If you’re fortunate to live in a climate with noticeable season changes, you can look at autumn and the change in temperatures as an optimist or a pessimist. Sure, the white stuff will be flying in no time at all and you’ll have to deal with that. Or, you can embrace the crisp air, the beautiful fall foliage, a bountiful harvest and see the change in season as an opportunity to switch up your outdoor decor.
If you choose to see the cup as half full, consider these fun fall outdoor decorating ideas:
Gourds
Liberally place seasonal pumpkins and gourds in various shades of orange, yellow, brown and green on the walkway and steps leading up to the front door. Use old bushel baskets, planters, crates and other containers of various heights and materials to keep it even more visually appealing.
Dried Corn
Dried corn and husks are also great for seasonal touches both indoors and out. Tie to light fixtures or stair railings for a rustic look. Here are a bunch of great ideas to check out.
Flower Power
Chrysanthemums are another fall staple that add color to any space. You can easily grow your own, but you can also find them at your local farmer’s markets, grocery stores and nurseries. Here are some tips for keeping them looking good longer.
Welcome Home
A new rug or welcome mat with seasonal colors is a quick and easy way to welcome visitors to your home. And because of their low price points, you can choose a different one for each season.
Lighting
Finally, don’t forget about lighting, but that doesn’t mean get kitschy with orange light bulbs. I’ve always liked the look of clear miniature rope lighting, which doesn’t have to be relegated to December holidays. String it around shrubbery and in trees to add a warm, inviting glow. Check out these boards for inspiration.
Do you have any fall outdoor decorating ideas? Share them in the comments! Happy fall, y’all!
We recently discovered another enterprising blogger/mom/DIY enthusiast via a post titled “How to Cover an Ugly Kitchen Backsplash.”
The author, Jennifer Griffin of Edmonton, Okla., writes on her blog “Dimples & Tangles” that she never liked the backsplash in her kitchen which consisted of white tiles with red and green stripes. “Perfect in the mid-90’s when the house was built. Today, not so much,” she writes.
When they first moved into their home they undertook a kitchen redo that consisted mainly of cosmetics fixes, knowing someday they’d make major renovations. One such fix was the backsplash, where they used Fasade backplash in Traditional 1 style, Bermuda Bronze finish. You can use construction adhesive or double-sided tape during installation, which is what they did for this temporary fix.
For their more extensive kitchen remodel, Jennifer says they wanted to use the same Fasade panel style but in a different color. This time she painted them to coordinate better with the cabinetry and countertops. She also used them as an accent in the counter/bar area, noting, “These panels are flexible, so all I had to do was follow the wall around and glue it down. It conformed to the shape of the wall.”
A Great Solution
Jennifer says they may change out the backsplash again. “If we go a different route in the future, this will be so quick to pull down and be ready to re-do,” she says. “I’m thinking maybe beveled subway tile? But, we’re good for now and these panels have been a great solution for our backsplash. My sister used the copper color in her kitchen and it looks fantastic. I’ve also seen these used on a ceiling…amazing!”
We think the finished product looks beautiful! Be sure to check out the post for more details and photos and let us know what you think in the comments!
Fasade backsplash, wall panels and ceiling tiles can be purchased at any Home Depot, Lowe’s or Menards stores. There are also many more styles and finishes available online at DIYdecorStore.com.
I finally broke down and bought a new bike last month. I went to a cool local shop and ended up with a Trek hybrid in very good condition. It was a great experience. The salesman was knowledgeable but not pushy, and he encouraged me to take it out for a spin on the nearby trail before I committed to the purchase. Throw in a sweet deal and I didn’t need much convincing. A bike rack was the next purchase.
To find the rack that best fits my needs I had to do some research. I don’t have a trailer hitch so I needed one that would mount to the spare tire on the back of the vehicle and also hold 3 bikes securely. The next stop was Amazon.com. The phrase “spare tire bike rack” yielded 132 results. I automatically ruled out any rack that could only hold 2 bikes. That brought the number down to 36. Prices ranged from $69-$230 and I wanted something in the middle. Next I read reviews, paying particular attention to opinions on quality and ease of installation. Of the 63 reviews, most gave the Surco BT300 4 or 5 stars, so I ordered it and eagerly awaited its arrival.
A few days later, I was ready to go ahead with the install. First I had to figure out how to remove the spare tire from my vehicle. With this design, the mounting plate is affixed under the spare tire, which is then re-applied during final assembly. I’ve never used the spare tire and it’s been under a vinyl cover for years. After removing that, I noticed the nuts that secured the tire to the vehicle. Since I don’t own a wrench, I wondered how that was going to work. This time I referenced my owner’s manual, which revealed that the vehicle comes with a wheel-nut wrench secured in a rear compartment. I bought the car used so I was surprised that this was indeed stowed where the manual said it’d be.
The Nuts and Bolts
Removing the nuts was fairly easy. The spare was heavier than I anticipated but I was able to remove that myself as well. Then I took the rack out of the box and looked at the parts. The instructions were fairly simple: align the mounting bracket to the holes for the nuts, position the spare over that and refasten the nuts. This is where things got a little tricky. The mounting bracket would not stay in place without being fastened with the nuts. You need another set of hands to hold it in place when you align the spare. With no body in sight I wondered if I had any double-sided tape. (I later read one reviewer did end up using double-sided tape.)
But just then my neighbor happened by and I roped her into helping me. The rest was a piece of cake. You simply slide the bar that holds the bikes onto the channel and secure it with a padlock. This was something I had overlooked. But you have to have a padlock or the warranty is void and over time vibration can loosen the rack so you really don’t want to skip that step. (On a side note, I had no idea there were so many lock options and brands. But I did choose one that’s specifically made for being outdoors so I don’t have to worry about rust, etc.)
Anyway, there were a few takeaways from this experience, not the least of which is that I’m pretty proud of myself for figuring this out and seeing it through. It makes me more confident to tackle other DIY projects. Henry Ford was on to something when he said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right.”
Until next time, happy trails.
