Baby Girl Ward was born recently (view pics of the cutie here!), so while I’m out learning how to raise this tiny human, I’ve asked some amazeballs bloggers to visit! Today’s post comes from Carmen of A Blue Swallow. She’s preaching today about how to make your home fall-worthy. Take it away, Carmen.

Hey there The Proper Pinwheel readers! I am Carmen from the craft and mommy hood blog, The Blue Swallow. I am beyond excited and honored to be guest posting today!

If I could afford it, I would probably drink a Caramel Apple Spice from Starbucks everyday…I really do mean everyday. However, crisp cool air, burnt orange leaves, and boots let me get away with it at least 3 times throughout the week. I couldn’t imagine not having this time of year, and I’m sure you couldn’t either. Aside from how you dress yourself this season, dressing up your home is just as important. From Halloween to Thanksgiving, your door is pretty much open to friends and family. So even if you’re not a big fall decor type of person, there are some simple ways to get your home up to par and ready for the steady flow of tricker-treaters and unexpected guests.

1. A Wreath: Having a simple wreath on your door is key. You don’t have to put a million pumpkins and flowers all over it in the name of being “festive,” because that really ends of translating into gaudy and the same as those sweaters with cats all over them. However, I love asymmetrical wreaths, because they are just simple. If you’re daring you can make your own and it will probably be that much cheaper! I stick to making my own (the control freak inside me), but I see amazing ones when I look for inspiration. Either way, make sure your door isn’t naked…cover it up with a wreath!

2. Pumpkins and Mums: Mums are the flowers of the season and if you have a child or go on a hay ride, you’re pretty much going to pick up a pumpkin somewhere. It’s tradition for us to carve our own pumpkins and bake the pumpkin seeds, so our front steps always have at least two pumpkins. Even if you just place a few pumpkins on your porch with a basket of mums, it really is just as inviting. Even bringing fabric pumpkins inside on a table or a part of a mantle setting are great ideas too. TjMaxx, JoAnn Fabric, and Marshalls are great places to find artificial ones if you’re not down with a lot of clean up.

3. Candles: Opening up the windows just isn’t enough sometimes! Indulge in great smelling candles or fresh pine cones and spruce if you can. If you’re not baking a warm apple pie everyday (it’s okay I’m not either) than get a candle that makes it seem like it! That’s the beauty of candles and the sense of smell. I love doing a mixture of both in the home, but not too much where it ends up smelling like the cheap perfume kiosks in the mall. Mix it up a little, you’ll be glad you did.

4. Love your table: If you don’t have a mantle, show some love to your main dinning table. Creating a small centerpiece of a bushel of apples in a basket is all you need. If you use your table for more than just setting the day’s mail on it, then simple is all you need. I keep a mix of pine cones and apples on the table around this time, and restock the apples as we snack on them!

5. Burlap Bunting & Printable: Bunting pretty much screams CELEBRATION anytime I see it, so I specified burlap so you know to celebrate fall. You can put bunting across your wreath, your mantel, or even in your foyer to liven up the space. I just happen to love the look and tone of burlap bunting with the brick reds and mustard yellows. If you don’t care too much for fabric bunting, paper is always a wonderful alternative and there are a myriad of tutorials out there. Lastly find a great printable to frame and hang! I absolutely love Pen & Paint‘s free printable available now. Even without a frame add it to your current collage in your home.

I’ve always believed that less is more when it comes to decor (did you catch that rhyme?). Whether you’re a crafty mama or a sophisticated lady these 5 things are sure to make your home that much more enjoyable this season. So put up your wreath, strap your boots on, and grab a pumpkin spiced latte while you’re at it and enjoy what Autumn brings to you.

Read more about Carmen and her adventures as a mom on her blog, A Blue Swallow.

photography: A Blue Swallow