1. Fall Foliage

Harvesting fall foliage is easier than it sounds. I’m from South Louisiana and we get close to no fall-colored foliage, but I can still manage to bring the outdoors, in. I just trim a few oak branches and wait for them to die. I know, it sounds awful, but it works. They turn a beautiful honey gold and dry quite well. I used them last year, tossed them out, and am already on the hunt for more. I think I’ll use them in the basket on my front door this year. Stay tuned to my Instagram to see how my front porch turns out this fall.

Here’s a reel of the simple process + my top tip for preserving your foliage and protecting your home when you bring nature in to enjoy!

2. Pinecones

This is a no-brainer! Pinecones are so annoying and ugly in the yard, so I bring them in and get good use out of them in the fall. In fact, I use them all winter, through Christmas and the new year. I even saw packs of pinecones in the dollar section at Target recently if you don’t have any near your home. Adding a little cinnamon oil or Autumn/Christmas blend of essential oils makes them even more appealing. Keep it simple when displaying them too! I love a wood or concrete bowl overflowing with them, a fireplace basket jam-packed or a front porch planter full. Last year I displayed them in just about every room and plan to recreate the look again this year.

Bringing pinecones in is easy but doesn’t come without a little risk. There can be a bug or two lurking inside the cone itself. Modern Homestead has a great tutorial on preparing your pinecones for use as decor.

3. Nuts in the Shell

I realize you probably don’t have edible nuts growing in your yard, but I still consider nuts in the shell to be free decor because they are so yummy and serve a dual purpose, food and fall accent in one! I always have nuts out for the family and guests year around, (usually peanuts and/or pistachios), but in the fall I use them to make more of a statement. The thought of a large bowl of fresh pecans in a wood or marble bowl gives me instant cozy vibes. I keep a smaller bowl near for cracked shells and to hold the nut crackers themselves. This is another super fun way to get creative! Nuts anyone??!

4. Seasonal Fruit

Using seasonal fruit to accent home decor is not a new concept by any means. Think lemons, limes and grapefruit in spring and melons, kiwis and pineapples in summer. However, winter fruit isn’t usually something we consider, but can be so beautiful. Pears, pomegranates, apples and small oranges are a great way to add color and dimension to your tablescape or kitchen countertop.

Additionally, pumpkins and gourds are readily available by mid-September and can add a traditional fall look to your home as well. If you’re truly wanting to get the most from your natural decor elements, opt for a “pie pumpkin” (small pumpkins often in the produce section) to add to your fruit bowl. These small pumpkins last 2-3 months indoors and only get riper over time. This means your beautiful decor turns pumpkin pie come Thanksgiving Day! Again, making it serve a dual purpose and making it virtually FREE!

5. Acorns

Calling all kiddos! Collecting acorns outside sounds absolutely miserable if I’m being honest, but kids freaking love it! I make it a competition and a counting game every year! Whoever gets the most acorns, picks the restaurant that weekend. Easy right? I guarantee you’ll end up with more acorns than you know what to do with! Using them in a small bowl or tray is such a sweet way to add a little fall to any room.

Like the pinecones, there is a small process involved when preparing your acorns for use in your home. Maria at “Staying Close to Home” does a great job breaking it down in this post.

I’m certain that between these five ideas you’ll find a way to spruce up your space using nature and free decor elements. Having a home that we’re proud of is possible on any budget. It’s achieved by paying attention to what’s around us and what’s happening in that moment, or season in time. Take advantage of the decor God has already given us. Happy fall friends, and cheers to all that it brings!

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie

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Jamie Gremillion, Bloom Co.

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Jamie

It’s a very small room, so were prepared to use a bit of creativity to pull it together and maximize its functionality. We are thrilled with the way it turned out. I’m sharing all the diy details, photos and links below. It is, without a doubt, everyone’s new favorite spot to hang out!

We started by changing the wall color. I wanted something dark and cozy. We went with an old favorite… “Iron Ore” by Sherwin Williams; and because it is such a small room, painting was quick and easy! We also did a bit of touching up on the moulding and caulked a few cracks to make the space look fresh and crisp!

Next, we hung the TVs, yes TVs with an “S”…. two TVs! It makes sense for us because the girls (3 and 6) often want to watch a movie while Clark (10) wants to play Xbox or watch something different. The type of TVs we chose have an aux jack for headphones, so usually one of the kids wears headphones to keep the noise from the other TV out. So far, it’s worked out great!

We dropped new wire in the wall from the attic and used recessed outlets to ensure the TVs would hang flush against the wall. The universal brackets we used from Target were easy to install and worked well with the TVs we bought.

