The fall season is here, and with the weather getting chillier you may be opting for a cozy night in. Gather your friends, light a candle, turn on your favorite Halloween movie and get ready for a fall craft night! Here are a couple of my favorite DIY fall decorations that will surely spruce up your dorm or apartment this season.
Painting Jars or Glasses
Painting jars or drinking glasses can be a cute and easy way to add some (pumpkin) spice to your kitchen or shelves! For this craft, you can use a mason jar or a glass cup you already have. Another cheap and environmentally friendly option is to reuse an empty glass jar from sauce or jam instead of tossing it after you finish its contents.
Materials:
- Glass jar or cup
- Acrylic paint or chalk paint
- Paintbrush
Some easy ideas to paint on your glass are colorful leaves, apples, pumpkins, sunflowers, ghosts, witch hats or black cats. Colors like orange, yellow, red and brown create a pleasant autumn palette, and you can even just paint stripes or polka-dots if you are less confident in your artistic abilities.
Get creative here! You can combine designs and patterns and you can even personalize your glass with your name or initials. If you are using acrylic paint, you will want to let your glass dry for 24 hours before using it. If you are using chalk paint, it will likely dry in 1-2 hours, but be sure to handle it with care so the paint does not scratch off. Once your design is complete and has dried, you can use your glass to store your favorite fall snack or drink, or you can even use it as a flower vase!
Leaf Window Clings
Remember those jelly-like window clings you used to decorate your window with as a kid? You can make your own window decor with just a few materials and no artistic expertise. First, you will need to put on your favorite sweater and head out for an autumn stroll to collect some freshly fallen leaves.
Materials:
- Leaves (try to pick fresher leaves, if they are dry they may not work for this activity)
- Elmer’s liquid glue
- Paintbrush
Steps:
- Paint one side of the leaves with Elmer’s liquid glue
- Allow the glue to dry overnight
- Peel glue off of leaves, it should keep the indentation of the leaf’s pattern
- Stick glue leaf onto your window
Your window clings will turn out a transparent white with the indentation of the leaf’s pattern, but you can customize your leaves in several ways. One option is to create colored leaves by adding food coloring or acrylic paint and two drops of dish soap to your glue before painting your leaves. Another option is to use a permanent marker to draw a ghost face onto your white leaves after they have fully dried. These window clings will be a perfect compliment to the colorful autumn trees out your window, and will last throughout the autumn season from Halloween to Thanksgiving!
Next time you’re looking for a cute and cozy way to spend your fall day or evening, you can enjoy these activities with your friends or family!