How my garden has changed with the arrival of Autumn

I've been sharing notes from my garden over the summer, and I wanted to write a post about how it's looking now that Autumn is decidedly here. But it turns out that most of what I have to write about is the leaves! 

We have a beautiful tree at the bottom of our garden, I think that it's some kind of ornamental cherry blossom. It's on land which is owned by the parish council, up against our fence. It must have been planted when the houses were built, making it around 25 years old, and over the last few years it has just grown and grown. I managed to arrange for it to be pollarded a couple of years back, but I think that just made it grow more!

It is really lovely, and I enjoy having it to look at from my house. In the spring it is covered with an abundance of blossom, it provides shade during the summer, and in the autumn it looks beautiful covered in golden leaves. But of course all those leaves have to go somewhere, and where they go is all over my garden!

I've always been a bit obsessed about picking up the leaves, even more so this year now that we have a lovely lawn of newly laid turf. I find myself out there two, sometimes three, times a day picking up every single leaf from the lawn. I am a little more laid back with the flower beds though, until they become completely covered I'm letting the leaves lay where they fall.

There is a corner of the garden, right underneath the tree, that I have designated as a small wildlife area, and this is where we have placed the hedgehog house. I go out every evening to top up the food bowl and we are rewarded most nights with a hedgehog snuffling around (we have placed a camera so that we can watch what goes on). If the hedgehog can't manage all the food then a cat or magpie will come along in the morning and eat what's left. So I'm leaving all the leaves in this area so that the hedgehog has somewhere to root around for slugs and bugs.

I bought some cyclamen a month or two ago for some autumn colour. I've planted them around the base of our new pear tree, as it was looking a little bare. They look beautiful, I hope that they will continue to flower for a while yet now that the rest of the flowers are slowly coming to an end. 

I'm glad that it hasn't got too cold yet, as I still have a few things to get done in the garden before winter sets in. I've planted most of my bulbs, but there are still a few to add to empty planters now that I've bought some extra compost. I also have some foxgloves which I planted in pots over the summer, I want to put them out in the borders and hope that they survive the frosts. I also want to do a bit of weeding so that the garden looks tidy for the winter.

We've added a lot of plants to our garden this year and I'm not really sure what to do with everything as the weather gets colder. I'm just hoping that most of them survive the cold temperatures and that everything will start to fill out in the spring - I'm excited to see how the garden changes over the next year!

My Autumn themed jigsaw puzzle wishlist

This post contains Amazon affiliate links

I've been struggling lately with browsing for jigsaw puzzles on Amazon. Firstly, many of the puzzles are from "alphabet soup" brands, complete with poorly translated descriptions stuffed with key words. Secondly lots of them look very much like AI generated images with colours that are too vibrant, fuzzy details and they just look a bit off. Now AI does have it's place in the modern world, but for me at the moment that's not in jigsaw puzzles, so I've tried to pick out puzzles from respected brands. They may be a little more expensive but I hope that they are likely to be better quality in terms of both image and construction.

Unfortunately I can't link images from Amazon, so I hope that my descriptions will be good enough to encourage you to take a closer look. If you are searching for some good quality Autumn themed jigsaw puzzles for some puzzling as the nights draw in, I hope that you enjoy looking through my selection!

Galison - Autumn in the Meadow - 1000 piece (affiliate link)

This 1000 piece jigsaw features an illustration of an overgrown footpath which passes through a vegetable patch filled with pumpkins and chickens towards a tiny cottage half hidden by floating autumnal flowers. The colours are gorgeous, and this one looks like it would be pleasantly tricky and very satisfying to put together.

Elena Essex - Sunset Valley - 1000 piece (affiliate link)

Perhaps not quite strictly Autumnal, but with a rich palette of reds and oranges this illustrated scene features rolling hills with colourful cottages nestled in between. This puzzle has plenty of interest and I think would not be too challenging once you had sorted out the different areas.

Galison - Nature in Autumn - 500 piece (affiliate link)

I love a smaller puzzle that can be completed in an evening or two, and jigsaw features images of various flora and fauna which you might see while out and about in Autumn. There's a lot of detail in the pictures and a lovely selection of colours.

Cobble Hill - Country Diary: Autumn - 1000 piece (affiliate link)

This puzzle features illustrations from The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady and so it's a group of nostalgic paintings along with handwritten inscriptions. There is a huge amount of detail in the image and it seems realistic in the types of things that you might spot in Autumn. The colours are muted in style with the vintage design, and this would be a lovely relaxing puzzle to slot together.

