Autumn is full of color and coziness. Fall-colored leaves on trees and sidewalks are beautiful, of course. But we don’t want to leave the great outdoors to do all the fall decorating. Instead, fall is a perfect time to capitalize on the season’s colors to redecorate your own place—inside and out. And what better item to use than fall leaves?
Today, we’re going to explore different ways you get to put fall leaves to work for your mobile home’s decor. And we might even slip in a suggestion that you rake up a big ol’ pile in the yard and dive into it, too. Get ready to celebrate the beauty of autumn leaves to the fullest!
Crafting seasonal decor
Naturally, you already know that you could simply run out to the store and pick up ready-made decor items for your mobile home. While that’s a perfectly legitimate option, some people prefer to dive into creating their decor themselves. It could be a great way to enjoy a fun (and maybe even relaxing) project. Plus, if willing friends want to join in the crafting, it could also be a great social event.
It goes without saying that any “make your own” options could require more time input than off-the-shelf options. But they can also be tailored to your needs, not to mention gentler on your wallet. Take a look at our options and select the projects that work best for your home, your schedule, and your interests.
1 – Design a glass and leaves centerpiece
Use a crystal or glass bowl as your starting point for this project. Fill it up with colorful leaves you’ve collected from your backyard or a nearby park. On the other hand, you can also use fabric leaves if you prefer the look and the ease of use.
Keep in mind that if you do this, you may have to replace and replenish the leaves if you’re using real ones. After all, you don’t want a bowl of crunchy browned leaf fragments decorating your table, do you? Finish it off with creative additions of your own—a plaid handkerchief underneath in lieu of a doily or a buffalo check ribbon tied in a bow around the bowl.
2 – Create a gold and leaf table topper
While this could sound expensive and out of reach, it doesn’t have to be. Instead of using real gold, you can simply use items that have gold plating on the outside. Or just use pieces that look like gold.
Begin with a gilt-edged picture frame or mirror. Snag one of these at a discount store or thrift store to keep expenses down. Set the piece face-up on your tabletop or sideboard.
This forms the base of your operations. Incidentally, it also provides a rough boundary for your decor item. Keep the majority of your pieces on the mirror or frame’s surface. That way, when you need to move the piece out of the way, it should be fairly easy.
Add candlesticks
Candlesticks are your next pieces to place. You could use 1-3 of them on the surface of the mirror or frame. If it looks a little stark, don’t worry, you’ll be filling in around it. You can explore some creative options when it comes to the material your candlesticks are made of—wood, gold-finished metal, etc. Candle color is up to you as well, though we think white or red/burgundy would be beautiful options.
The leaves go on next. We’ll assume you’re beginning with the very best natural leaves you could find in your yard or neighborhood. However, if you found no trees available, faux leaves will also do the trick.
You can throw in other fall-themed pieces of your choosing. A piece of green moss could look great, and acorns would also be an autumnal addition. Sturdy, brown oak leaves are another way to go.
Take a moment to evaluate—will your centerpiece be subject to gusts of air from a nearby door? Then, it’s time to make your pieces a little more stable. Experiment with the arrangement, using acorns and larger leaves to help keep the lighter pieces in place, if possible. You can also try using small pieces of putty to hold leaves in place and to stick on or outside the frame for a carefree effect.
3 – Make a minimalist leaf display
Not everyone likes to go all-out for their seasonal decorating. But there’s absolutely a way to spread a little autumn cheer without going overboard. If your personal design tastes run more toward minimalism and careful curation of your display, here’s one option for you.
Gather simple vases in a style that matches your overall aesthetic. They could be slender, white, streamlined vases or perhaps simple, rectangular black ones. One vase might be enough depending on your space. But if you want a slightly larger display, you can up the number of vases.
Now, carefully select just a few leaves from the great outdoors—1-3 leaves per vase. Of course, you can lean into the multicolored nature of fall leaves. But you can also search for leaves in just one color so that your leaves present a more uniform display.
After placing the leaves in their vases, you can set the vases in a cluster or arrange them to form a line. Just keep in mind that the point is not to fill the vase with a bunch of leaves but simply to create a striking, less-is-more display. Mess around with the number and arrangement of leaves and vases until you find the look that seems right for your space.
4 – Iron up some leaf magnets—the kid-friendly craft
Start by heading over to Home Science Tools for your directions to preserve leaves. Try method two or three to get your leaves a little more stable. Once you and your littles have had fun collecting and ironing or microwaving leaves for this project, it’s time to move on to the next step—making them into magnets.
Use adhesive magnet strips on the back of the leaves. Or attach non-adhesive strips with hot glue. Once your glue is dry select a prominent place to display them—like the ever-popular refrigerator front.
You may want to be gentle with the leaves when attaching them to it, though. If the leaves still seem quite fragile, don’t forget to caution the kids that they’ll keep best the less they’re handled. Some crafts are great just for looking at!
5 – Add a leaf swag
Drape some autumn spirit across a wall or door with a leaf swag. Choose a rustic looking rope to hang your leaves from (something like hemp string, perhaps). Decide what type of look you’re shooting for. Maybe you’ll want all your leaves to be uniform in type and size but varied in color. Or you might choose to make the entire string a mix and match of colors and types.
