Cheap and Chic Fall Centerpieces 2013 Ideas

Fall entices us to spend more time in the cozy warmth of hearth and home, and often that means gatherings around the table. Luckily, there are many ways to update your table without splurging on new dishes and linens. Look instead to items from nature, quick and easy DIY ideas, budget-friendly finds and long-lasting centerpieces, to create a fresh, new look without a lot of shopping. Read on for 12 cheap and chic ideas that will make you smile each time you pass by your table.

I hope that you will like and find it useful for you ... Enjoy it !! 

Create a woodland-inspired living centerpiece. 

Plant any ground cover you like in a shallow, mod pot for a lasting display. Accent it with ceramic mushrooms or foraged wood and stones, and be sure to use a trivet or dish beneath it to protect your table.

Use other items from nature. 

Bare branches can be paired with tea lights or air plants as a sculptural centerpiece. Pheasant or other feathers look striking in a simple cylindrical vase, while sheepskins (real or faux) and a stack of firewood add to the warm, cozy feel. Keep your eyes open in your own backyard, on nature walks  and if all else fails, in the craft store  for supplies you can use in creative ways.

Choose long-lasting items from the farmer's market. 

Look for more durable items like dried persimmons or pomegranates, berries and interesting foliage to extend the life of your arrangement. Whereas fresh flowers last only a week, these finds can last anywhere from one month to a whole season.

Make a statement with a single swooping branch. 

A vase filled with one lovely, arching branch of foliage or berries takes up enough visual space to stand alone. Pair contrasting hues  like the red berries and blue vessel shown here  for a vibrant look.

Keep arrangements low for easy conversation. 

Casually arrange berries or other small branches along the center of your table. Intersperse candles (be sure to keep branches away from the flames!) and anchor the arrangement on a simple runner.

Spice up your table or chairs with a new hue. 

Embrace the season by painting your table a vibrant, warm color like red or golden yellow. If you are nervous about making a big commitment, try painting just the table legs, or a single bench or chair, and see how the color feels.

Shop your kitchen for creative table decor. 

Think beyond standard vases and planters for centerpieces. Pitchers, teacups, coffee mugs, serving platters and trays, and even soup terrines can all make wonderful containers for seasonal flowers, fruit and candles. Have some pretty herbs growing on your kitchen windowsill? Grab those, too.

Give small items more presence with plates and platters. 

You don't need an overblown centerpiece to make a statement. A small potted plant and a few slender candles can take center stage when elevated on a plate or cake stand. Use pretty cups as bud vases for flowers snipped from your garden (or plucked from a market bouquet) to round out the arrangement.

Use burlap and mason jars. 

Simply cut and fold burlap for a quick, rustic-chic runner or tablecloth. Use mason jars as candleholders, vases or glasses for water or wine. Or create easy embellished vases by wrapping a few of your jars with burlap (secure with hot glue).

Set up a functional display with frequently used items. 

Display silverware in a caddy and pretty cloth napkins in a basket, and keep ready-to-eat fruit on a pedestal or cake stand. If the containers you choose don't match, give them a fresh look with a coat of unifying black or white paint.

Corral favorite objects on a tray. 

Choose items in a tight color palette for a collection that hangs together. Silver paired with mercury glass, and white with wood, are two foolproof combinations.

Include food in your tablescape. 

Nothing is more luscious than perfectly ripe, in season produce, so let your market finds take center stage when you set the table. Place a perfect pear, pomegranate or persimmon on each plate, fill a bowl with figs and grapes, or make a heaping pile of colorful squash.

Halloween 2013 Entry Decorations Ideas

Welcome trick or treaters and party guests this Halloween with front door accents that cast just the right spell. Our ideas for wreaths, door decorations, and entryway accents are sure to give your porch spook-tastic flair for Halloween.

 I hope that you will like and find this ideas useful for you ... Enjoy it !!

Traditionally carved pumpkins wide grins, seasonal words are a welcome sight on a Halloween theme front entry. This trio focuses on the eyes googly eyes, a Cyclops as well as a swoopy script for the Halloween message. Get our free designs below.

Editor's Tip: Rub petroleum jelly on the cut areas of the pumpkins to preserve them for even longer, and use battery-operated candles for ease and safety.

Dress up your Halloween porch with these easy to make painted pumpkins. Mask off the areas you want to remain unpainted, spray paint the pumpkins black, and remove the tape to reveal your design. Draw the outlines of block letters onto your pumpkins and fill in with black crafts paint; add polka dots to your pumpkins by carefully drilling holes with a cup drill bit. Make a black-and-white dotted pumpkin by applying black circle stickers to a white pumpkin. Use metal laundry tubs, barrels, or old chairs to give your fun pumpkin display varying height.