Galison - Autumn in the Neighbourhood - 1000 piece (affiliate link)

Another Galison puzzle with gorgeous Autumn colours, this is a street scene featuring a row of terraced houses framed by trees in their autumnal colours and decorated with wreaths and pumpkins. The houses would be really fun to put together and the beautiful smudged leaves would be a great challenge!

Galison - Autumn at the City Market - 1000 piece (affiliate link)

This Autumn scene features a city skyline with a row of lovely coloured trees across the centre, with market stalls and yellow taxi cabs in the foreground. It's a great contrast between nature and the city, and there are plenty of details to spot with the intricate stalls and the passersby. 

How to use Hama beads in crafts this Halloween

I love crafting with Hama beads, and I also love remembering some of the many Hama bead crafts that I've shared here on the blog over the years. Today I'm revisiting some of my favourites, all of them Halloween themed crafts.

If you haven't used Hama beads before then you might find this post helpful - Ironing tips for Hama beads.

Start small

If you are new to working with Hama beads or you don't want to purchase too many supplies, start by practising with some smaller pieces. I've created a set of small Halloween art pixel designs which are perfect for all sorts of projects - Halloween party place cards, keyrings, party bag gifts and favours, mini bunting, magnets, pendants...all sorts of things! They are easily made using the basic square pegboard and whatever beads you might have lying around.

Work with what you have

If you already have some Hama bead supplies then it's easy to do some Halloween Hama bead crafting just using what you already own. 

These Hama bead witch designs are made using the princess pegboard. With a bit of imagination the board can be used in lots of different ways to create some spooky witches.

I also repurposed the Hama bead house pegboard to create a Hama bead Halloween house. I just chose colours that worked with a Halloween theme and added a pumpkin and some bats.

If you have a selection of Hama bead pegboards already lying around, think about how they could also be used for Halloween themed designs. Even the basic shapes like circles, hearts or stars can become perfect Halloween decor if you use a spooky colour scheme or glow in the dark beads.

Halloween themed tableware

Following on from the above, another use for the basic circle shaped pegboard is to make some Halloween Hama bead coasters. You can find designs to copy, like the ones in my post, or just work on stripes or concentric circles in Halloween colours.

For your Halloween table you could also make some Halloween themed Hama bead napkin rings. These designs are really simple, using only the square pegboard, and by shaping them slightly when they are still warm from ironing they fit perfectly around a rolled napkin.

Halloween decorations

If you already have some suitable finished Hama bead crafts lying around the house then maybe there is a way that you can re-use them for some Halloween decor. For example, I used the Hama bead witches mentioned above to create some Hama bead witch displays using shoebox lids. We painted the lids black and used glitter and sequins to decorate before mounting the Hama bead witches.

I also used a pattern which I developed for Hama bead sugar skulls to make some Hama bead sugar skull bunting. I love how the sugar skulls use the same template yet they are all individual, and it's also a great way to use up small quantities of leftover beads.

Think about wearable accessories

This same sugar skull pattern can also be used the the tiny mini Hama beads to craft some gorgeous little sugar skull earrings. Great for Halloween themed parties!

You can also use the mini Hama beads to make some little Halloween themed pin badges. All you need to do is create the design and then add a pin badge backing. 

I hope that you liked my ideas for some Halloween themed Hama bead crafting!

Felt leaves for Autumn craft, styling them as bunting

A couple of years ago I made these embroidered felt autumn leaves. I love them! I really like the contrasting autumnal colours, the little beads that look like dew drops, and the varied shapes of the leaves. Usually I display them for autumn in a bowl on the sideboard, but this year I had a think about some different ways to style them as part of my autumn decor.

I decided that this year I would use the felt autumn leaves as bunting over my mantlepiece. I have some miniature wooden pegs in my craft stash so all I did was hang a length of thin ribbon and use the pegs to clip the leaves at intervals. 

My autumn decor is a little minimalist, but here's what it could look like, with a little help from ChatGPT!

Settling back to the school routine

A week into the school term, and despite the summer weather it feels as though the holidays never happened! The first week back is always a little unsettled - early starts and the school run along with new timetables, subjects and seating plans, there's always a bit of anxiety all round.

Then I find that I don't know what to do with myself when the children are out of the house! I don't see as much of them at home as I used to, but they are always there somewhere needing snacks and attention. When they first go back to school after a long break at home I find myself wandering aimlessly around the house until I remember all the things that I need to get on with now that they are out of the house!

Mia has started in Year 8, which comes with more homework and higher expectations. Harry is in Year 10 and so is making a start on his GCSE subjects. He's chosen a maths and science route, and I look at his timetable filled with double physics and double further maths and it fills me with horror! But he loves those subjects, and he's really looking forward to delving deeper into some of the more complicated aspects. 

