your leaf cut outs, mixing and blending the colors as you go. Once dry, grab a branch from your yard and hot glue the leaves on the ends of the branches. Stick your single branch in a vase, or repeat the steps to create a bundle of branches to make a fuller display.

With a little paint and fabric scraps, you can slip this pillowcase into your fall d?cor.

What you'll need: white pillowcase, tree template, freezer paper, foam brush, craft knife, iron, brown fabric paint, fall colored fabric scraps, fusible webbing, sewing machine

Make it: Print out the Tree Template, lay it on top of a piece of freezer paper about 8-1/2" x 11" (plastic side down), and cut out the tree with a craft knife. Center the freezer paper template on your pillowcase and iron on (no steam). Sponge on the brown paint to make your tree. Once dry, peel off the template. Then, iron the webbing onto your fabric scraps and cut out 15 or more eye-shaped pieces. Place them around the ends of the tree limbs, iron into place, and stitch each leaf to hold it in place (stitch from tip to tip of the leaf with coordinating thread).

String up some pompoms and pinecones to make this simple fall decoration.

What you'll need: pinecones, a bag of pompoms, heavy-duty thread and needle

Make it: Thread your needle and push it through five different color pompoms, leaving a little space between each one. Then, tie on a pinecone by wrapping your thread around the first few prongs of the cone. Continue this until your garland is as long as you like, and hang it from your mantle, your door, or your entry table.

These DIY pumpkins can last all year.

What you'll need: balloons, white glue, water, orange paper, green construction paper, green pipe cleaner

Make it: Blow up a balloon. Mix equal parts white glue and water, dip orange paper into the mix wiping off any excess, and cover the balloon. Once dry, add some green paper leaves and a curled pipe cleaner to finish them off.

Swap out your wreaths with each season -- hang this craft on your front door to celebrate autumn.

What you'll need: Styrofoam wreath, straight pins, yarn or twine, different color felt, needle and thread, hot glue gun

Make it: Pin the tail of the yarn or twine to the wreath and start wrapping, passing the yarn ball through the center. Stick in a straight pin every now and then to keep everything in place -- you may have to do more than one pass with the yarn to fully cover the wreath. Then, cut the yarn the end down. To add more design, cut some leaves out of colorful felt and embellish by stitching on the veins of the leaf. For the final touch, make your own acorns by dipping a small ball of yarn in warm, soapy water. Once dry, hot glue the ball of yarn to the top of an acorn, and glue into place on the wreath.

Remember what you're thankful for every day this month with this calendar countdown.

What you'll need: plywood board or foam board, brown paint, 30 coin envelopes, variety of scrapbook paper, glue stick, Mod Podge, ribbons, hole punch, white cardstock, glue gun

Make it: Paint your board brown. Cut off the top part of your envelopes until they are 3 ?-inch tall, and glue scrapbook paper to the front of each. Then, use Mod Podge to glue on the numbers 1-30 -- you can cut them out of paper with stencils or use stickers. After your Mod Podge is dry, hole punch two small holes in the top of your envelope and tie a small ribbon through the holes. Use your hot glue gun to attach the envelopes onto the board -- five rows and six columns. Cut out a "Give Thanks" title and Mod Podge it to the top of your board. Insert a small piece of blank white cardstock into each envelope. Each night in November, ask your kids to pull the cardstock out on the appropriate day and write down something they are thankful for that day.

Add a pop of color to your mantle or table by filling a vase with these painted acorns.

What you'll need: acorns, acrylic paint (white, blue, and brown), paintbrush, Satin Mod Podge

Make it: To make sure your colors really pop, paint the entire acorn with a base coat of white paint. Once dry, paint the bottoms with a bright color, like this teal, and paint the tops of the acorns brown. Seal your project with Mod Podge and display them in a glass container.

Turn dried apples and oranges into this festive garland.

What you'll need: apples or oranges, knife, yarn

Make it: Slice your fruit into thin slices and make a small hole in the top of each slice. String your fresh fruit slices in a cool dry place to dry for a day. Once your fruit slices are dried, string them along a fresh length of yarn, and hang as garland in your kitchen or for a fun outdoor party.

Take a page out this crafter's book, and make yourself a great pumpkin decoration.

What you'll need: old paperback book, scissors, thick cardboard, Exacto knife, tea bag, garden stick, hot glue gun, ribbon

Make it: Remove the front and back covers of your book. Then, cut a half circle template from your cardboard and lay it on top of the book. Use the knife to cut all the way through the book around the edges of your template, leaving the spine intact. Make a cup of tea, and squeeze the steeped tea bag over the pages of the book to stain them. Once the pages are dry, glue the stick to the spine of the book. Pull the first and last few pages of the book together and glue them around the stick. Add a ribbon to the stem for a final touch.

Add this mobile to your front porch for a splash of color.

What you'll need: cardboard, scissors, glue gun, different colored yarn, twine, a branch

Make it: Cut your cardboard into several leaf shapes and glue the yarn around the edge of the cardboard. Continue gluing down the yarn as you spiral the yarn all the way to the center of the leaf. Cut the yarn, and follow the same directions for the other side of the leaf. Tie different lengths of twine to the branch and glue the other end halfway down each leaf.

Bring a little sparkle to your seasonal d?cor with these glittery candleholders.

What you'll need: Styrofoam pumpkin, candle, drill, hole saw attachment for drill, craft glue, glitter

Make it: Slice off the stem of your pumpkin and use your hole saw attachment to drill out the section where the stem was -- make sure the hole is slightly larger than your candle so it will fit. Continue to carve out the foam with a knife until you have the same depth as your candle. Coat the entire pumpkin in craft glue, cover with lots of colored glitter, and let dry. Once the glitter is dry, spray with a bit of hairspray to set. Place candle inside and light!

Copyright © 2011 Meredith Corporation.