Add jack-o'-lantern faces to a cute wreath for your Halloween theme door. Paint about a dozen floral pods with black acrylic paint. Adhere stickers or use a liner brush to paint cheerful (or scary) faces on several of the pods. Once dry, use double stick tape or a T-pin to adhere to a floral wreath. Settle the wreath in between pumpkins or hang with a thick silk ribbon.

Set a spooky tone this season with decoupaged plates displayed by the front door. Use computer printed house numbers embellished with copyright free skeleton illustrations. Search for the art online under "human anatomy" or "anatomy."

It's easy to transform foam pumpkins into one of a kind accents for your outdoor Halloween decorating. Spray one pumpkin with glossy black paint and the other with matte black paint; cover a few pumpkins with discarded book pages. Cut a few additional book pages and silver crepe paper into leaf shapes for contrast. Group several pumpkins into an oversize cauldron or pot.

Ever wondered what to do with those cute, inexpensive urns from the crafts store? With a simple coat of spray paint they become spooky Halloween decorations. Stuff cotton batting and blocks of crafts foam inside. Stick white branches into the foam as desired. Cut-out black bats, fabric leaves, black webbing, and a few creepy crawly spider accents complete the look.

If classic, not creepy, is your autumn decorating style, than use an elegant display of pumpkins to send a welcoming holiday message. Here, three pumpkins each one a bit smaller than the one below it rest on each other. Use a favorite font and stencil a message with spray paint or a paint pen. Trail some moss or other accent from the base of a tall planter or urn. If you stack the pumpkins away from a wall, insert a piece of rebar or a dowel from top to bottom to prevent toppling.

Add a Halloween theme window covering to your front door to welcome the spooky season. Print two copies of our spider and web pattern, available below, onto white paper and enlarge to fit your window. Cut out the spider and web in two separate pieces to use as patterns. Trace the pattern pieces onto black construction paper, flipping the web pattern to use for the bottom of the window covering. Cut out the pieces, including the webbing indicated by the white within the web. Cut two rectangles from black construction paper to use as side pieces that join the top and bottom pieces, and cut yellow cellophane to fit inside the window. Tape the two web pieces, the two side pieces, and the spider to the cellophane, referring to the photo for placement. Tape the finished cellophane panel inside the window frame.

Skip the pricey holiday mats and make your own spider theme welcome mat for just a few dollars. Start with a lightweight black mat cut into a circle. Hot glue lengths of clothesline to the mat in a spiderweb pattern.

A supersize felt spider waits for Halloween guests in this wreath, making a spooky decoration for your front door. Wrap one skein of thick orange yarn (or two skeins of thin orange yarn) around a 12-inch straw wreath form so the threads lay neatly. Hot-glue one end of black rickrack trim to the back of the wreath form; wrap the rickrack around the form, evenly spacing the wraps and securing the trim to the back of the wreath with hot glue. Trace our spider pattern, available below, onto white paper and cut out. Trace the pattern onto black felt using a chalk pencil; cut out with a crafts knife. Position the felt spider in the center of the wreath, using straight pins to fasten the ends of the legs to the back side of the wreath. Hang the wreath with a wide black ribbon.

Infuse plain white lanterns with spooky spirit in minutes. Run lengths of black ribbon along the surface of an open paper lantern (we made one lantern with ribbon and one without). Print basic jack-o'-lantern clip art (a quick online search offers lots of options) onto white paper. Trim and tape to the front of the lantern. Hang it on your porch for a delightful welcome.

With a little witchcraft you can set the stage for a spooky evening at your front door. Light a warm path to your door with luminarias and a lighted grapevine garland framing the doorway. Dangle a few faux bats and spiders near porch lights. Add black witch, cat, bat, and ghost silhouettes made of heavy paper to windows to increase the spooky ambiance.

Simple steps and easy to find materials transform planters, lanterns, and pumpkins into a scary-fun Halloween doorstep arrangement. Adhere cat eyes (search online for copyright-free images) with crafts glue to urn planters or other pots. Tuck twigs, leaves, or flowers into sand or plastic foam-filled planters. Cut pieces of orange cardstock to fit lantern panels and tape jack-o'-lantern face pieces (cut from black cardstock) to the orange pieces. Place them behind the glass panels to protect from wind and rain. Add a few pumpkins and voila: Doorstep masterpiece accomplished!

Embrace the spirit of Halloween in your front yard with this spider filled bonanza. Secure a skeleton to the ground with rebar; use monofilament to pose the arms. Create a swarm of spiders with inexpensive plastic foam balls and chenille stems; secure to the ground with wired florist's picks.

Turn a front door window into a spider's clever trap with black crafts tape. Start with three long strips of tape, creating an off center X shape with two pieces and using the third to cut across the middle of the X, dividing your glass window into six sections. Starting at the center, add tape strips to each section until a web starts to take shape.