Mia is taking part in the school musical production of Bugsy Malone this term. She doesn't have a major part but children keep dropping out so she has been gradually building up a number of smaller roles! There's a demanding after school rehearsal schedule so Harry works in the library and I can do the school pick up a little later - it makes my day seem so much longer! 

September always feels like a good time for a fresh start, and I have a few projects to work on this month. Getting back on track with the housework, sorting out the garden ready for winter, organising our holiday photos, going through my travel journals, sorting my craft supplies and having a bit of a declutter. All things which came to mind over the summer, and I now have the chance to get round to!

Photo credit Deleece Cook via Unsplash

The Autumn tag

I spotted this Autumn Tag over on Life as Kim and as it's been ages since I took part in one of these I thought I'd give it a go!

1. The smell of pumpkin guts OR rotting leaves?

I'm not sure that I like the smell of either to be honest, but I'd probably choose the leaves because I don't much enjoy scooping out pumpkin guts!

2. Sweet OR salty pumpkin seeds?

I've not had either but I think I'd prefer salty ones, I associate pumpkins with a savoury taste.

3. Store bought OR pumpkin patch pumpkins?

I've never been to a pumpkin patch, I think they started up around here when mine were getting a bit too old for them, and also I'm not organised enough to get to one in time. So we usually have a store bought one unless my Dad has given us one that he's grown!

4. Wool OR knit sweaters?

As a crafter I probably should know the difference, but I'm afraid I don't. But I'm thinking that knit sweaters are probably easier to wash so I would choose that!

5. Halloween party OR explore haunted places?

A Halloween party definitely. This year we having a very small one for the first time combined with trick or treating in my village. So I'll be putting up a few extra decorations and maybe springing for some themed tableware. 

6. Apple pie or pumpkin pie?

Apple pie definitely. I prefer pumpkin as a vegetable in a stew or soup. 

7. Still, silent nights OR rainy, windblown nights?

I love a rainy, windblown night or even a day, just as long as I don't have to go out anywhere!

8. Witches OR ghosts?

I think witches, ghosts are too unpredictable.

9. Raking leaves or climbing trees?

I hate raking leaves so definitely climbing trees for me!

10. Ouija boards OR ghost stories around a campfire?

Ghosts stories around a campfire, I wouldn't use an Ouija board. I remember a guide camp once when I took a book of horror stories and that was a very bad idea, I was terrified at night time. It was one of those Point Horror books which I loved to read at that age but not a good idea for when camping in the woods.

11. October OR November?

October because that's my birthday month! Also the weather can still be sunny and not too cold, I associate November with dark afternoons and rain.

12. Black cats OR owls?

I love a black cat.

13. Fireplace OR candle light?

I'm not sure that I could be bothered with a real fire, we do have a gas one but we've never used it so it's not connected at the moment. I do like to have candles though, especially now the children are older so I don't have to worry about them so much.

14. Monster movies OR their classic novels?

The classic novels, and I've read quite a few of them. We do watch some horror films and television shows and I like them, but there have been some that I've had to turn off halfway through because I just found them too disturbing. I thought It was a horrible film and I remember being freaked out by Jeepers Creepers a few years ago.

15. Carve OR paint pumpkins?

Always carve, at least then they can be composted. I'm not very good at carving them though, I just go with a very simple face and lots of jagged lines that are easy to cut!

Photo credit David Menidrey via Unsplash

Embroidered felt Autumn leaves

I'm busy looking for crafts to work my way through my felt stash, and I decided that as the weather is slowly beginning to turn somewhat autumnal that I would make some embroidered felt leaves for some Autumn decoration. This is also the first of my ten craft projects that I want to complete by the end of the year.

At first I was going to make something similar to my felt heart garland using smaller leaves, but I couldn't face all that cutting out, especially because leaves are so intricate! So I made some larger leaves to display in a bowl on the fireplace, and embellished them with embroidery and tiny beads. Each one measures about 10cm in height.

I was greatly inspired by a couple of designs that I found online. First were these gorgeous Felt Fall Leaf Ornaments with a digital pattern available to purchase on Etsy. Mine aren't nearly as beautiful as these, they are just perfect! Secondly these Embroidered Felt Oak Leaf Brooches from the brilliant Bugs and Fishes, which has a detailed tutorial and pattern for the oak leaves. For my leaf patterns I searched for leaf outlines and traced them from my computer screen. 

