Stylish Fall Decorating Ideas

Vibrant dahlias in carved-out mini pumpkins delight at place settings. (We used a candle carver-a small tool that removes candle-size chunks from fruits and veggies.) Insert a votive holder as the "vase" for water and blooms. For the centerpiece, a row of cake stands raises pumpkins decorated with tisue-paper leaf silhouettes. Download our free instructions and templates for the silhouettes below.

Spray-paint a quarter-peck basket white, then place flower foam in the base. Insert dried bittersweet, ginkgo branches and white-painted dried pencil cattails. Tie on ribbon and twine adorned with Chinese lantern pods. Hang it from burlap ribbon wrapped around the basket handle.

Dried allium, goldenrod and wheat in a group of vases turn a shelf into a seasonal display. Leaves, acorns and gourds accent the arrangement.

This display is a biology lesson and wall decor in one! Tape leaves to identification cards created with crafts store materials or printed from our free templates below. Then place them along a card-holder tree.

Instantly add spark to glass panes in doors or windows by attaching leaves with double-sided tape. It's an easy, inexpensive way to enhance an entry.

Replicate a chandelier with leaves instead of lights. Drill a 1⁄4-inch hole in each canning jar lid. Pull a separate piece of rope through each hole, then tie a knot under each lid. Place single leaves in jars, and tightly secure lids. Tie rope pieces together and hang from a heavy-duty ceiling hook.

Don't let these pumpkins fool you; the designs may look painted, but the patterns are actually created with tissue paper. Download our free patterns below for instructions and templates.

The easiest way to preserve colorful fall leaves for crafts projects is to press just-picked leaves between sheets of white paper. Top with a heavy book and keep in a cool, dry place for one to two weeks. They are ready to use when completely dry.