What is there not to love about autumn? Those lazy days of summer are slowly coming to an end as the promise of Christmas lingers in the distance. Sweaters are pulled out of storage and hot cocoa placed back on the pantry shelf. Everywhere you turn a brilliant array of earthy colors meet the eye. Bringing a bit of fall's beauty into your home can be a simple and enjoyable task.

Autumn d'cor is capturing a bit of the heaven going on outside and recreating it in your home. Make sure to use all the lush fall colors when choosing what to decorate with. For inspiration with color, look to pumpkins, haystacks, cranberries, and fall leaves. Using these actual items with your decorating will put you right on the money.

For a fun afternoon activity, take your kids outside to gather twigs, fallen leaves, and pinecones. Adorn your entryway and dining room tables with both white and orange gourds and pumpkins. Gently place the gathered outdoor items around their base. Find a glass vase and fill it with cranberries to be placed along side. To top off this look, get a few cream colored candles to illuminate the area.

An essential part of autumn d'cor is smell. Walking into a home where you can smell wassail, pumpkin spice, or the sweet aroma of apple pie baking is priceless. Thanks to the fabulous scents of candles these days, we don't even have to break out the pie tins. Make sure to load up on good quality candles to make the season a bit more enjoyable.

Finally, enjoy the season to the fullest. Sit down with your kids and let them help with celebrating autumn. Whether you string cranberries to form a fall garland, or get those place cards ready for Thanksgiving, autumn is one of greatest times for crafts. If you are a bit short on decorating or crafting ideas?you might look to a site dedicated to crafting, such as www.favecrafts.com. There is a plethora of ideas to pick from! Don't drop a load of money at the fancy d'cor store, when authentic and rustic decorations are just out the back door.