I did all the embroidery freehand so they aren't very neat or symmetrical, but I like to think that they have a rustic feel to them! I tried to use a mixture of colours in the felt and the embroidery thread and each one is backed with a piece of grey felt. I had a lot of fun making these and I really like having them out on display.

Paper pumpkin Autumn centrepiece craft

Today I'm sharing a simple Autumn themed craft - how to make a paper pumpkin table decoration to use as a centrepiece for your table this fall.

You need:

Coloured paper or card in a variety of shades of orange
Green tissue paper
A circular cardboard container, I used the lid from a container of cheese triangles but you could use any circular plastic or cardboard lid
Fabric Autumn leaves (or cut your own from fabric or felt)
Acrylic paint
Bostik White Glu
Bostik Glu Dots

Instructions:

Use your circular base as a template to cut circles for your pumpkin. Use as many different shades of orange as you can to add plenty of variety, and if you have patterned paper that also adds some extra interest. Cardboard is best for stability but you can also use paper as it will be glued together. Take care to make sure that all your circles are the same size. I made eight circles.

Fold all the circles in half. If you are using paper which is only coloured or patterned on one side make sure to fold it so that the coloured side is on the inside fold.

Glue your folded circular pieces together to form the pumpkin using the Bostik White Glu. Make sure to use only a thin layer of glue, especially if you are using paper, so that it doesn't get too wet. The White Glu is perfect for sticking paper because you can apply it exactly where it needs to go and it will hold the paper together firmly. It also dries clear, just in case you end up with any where it shouldn't be!

It's a good idea to lay out your pieces in advance so that you can make sure you are balancing out the different shades, and use paperclips to hold the pieces together until the glue is dry so that they stay in place while still wet.

Wait for it to dry and then remove the paperclips. Check the pumpkin to see if there are any edges which need to be trimmed slightly. Fold the pieces out so that they are evenly spread to form the sides of the pumpkin.

Cut a small section out from the bottom, so that when the pumpkin is stood up it has a flat base to stand on. Don't cut too much, but just enough so that the paper pumpkin can stand by itself.

To make the stalk, cut a strip of card and curl round to form a tube, secure in place with tape. Cover with green tissue paper, stuck in place using the Bostik White Glu, and use scrunched up tissue paper to fill the hole at the top. Cut eight small slits in the base of the tube so that it slots on to the sides of the pumpkin, and this will also ensure that the pumpkin sections remain well spread out. It should stay in place but if not it can be secured with a small blob of White Glu - this will dry clear so you don't need to worry about it showing.

Paint the base for the centerpiece. You can either choose to paint it in a neutral colour like I did, or a contrasting colour for some extra interest. I used acrylic paint to make sure that it covered well with a bold colour.

Finally use the Bostik Glu Dots to stick the fabric leaves around the base.

To adhere the Glu Dots you need to peel off one side of the plastic, stick the dot to one of the surfaces, then remove the second side of plastic and stick them firmly together. I found it easiest to stick the Glu Dot to the leaf first, then I could position the leaf where I wanted it.

The Glu Dots are great at sticking together all types of surface, and because you don't need to wait for them to dry they are perfect if you want to see your finished result quickly. They are very sticky but can also be re-positioned if you don't get the placement exactly right first time.

To finish, position the cardboard pumpkin inside the base. Use a couple of Glu Dots underneath the bottom to make sure that it is firmly in position and can be easily transported. Just stick them to the inside of the base, and press the pumpkin down gently but firmly.

Your pumpkin centre piece is finished! These can be made in all different sizes to suit your table, or you could make a row for your windowsill or mantelpiece.

This is a collaborative post in association with Bostik

Autumn Leaf Hama bead coasters

It's getting cooler outside, and with the children now firmly back at school my thoughts are turning to Autumn crafting. Last year I used my Hama beads to make some Autumn Hama bead battery candle holders which I was really pleased with, and so this year I've brought the Hama beads back out, this time to make some Autumn leaf coasters for those warming Autumnal drinks.

Although the leaves are made using Autumn colours, I've also included some pastel blue and green. Even though the weather is turning colder, winter isn't here quite yet, and there can still be some lovely blue sky at this time of year!

I came up with two different leaf designs and used a variety of different colours. I think they also look nice arranged into a square, a bit like my Hama bead Russian Doll tiled picture!

They are ironed on both sides, and well ironed to make sure that they won't come apart. After ironing, I always place my Hama bead pieces between two cork mats and leave something heavy on the top for a little while to make sure that they cool flat, otherwise the finished project can have a tendency to warp.

Related post - Ironing tips for Hama beads

With Halloween approaching, you might also like my Halloween Hama bead coasters. Or I have also designed some Hama bead coasters for Easter featuring Easter Eggs.