Symmetry is a wonderfully simple decorating tool to guide you in creating a seasonally beautiful entryway at Halloween or any holiday time. Here, two black feather wreaths, accented with long lengths of shimmery silver ribbon, dress up the towering front doors. Whimsical and not too spooky faux ravens beckon their own sort of welcome.

Go all-out on your outdoor Halloween decorating. On the stairs, welcome guests with tall lanterns wrapped in cardstock cut with faces, and situate among small pumpkins and gourds. Accent pillars with spooky planters, hang ghosts from the porch, and use tape to create black spiderwebs on your doors. As a final touch, wrap spare brooms with electrical tape for a cheap door side accent.

Part frightful, part formal, this skull-adorned wreath gets its stripes from overlapping strips of felt. You'll need about 50 each of 10x1/2 inch pieces of black and white felt. Use straight pins to secure to a 14 inch straw wreath form. Print the free skeleton image, below, and coat with decoupage medium; let dry. Use skewers to attach it to the wreath and tie a bow with upholstery fabric for dramatic effect.

Create your own spooky outdoor spiderweb planters from stretched and pulled cotton balls fitted over plants. Spell out a Halloween message with black foam letters attached to small dowels using adhesive before sticking them into the plant.

You don't need a lot of crafting skills, fancy tools, or even pricey supplies to add unique, fun Halloween accents to your front entry. Here, inexpensive spider rub ons, stickers, and trims decorate white kraft bags. Fill the bottoms of the bags with sand and stagger on the stairs or along your front walkway. Light with battery operated votive candles and accent with a variety of pumpkins.

2013 Easy and Quick Indoor Halloween Decorating Ideas

Even with just a few days till October 31, it's not too late to decorate. Pumpkins from the grocery store, leaves from the backyard and a few things around the house can transform a table or mantel into Halloween central.

Family Portrait in Pumpkins Forget carving. 

Forget covering the whole pumpkin with paint. Just add a circle of leftover chalkboard paint to one side of each pumpkin and draw on some funny faces (anyone you know come to mind?). Do the family, a group of friends, your pets or even Mr. Jack-o'-Lantern himself.

To make your own pumpkin family portrait: 

1. Select pumpkins in a variety of shapes. Look for smooth sides without too many blemishes or deep ridges. Wash and dry your pumpkins thoroughly.

2. Paint chalkboard circles with a paintbrush an inch or so wide. Apply at least three coats of paint, allowing the paint to dry completely between each coat.

3. Rough up the end of a piece of chalk before drawing on the pumpkin. The square edges of a fresh piece of chalk can scrape off the chalkboard paint. If this happens, just touch up the scuff with more paint.

4. Erase any goofs or smudges with a damp paper towel. You can also completely erase your faces and try different people, hairdos and expressions.

5. Finish off your scene with grocery store mums and a vase of twigs and leaves, and candles if you like. (Don't leave candles unattended, and be sure to keep wicks well away from leaves.)

Easy Halloween Party Recipe 2013 Ideas

Here is an easy Halloween party recipe you can make before your guests arrive. For a kids’ party just add spiders; for an adult party, add spiders and a little something extra. 

By :  Manvi Drona

Simple and Sweet 

For this year’s Halloween party, add a few creepy-crawlies to this party favorite. It’s easy, eye-catching and inexpensive.

Tools and Materials 

To make these, you’ll need: 4 packets of Key lime flavored gelatin, plastic spiders and other critters (approx. 30); 10 to 12 clear containers (we used small square-bottom plastic cups); optional: substitute tequila for some of the water on the manufacturer’s instructions.

Use Clear Containers 

Make the gelatin as instructed on package. When you’re ready to decorate, scoop two to three tablespoons of the gelatin into each container. Insert 3 to 4 plastic critters into each cup. Space them well.

Make Them Glow Place the cups in clusters on coffee tables, side tables and dinning/buffet tables. Add a couple of green glow sticks near each cluster to create a dramatic spooky effect.

2013 Clever Halloween Centerpieces Decorating Ideas

Halloween is the perfect time to add some fright to your holiday table. Use these centerpiece ideas as inspiration for your next Halloween party or as festive additions to your home.

By Caitlin Berens

Make a bewitching centerpiece with black and orange pumpkins.

Carve out a large pumpkin to hold a vase. Spray paint your pumpkins with a black matte finish paint. Once dry, scrape away the painted surface in lines or in the form of a sunflower or another design.

A smiling jack-o'-lantern becomes the perfect Halloween vase when you place a container of water and flowers inside. A simple carving (or scraping) that forgoes the typical wide mouth will help the inside container stay hidden. Use a white pumpkin and orange flowers for extra pop.

