Autumn is {Finally!} in the Air!

Ya'll, it's finally cooling off in the South, and we are getting a touch of fall color in the trees. I've been waiting to switch the AC over to heat and - although I haven't done it yet - I'm thinking surely before THANKSGIVING I'll be able to make the great switch (right?!).

So here is the latest in pumpkins on the hill.  The hill consists of three houses - mine, my sister and her family, and my parents.  Katie has made three pumpkins for gifts so far.  I've decorated the office with an extremely tacky pumpkin and this one is for the house.

I know I have other "tutorials" on how to make fru fru pumpkins on this site, but let me tell you about this one.  I didn't see burlap ribbon in the dollar store so I had to improvise.

Here is how it goes:

• Buy a cute pumpkin
• Visit the dollar store for cheap leaves. Either the pack of leaves or pictured are leaves from two "bunches" so I could get green, red, orange and yellow
• Grab some hot glue sticks or straight pins
• Find a cute kitchen towel 
• Grab some packaging tape

To make my own ribbon I shredded a kitchen towel! Simply snip one end (I wanted shorter strips) and pull really hard. It makes the great frayed ends.  For one strip I put packaging tape down the length to make it stiffer.  This was used for the bow. 

I chose to hot glue everything for this pumpkin. Just a few dots to hold everything in place.  And I tried not to over do it with the leaves, which is usually my downfall.  I have a few more decorative items I can use on it tonight, but I'm liking it ok as is. 

I love these - great inexpensive centerpieces for Thanksgiving and they last forever (not really forever, but through the holidays, for sure!).