Related post - Hama bead crafts for Halloween

You can find all my Hama bead designs on my Hama bead page. 

Blog post ideas for Autumn

The children are back at school, and after taking a bit of a break over the summer holidays it's time to get back into my blogging! So I thought I'd put together a list of blog post ideas for Autumn to get me started, and hopefully they will inspire you too!

* Before the memories fade, it's a good opportunity to reflect back on the summer. You could share some of your favourite summer photos, and remember some of the fun things that you got up to. This could be done as an interview with children, asking them about the things that they enjoyed the most.

* Did you travel anywhere for summer this year? Now is a good time to think about what you enjoyed, what you didn't, and make your travel plans for next year.

* As the children begin a new school year it's a good opportunity for a catch up. You could write about how the children have changed since last September (perhaps along with some photos to compare) and what you hope the new school year brings for them. This could be done in an interview style, asking questions about their favourite school subject, what they hope to be when they grow up, and so on.

* Do you have any school tips to share with new school parents? Essential items for schoolbags or perhaps some packed lunch ideas, as well as helping children settle down and make friends.

* Has September brought a new change in routine now that the children are back at school? Do you have a little one that has started school for the first time and you finally have some extra time to yourself, or are you back at work after a summer break? How do you feel about it?

* I always find September a good time of year for a new start and new resolutions. Do you have any goals that you want to accomplish before the end of the year? Similarly it's a good time to catch up with those New Year's Resolutions and see how they are going!

* One of my favourite things about going back to school was always new exercise books and new stationery. You could do a roundup of the favourite things that you've bought for your children (or yourself!) this new school year, or a round up of new bits that you've spotted.

* As the evenings start to draw in it's fun to think about making your home more cosy for winter. You could pick out some seasonal decor for your home, like cosy throws and comfy cushions with an Autumnal theme.

* You could also do some seasonal wardrobe picks and share some of your favourite Autumnal clothing pieces.

* It's a great time to share Autumn recipes, using seasonal ingredients, that are warm and comforting, for example my Spicy Butternut Squash Soup. If you have published several on your blog over the years then you might want to consider publishing a round up so that readers can easily find them all in one place.

* Similarly, what are your favourite Autumn ingredients for cooking and baking? We have an apple tree in the garden, and I love trying out new apple recipes. Many years I manage to grow a pumpkin, and I love making pumpkin soup.

* Before the weather gets too cold, plan a visit out and about to see the beautiful natural Autumn colours. Write about a family or solo trip to the forest, and collect plenty of fallen leaves to use for crafting when you get home.

* There are lots of other natural things that you can use for Autumn crafting - like conkers, acorns, pine cones. See what you can come up with, and share the results on your blog. It's also a good opportunity for a round up of Autumn crafts, either sharing your own or choosing posts from other bloggers to share.

* Write a list of your favourite things about Autumn. You also could ask friends and other bloggers for their own favourites to add to your list. Great to look back on too when the cold dark evenings are in full swing!

* Think back to some of your favourite Autumn memories. Did you have any back to school traditions, a place that you always visited as a family to collect Autumn leaves, or a favourite meal or drink that you enjoyed with family or friends.

* I'm not a coffee drinker but I've noticed that everyone seems very excited about the yearly launch of Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte, are there any other seasonal releases that you look forward to?

* On the 5th November in the UK we celebrate Bonfire Night - you could write about Bonfire Night memories and how you celebrate with your children.

* You could write a round up of firework displays in your local area to help people planning trips out (you could share it to local Facebook pages or groups), or write a review of a display that you've been to. You could share safety tips, or tips for visiting a fireworks event with young children.

* Also in Autumn comes Halloween, do you mark the occasion with your family? Do you go trick or treating or host a party at home? How do you carve your pumpkins? Share some of your favourite Halloween memories and traditions.

* Do you decorate your home for Halloween? Share some of your ideas, or share photographs of houses in your area with the best decorations.

* If you are hosting a Halloween party, share some Halloween party food and costume ideas. This could be homemade, or things that you've picked up or spotted in the shops.

* If you have published lots of Halloween posts over the years you could consider a Halloween round up to bring new eyes to older posts.

If you've enjoyed this post, you may like some of my other lists of blog post ideas:

Blog post ideas for craft bloggers
Blog post ideas for travel bloggers
Blog post ideas for Spring
Blog post ideas for Summer
Blog post ideas for Winter
Blog post ideas for Christmas

Finally, I've gathered many of these ideas together to form an entire year of blog post inspiration!

Photo by Aaron Burden via Unsplash