Fall Decorating at the Beach
Living at the beach means fall is not quite the same. Although the temperatures are getting cooler, I don’t see any changing leaves. Pumpkin patches are few and far between (probably because they won’t last long in this sun), and it just doesn’t feel right to pull out the boots and flannels. The typical fall colors don’t really go with my new neutral blue décor, so I had to make some changes. The good news is… you can still decorate for fall at the beach.
Fall Beach Wreath
Fall decoration starts at the front door. I already had a shell wreath that I made for summer so with a few minor changes it became a fall wreath! I started by painting a large shell and starfish a muted orange color. Then I added some small pumpkins, gourds, and berries to give it a fall touch. I attached them to the wreath with hot glue and wire the same way I attached the shells. For directions on how to make the base wreath click here.
Wreath Before
Wreath After
Fall Front Yard Skeletons
I had my two skeletons and skeleton dog from before and they just needed to fit into the Florida scene. A quick trip to Goodwill and they were ready for the beach. After dressing her in a bikini and him in a Hawaiian shirt they were ready to take their place on the lawn chairs. The Skelton dog even got a Halloween pale and of course both skeletons needed cocktails. The neighbors love it!
Fall Pumpkin Color Change
Unfortunately, the dark orange pumpkins didn’t fit in with my blue/green interior, so with a simple repaint they looked completely different! I went one step further and made a beach pumpkin including a 3D sand accent. Here are the easy steps to creating your own beach pumpkin.
How to Make a Beach Pumpkin
Supplies needed:
- A craft pumpkin
- Paint- tan, blues, and white
- Modge podge
- Sand
- Spray glue
Step one: paint the pumpkin like a beach. The bottom is tan. Layer in the white for the surf with a sponge and shades of blue for the ocean.
Step two: Cover the tan area with modge podge and roll it around in a tray of sand.
Step three: Finally use the spray glue to keep the sand in place and put a finish on the entire pumpkin.
Focal Points of Fall
Throughout the house I made little focal points of fall using things I had from fall past. The eyeballs went into a vase with fake moss, and the pumpkins (mostly repainted) and skeleton mice finished the look. My tiered tray on the kitchen counter got a jar of candy corn and a little pumpkin. I kept the shells and it all somehow came together.
Fall Charcuterie Board
I couldn’t possibly let fall pass me by without creating a themed charcuterie board. Trader Joe’s made it possible to complete this in one shopping trip. The little pumpkins and skeleton head completed the look. Included were: 3 cheeses, 3 meats, pumpkin almonds, candy corn with peanuts, grapes, pumpkin pretzels, cheese sticks, olives, corn chips with Texas dip, rosemary marcona almonds, dark chocolate pistachio toffee, pita crackers, and maple leaf cookies.
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Halloween Care Packages
I miss my boys during the Halloween season so this year I made Halloween care packages. I got priority boxes from the post office, decorated them with Halloween scrap paper, and layered them with tissue paper. Inside I included fun candy (gummy fingers), a roach coffee mug, Joe Joe’s Halloween cookies (from Trader Joe’s), an eyeball icetray, and little skeleton heads and spiders. Of course, I sent my granddog Nash some Halloween treats too!
