The fall season is a wonderful time for gathering natural materials for your autumn decor. I look to nature to provide much of my autumn decorations and embellishments. Not only do I enjoy the gathering process, but the colors and textures are perfect for the fall.
I would like to share some of the natural materials that are ripe for the picking. And give you some suggestions on how to use these natural materials in an artful way.
What Natural Materials to Gather…
Wildflowers
Late summer and early fall often provide hardy flowers that you can gather up. You can find flowers such as Tansy, Teasel, Thistle and Queens Ann’s Lace in the forest and fields. Gather a bundle of individual flowers and wrap the stems with a rubber band. Then just hang them upside down for a few weeks to dry. Look for bright color options or dried flower heads. The flowers of Queen Ann’s Lace for example, do not preserve well but the dried flower heads make an interesting complement to natural bouquets.
Grasses
There is such a wonderful variety of grasses growing in the wild that you can find. Gather bundles of different types to use individually or mixed together.
Pinecones
You might guess that I’m a lover of pinecones. I can’t help but gather them up whenever they are available. There are so many varieties of pinecones out there from the massive sugar pines to miniature alder cones. Gather a variety of types and sizes to make everything from wreaths to ornaments.
Feathers
Feathers can be used in many ways in your decor. When you are out on walks it helps to keep your eyes to the ground to look for these treasures. We frequently find grouse and turkey feathers but you might be able to spot seagull, owl, blue jay feathers or more, depending on where you live.
Acorns
To find acorns seek out an oak tree in your neighborhood. The acorns are starting to drop so now is the time to keep checking. I have a neighbor whose tree drops acorns into the road. This makes it easy to gather but difficult to find because they are often crushed. I have found acorns in the parking lots of my public library, the local bank and Doctor’s office.
Ferns
Gather the ferns before a frost because most ferns will die back when frozen. You can keep ferns fresh for awhile in a vase of water but to use ferns for your autumn decor, you will need to press them.
Leaves
There is so much you can do in your home with leaves and they come in such beautiful colors in the fall. Gather and press them to use all season long.
Related: How to Press Autumn Leaves
Other Naturals
Here is a list of some other materials to keep an eye out for.
- Moss
- Branches and bark
- Cattails
- Seedpods
- Dried berries
- Osage oranges
- Rosehips
- Driftwood
- Rocks and pebbles
Where to find natural materials…
- Scout out your neighborhood and you might discover that you have access to pinecones, acorns, feathers and grasses.
- A park will often provide natural materials especially if it’s on the wild side.
- Fields and roadside areas.
- Take a drive to a nearby forested area.
- Friends and family who live in the country often have an abundance of grasses and wild flowers available.
- Your own yard can often provide useful materials such as branches.
To be honest with you, much of the fun of using natural materials is in the gathering process. When you are outdoors going for walks, you might discover a new plant or material to gather. So choose different areas to walk in. Find a new park or pathway. Pay attention to the seasonal changes of the trees and plants. Once you start looking, you will begin to see natural materials all around you.
Also ask your friends and family members to keep an eye out for you as well. I love to use osage oranges in my autumn decor but they are hard to find. Occasionally my husband or his hunting partner will come across a tree in the wild and will fill their backpacks for me. Or they might find some bright berries on a tree that I don’t have access to.
A word of caution in gathering natural materials. Be sure to respect the environment and other people’s property. Do not trespass or take items from people’s yards or private property without permission. Hunt for your natural items in public areas, fields and roadways. And also do not damage plants and trees in gathering your natural materials.
So now that you have gathered these lovely autumn materials what do you do with them. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Ways to use your natural materials…
- Gather the dried flowers and grasses into a bouquet. Use acorns or other nuts in the bottom of a glass vase to hold the “flowers” in place.
- Make a wreath out of the dried cones, flowers, feathers or rosehips.
- Make a “feather” bouquet and display in an ironstone vase.
- Frame the feathers, ferns and leaves.
- Use as part of a table display or vignette.
- Make ornaments out of the materials.
- Use as a label or embellishment for a gift package.
- Make an autumn garland for your porch out of pinecones, leaves or acorns.
- Make a candle centerpiece and surround the candle with these natural items. To do this either use a battery operated candle or a candle in a jar to reduce the risk of catching your dried materials on fire.
Once you start gathering and using these items you will become more aware of what’s around you. Nature provides the perfect materials for a beautiful autumn display so why not take a note from her display book. Not only are you cleaning up the environment as you gather materials but you’re saving money and using creativity in your home. It’s a win for everyone.