ShareThisBy SHARI HILLER
Well, it's official now _ fall has arrived. And I must admit that fall is my favorite season. I enjoy walking through the fallen leaves on a crisp autumn evening and seeing the bonfires after the local homecoming game.
But most of all, I love the colors of fall. The beautiful shades of yellow, orange and red almost make up for the shorter days and falling temperatures.
One great way to celebrate autumn is to bring the outdoors in. My decorating partner, Matt Fox, and I have decorated many rooms with a fall theme and we've discovered that the colors of autumn work well in almost any setting.
One of my favorite ways to accessorize for fall is to create groupings. Pumpkins and gourds work especially well in autumn groupings. While I use real gourds for outdoor displays, I prefer artificial pumpkins and gourds indoors. They are very realistic looking, are fairly inexpensive, and best of all, do not attract fruit flies or other insects.
For visual interest, I like to display items in odd numbers. I find combinations of three or five work particularly well because groups of items have more visual impact than do single objects.
Mix the gourds according to size, shape or color. To add visual interest, vary the height of a grouping by including tapir candles in silver candlesticks. You might also get small pedestals or stands to elevate pumpkins or gourds.
You can create depth in your grouping by alternating pieces from back to front instead of placing them in a straight line. You might try placing three objects in a triangular shape with the tallest pieces in back. You can overlap the triangles if you are working with more than three objects. To make the display even more attractive, vary the textures of the items in the grouping, including some very gnarled and knotted gourds just for fun.
Fall flower arrangements are another great way to enjoy the colors of autumn indoors. I especially like dried flower arrangements at this time of year. Unfortunately, they can be quite pricey. But with just a bit of time and effort you can save money and create an autumn arrangement of your own.
Dried flowers are available at most craft stores. But if you have a flower garden, you might want to try your hand at drying the flowers yourself. Flowers can be picked any time during the growing season, but always should be picked slightly before they are fully open. Some flowers, including straw flowers and hydrangea, can be air dried by simply hanging them upside down in a warm, dry area for several weeks.
Other flowers, including sunflowers and zinnias, must be dried in other ways. I think the easiest drying medium to work with is silica gel. The gel preserves both the color and shape of the flower while drawing all the moisture out. Harvest your flowers after the morning dew has evaporated. Flowers with heads should be clipped with only an inch of stem attached; long spiky flowers should be clipped with long stems.
Once your flowers are cut, place them immediately in the silica gel. Line the bottom of a plastic container with a layer of gel. Place the flower face up in the gel and carefully sprinkle additional gel around the blossom. Repeat this process with other flowers until the container is full and then seal the container with a tight fitting lid.
I've found that most flowers dry in about 10 days. Although drying your flowers too long can cause them to fade a bit, not giving them enough time can be a disaster. As with so many other craft projects, patience is a virtue while waiting for flowers to dry.
Once you are sure the flowers are sufficiently dry, carefully pour the silica gel into another container and set aside. (Silica gel is reusable; simply follow the manufactures directions.) Use an artist's brush to remove any remaining gel from the flower. Tape floral wire to the flower heads to create artificial stems.
Head back to the garden for other interesting plants that can be used in fall arrangements without drying. Look for seedpods, cones, grasses and berries. Choose an interesting container for your arrangement. Secure floral foam into the container with hot glue and cover the foam with sphagnum moss.
Your finished arrangement should be about twice the height of your container. Place the largest focal flowers like sunflowers or hydrangeas first, being sure to keep the arrangement balanced. Add smaller flowers, pods and berries. Fill in any blank spaces with a bit of greenery.
Your finished dried flower arrangement will be a lovely accessory to any room in your home. The addition of groupings of pumpkins and gourds will complete your fall decorating theme, bring the beauty of autumn indoors.
(Matt Fox and Shari Hiller, authors of "Matt and Shari's Great Weekend Projects (DRG Publishers), also appear together frequently on HGTV. For more on Matt Fox & Shari Hiller, visit www.hgtv.com or www.mattandshari.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)
