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42 THE RURAL VOICE
Home Decorating
Harvest theme illustrates fall decor
BY PATTI ROBERTSON
Trends are not always the brain
child of fashion houses, design centres
or the powers that be ... Some trends
are created through an idea, an experi-
ment, a possibility the "Average Joe"
tries on for size and then expands upon
his idea. People, who come into
contact with
``Joe's" idea
often go home
and recreate the
theme and next
thing we know a
trend is born.
One such
trend is the
decorating of our
homes' interior
and more notably
exterior in fall
themes. As far as
Ican tell this
trend started in
the agricultural
heartland of
Ontario. This trend has caught on like
a wild fire that's been spreading rapidly
since the early '90s.
On my business travels throughout
our area I've seen many interesting and
unique ideas of expressing one's self
and interests throughout our fall season.
There are many ideas for saying fare-
well to our prosperous summer season
and welcoming in our fall with bounti-
ful harvests and brilliant earthy colours.
Most nursery, craft and art centres now
have abundant supplies of exterior rib-
bon, faux fall leaves, fruit and vegeta-
bles to assist us in this new trend craze!
I'd like to share with you some of
the ideas and displays I've seen as of
late. Each has given me a "homey"
feeling and put a smile of appreciation
on my face. If you are not already
involved in this new craze, perhaps this
will act as a stimulant to set you on a
course of sending out a "fall welcome".
On my travels I have seen:
• All types of characters made from hay
bales ... long wiggly smiling worms,
wagon trains, locomotives, tractors and
complete families sending out a
"howdy -do!"
• Farm machinery pulled up roadside,
as if driven by pumpkin people and
scarecrows ..
• Wheelbarrows loaded with a bevy of
goods ... from colourful fall mums and
A style
is born
at home
sedum to loads of pumpkins, squash
and rosy red apples ... stick a scare-
crow on top and have him wave hello!
• Old crates, baskets, barrels make great
props, stacked at various angles and
spilling over with fall produce.
My neighbour Pam Cameron owns a
quaint Cape Cod cottage. Painted a
pristine white, it features a Victorian
screen door and an inner entrance door
in a cranberry hue. Last fall Pam
flanked each side of her door with a
bundle of corn stalks, gaily tied, and
adorned the door with a pretty country
bonnet, what a picture! Easy, relatively
inexpensive and a lovely welcome as
you stroll up her front walk.
Last Thanksgiving, our family
toured Casa Loma. Everywhere one
looked, the committee had gathered
dried flowers to dress up the castle for
fall. The arrangements featured wheat,
oats, sunflowers, goldenrod and cat-
tails. Softening the arrangements were
additions of dried pee -gee hydrangeas.
The flowers were arranged in old
crocks, copper kettles and boilers and I
noted some old urns and splatter -
enamel wear too.
On a fall tour of Aurora I was en-
chanted to see stores decked out in fall
leaves, produce and fanciful painted
pumpkins to greet patrons. Apparently
you can use acrylic paint to decorate
the faces of pumpkins and they'll last
right through our entire fall season.
At one Octoberfest party I attended,
guests were welcomed up the walkway
with a line of votive candles placed
inside tin cans which had holes
punched in them in various pretty
patterns. This added charm and
warmth on the fall eve.
My friend Mary Hall reported she
was enthralled by the decorations at her
niece's fall wedding. The church was
bedecked with corn stalks and fall pro-
duce and mums. At the reception hall
the theme continued, table decorations
consisted of small baskets with gourds,
fall leaves in combination with candles
and miniature scarecrows ... Guests
take-home treats were jars of home-
made preserves. How imaginative!
My ever thoughtful neighbour Barry
Underwood, made his wife Barb and I
candleholders out of gourds — how cre-
ative! I especially had fun decorating
with the little ones that look like mini-
ature pumpkins. As a centerpiece for