Use rugged old cabinet legs as eye catching bases for this Halloween gourd display. Elevating some gourds and leaving others on the table, as well as varying the size of gourds, adds quirkiness to this Halloween centerpiece.

Editor's Tip: Tie ribbon onto the bases in knots or bows it you want to inject color to this neutral centerpiece.

A plain white platter becomes a Halloween centerpiece with a handful of scattered miniature pumpkins and fall accents. The nonlinear look is key with this decoration, so assemble pieces randomly along the platter for an effortless, relaxed look.

Wrap decorative scrapbook paper around large orange and black candles to create this simple Halloween centerpiece. An orange table runner makes the black candle pop, overturned black bowls add height to the decoration, and black spiders and white Halloween candies add creepy crawly fun at the base.

Editor's Tip: Be sure to keep an eye on how fast your candles burn, and trim scrapbook paper accordingly.

Fashion papier mache into flickering mummy like candles. Begin by wetting plaster cloth strips (found at local crafts stores) and wrapping them around a small inflated balloon. After the paper hardens, pop the balloon and cut a small hole in the bottom. Place the mummy form over battery operated votives and sit atop a glass candlestick for a frightening display.

Create a kooky cast of characters for your dining room table. Use orange, black, white, and green spools of thread for the mini monster bodies. We used black felt cutouts for the eyes and mouths for most of the creatures. Repurpose old jewelry boxes with scrapbooking or wrapping paper for fun pedestals for the spool monsters.

Glass block vases become one of a kind Halloween centerpieces with die cuts and spooky scrapbook paper (available at crafts stores). To make, use spray adhesive to attach the papers (spray the back of the paper, not the glass, to avoid streaks). Place sand and tapered candles inside the vase for a haunting glow.

Editor's Tip: Use clear plastic blocks in lieu of glass vases. Be sure to nix the candles or opt for battery-powered ones.

A stack of old books forms the stand for this spooky centerpiece. To make, cut two basic ghost shapes from pages in the middle of a book, leaving the bottoms attached to the pages. Fold up each ghost and secure with a touch of tape. To complete, use a hole punch or marker to make eyes for this haunting centerpiece.

Miniature jack-o'-lanterns make a big impact when arranged on footed cake stands and displayed on a vintage tray. Place battery-powered candles inside each hand-carved pumpkin, and let your guests enjoy the glow.

Basic embroidery hoops set a spooky scene on a Halloween table. To make, stretch black costume fabric or lace across the painted hoops; trim extra fabric. Next, spray-paint planters for bases, then add enough florist's foam inside to secure a painted dowel inserted in the middle. Finish with black-and-white patterned paper atop the planters and a hauntingly fun message spelled out in painted wooden letters. Use hot glue to secure the dowels and wooden letters.

You need only a few household items and a little nature to create this haunting yet simple Halloween centerpiece. Gather knotted, rustic sticks from your yard or neighborhood to place in a basic urn, and add bits of moss to get the fright just right. Use free clip art to trace and cut out ominous black ravens from construction paper the finishing touch for this Halloween centerpiece.

An old typewriter spells out a warning message for your Halloween guests. Load a torn book page in a computer printer and spell out your message (a test run on basic white paper ensures you won't waste your favorite page). Tuck the final note in a vintage typewriter, and tell your guests they've been warned!

 Editor's Tip: For extra fright, drape a skeleton hand across the keys .

Scrapbook papers and floral accents are all it takes to upcycle" yesterday's tin cans into a green Halloween centerpiece. Standard- and economy-size tin cans work well for this craft, although the more varied the sizes, the more intriguing the display. Wrap with scrapbook paper and add die cut scenes or stickers as desired.

Editor's Tip: Keep the cans for next year, or give them away to guests as simple mementos of a frightful night.

Spray paint Halloween props with black chalkboard paint, then outline them with chalk for frightfully aged flair. Fill the cauldron with a decorative bottle, handpicked beverage, or a tasty Halloween treat.

Nuts, pumpkins, and a large candle dress up a small woven mat in this simple-yet-sophisticated Halloween centerpiece. Fallen leaves tucked into the display add natural fall flair to the decoration.

Editor's Tip: For a more kid-friendly decoration, use candies, painted pumpkins, and a battery-powered candle so curious fingers don't find a flame.

Simple white dishes display multicolor pumpkins in this elegant Halloween centerpiece. Use footed bowls, small plates, and candlesticks at varying heights to create an eye-catching display.

Use a large, tall pumpkin to create this picturesque Halloween centerpiece. Stuff a variety of flowers, fillers, and greenery in a vase inside this simple, hollowed out pumpkin. 

Editor's Tip: To add a bit of festive fun, tuck tiny Halloween decorations, such as plastic spiders or spooky stir sticks, into the arrangement.