Either way, gather a bunch of fresh, colorful fall leaves with stems still attached. No broken or scarred leaves, here, please. Following the directions for the craft above, preserve your leaves using one of the three options Home Science Tools offers.
Add ribbon
Snag a spool of slender ribbon from your local craft store—we think black and white checkered ribbon would look great—and tie your leaves to the hemp string, spacing evenly. After this, it’s time to dream up a perfect location for your display. Pair it with a “Happy fall” sign on the outside of a door or on a wall that needs a statement piece. And don’t forget to take a look and enjoy it every time you pass by!
Alternative: Another, similar option is to create a swag with leaves that aren’t real. The upside to this is that you won’t have to worry about your project’s lifespan—fake leaves should stay “fresh” and sturdy for a long time.
And by “fake leaves,” we don’t mean the man-made leaves you could find in the fake flowers section of your craft store. Not at all. Instead, we suggest you make your own. Specifically, craft some beautiful quilted leaves in autumn colors using these directions from Generations quilt patterns. Then, make a quilt block swag.
6 – Glowing fall Mason jar
Here’s a project that’s just perfect for your next evening bonfire. Prep some of these autumn-y glass jars, pop a tealight inside and use them to top your picnic table. Or hang them from shepherd’s hooks to light the pathway. And if you want to create a row of them along the top of your porch railing, stock up on battery-powered tea lights—to keep the project safe from stray elbows knocking jars off the ledge. Try these adorable autumn jars from Debbie Chapman of One Little Project.
7 – Bring out a bowl of leaves (and, no, we don’t mean a bowl full of leaves)
That’s right, we’re talking about a leaf bowl—the perfect solution when you need a project that’s outside-the-box. Sometimes, you use bowls to make your leaf display. But for this project, you use your leaves to make your bowl.
Check out how you can craft a bowl centerpiece with Morena’s DIY Decorative Leaf Bowl for Fall on Crafts Unleashed. It’s not made of real leaves, but we think it looks great nonetheless.
8 – Deck the door with an autumn leaf wreath
Leaves fall of their own accord onto the lawn, the driveway, the deck, the sidewalk, and more. But your door might just get left out in the cold. Yet, it might just deserve its own touch of autumn.
And that’s why we love this fall wreath from Bren Did. This is a little something more than your average fall wreath. It’s made with real leaves, yet Bren’s leaves are flat and beautiful. How does she make this happen? Check it out for yourself.
We’re pretty intrigued by the look of her real leaves. And keep in mind that you don’t have to use this as a door wreath—check out what Bren did with hers at the bottom of her post.
9 – Craft a lights and leaves railing wrap
You can extend your fall decor outside your mobile home, too. And the process doesn’t require too many different items. Grab an extension cord and pull out (or purchase) a string of yellow outdoor holiday lights. Next, you’ll need a string (or more than one) of artificial leaves—which you can pick up online or maybe your local dollar store or hypermarket.
Twine the two strands together and wrap gently around your porch railing. If you have a railing on your steps, you can run a string of lights and leaves down that railing, too. Even porch pillars are fair game.
10 – Fold up some new and improved leaves
Naturally, we love real autumn leaves. And faux leaves are none too shabby, either. But there’s another category of leaves we haven’t touched on yet, and it surely deserves a mention.
Paper leaves. You’ve heard of paper mache and paper fans, but have you heard of paper leaves? Actually, they look quite a bit like paper fans, themselves. Check out Red Ted Art’s Easy Paper Leaf to get you started making these for your mobile home (and perhaps a few extras for the youngsters in your life to enjoy).
Take this project to the next level by using the basic steps but varying the material you use. Paper with designs (like what you might find in the scrapbooking aisle of your local craft store) is one idea. But here’s another thought we really love—make leaves out of newspaper. That’s right, put all those old dailies to good use by folding them up into autumn leaves! It could form a fantastic piece of decor—sophisticated yet smart and maybe even a bit antique looking.
How to have more fun while crafting
Use your crafting time to relax and enjoy the job. It might just be a welcome and refreshing break from your day-to-day activities. Plus, at the end, you’ll even have something to show for it.
But let’s say you’re in a quandary because you want the end goal of crafting—namely, that beautiful centerpiece or fun decoration—yet you’re not feeling too enthusiastic about the process that will get you there. Well, how about making the experience a little more fun by adding some extras? Here are some options to up your crafting game.
- Turn on your favorite music.
- Listen to a new audiobook.
- Grab a cup of mulled cider and sip while you work.
- Have a friend or two (or a dozen) over and craft together while enjoying treats that everyone can help provide.
- Host a craft morning for all the little ones in your life.
- Tackle your craft over the course of a few days, working a little here and a little there until you make it to the finish line.
Recuperating after your hard crafting work
Everyone knows that working makes you hungry. And if you’re ready to devour some tasty autumn treats after your crafting escapades, we’ve got you covered. Take a break to savor 6 Autumn-Flavored Drinks You’ll “Fall” In Love With! After quenching your thirst, you’re on to 9 Fall-Inspired Dishes Your Family Will Want To Eat Again & Again.