Once those were hung, we added a fun neon-look LED light above the “gaming” TV. The kids thought this was so cool! To conceal the wire, we cut a small square in the Sheetrock behind the light itself, and dropped the cord down to the new outlet behind the TV below. We used a special outlet box that easily accommodates unusually shaped and various sized wires. To make things nice and tidy, I finished this gaming area off by hot gluing the neon light-switch to the back of the TV for convenience. I’m so pleased with how great this spot turned out!

As far as TV room furniture, we kept it super simple by choosing bean bags that convert to full size beds! They’re incredible! We ordered them from Amazon, and they’re made by a company named Cordaroy’s. During the week we keep them zipped up in bean bags because they’re perfectly compact for TV watching on school afternoons. On the weekends, we unzip and lay them out to create the perfect pallets! All three kids love having weekend slumber parties all piled in the new room together!

We kept an old coffee table in the space for playing games, puzzles and coloring. The warm wood tone of this table is beautiful and was what inspired the curtain color I chose… camel! Velvet camel-colored curtains!

I asked on Instagram for guesses on the curtain color, not one person guessed correctly! I’ve always been a sucker for “gun metal gray” and “cognac leather” together. The finished TV room gives me all the right vibes!

The very last thing to be installed on the last weekend in January, was the wall art! I’m so proud of how these turned out!!! They were insanely easy to do, relatively inexpensive and add a warm, family-friendly feeling to the new room. Of all the changes and improvements we made to this space, my favorite has to be these framed photos of the kids! I’ll share all the details to create this photo poster gallery in a future post if you’re wanting to get the same look in your home.

I’m sure you’ve guessed by now that this room will get plenty of use for years to come! Not only is it cozy and amazing, but it is the first room that’s completely made-over and “new” in our “12 rooms in 12 months” project challenge!

Cheers to a new fun space for us, and hopefully inspiration for you!

Thanks for stopping by, xo Jamie

I rounded up my favorites this year and added the links below. They’re all price points, and all sizes! Hope you find something to cozy up your space this winter!

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie

How to:

• Curl snakes randomly around grapevine wreath
• Wire snakes onto wreath in a few places with floral wire
• Spray paint wreath black
• Let dry and hang! Enjoy!

If you make your own, share and tag @bloomco.interiors on Instagram! Thanks for stopping by!

With a free tree, and my inspiration pictures, I decided to take my chances and create a sparse tree from an ordinary Christmas tree. The tree we found was left by the previous owners, and was in great shape. Most of the lights were out, but we knew they would have to come off anyway. The transformation ended up surpassing my expectations and I’m so excited to share the three easy steps with you!

Step 1 Remove Lights

My husband, Adam started by cutting the plastic light clips off of each individual branch, but quickly realized that was too tedious of a process. Although extremely messy, pulling and jerking the light wires worked very well and made the process go quickly. The plastic light clips broke off very easily. I recommend you do this part outside!

Step 2 Remove Branches

Some trees have removable branches… that type of tree is ideal for this project. However, our tree did not have removable branches, they were hinged, like most trees these days.

To create a sparse look, I removed every other branch on each row all the way up the tree using bolt cutters. Once I got closer to the top, I could remove the smaller branches with tin snips. I cut as close to the trunk as possible to minimize the hardware leftover from the missing branches.

I kept the bottom row of branches intact to create a thicker look toward the bottom. It also helped to “ground” the tree and look more natural.

Step 3 Hide the Hardware

You might’ve already wondered about the look of the Christmas tree’s trunk. Obviously, this tree wasn’t made to have the trunk part seen, so it had parts that needed to be hidden, especially after removing half of the branches.

I knew that once the tree was decorated, your eye wouldn’t “see” the trunk, but it still needed to be somewhat camoflauged. I used dark brown burlap ribbon to hide the hardware and was pleased with how it turned out!

Tip: I also used the dark brown burlap ribbon to hide the light plugs once I began decorating.

Jamie

How you decorate your sparse tree is totally up to you, but I kept it really simple. I love how you can see all the ornaments and how the garland “floats” on the branches. Less is more when it comes to these types of trees.

I’d love to know if you try this with a tree in your home! Be sure to comment below or send me a message on Instagram!

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

1. Mix home decor with party decor

Using a splash of themed party decor here and there throughout the space is the easiest way to create a unique experience for your guests. For example, changing out wall or mantel decor and centerpieces to compliment the party theme or color scheme is a great way to create a cohesive look.

2. Know your audience

What I mean by this is simply, create for the specific age and interests of the guests. If it’s a kid’s party, they’re ONLY concerned about what the party has to offer them! Activities and favors need to be the focus for kids. “What did I do and what did I get?” will be the only two questions on a child’s mind when they leave a party. It’s how they’ll rate their whole experience. Make it count! For adults, they’ll focus on the food (and drinks) and how the experience made them feel. Focus on the menu, flow and overall atmosphere (smells, sounds, space) for adult parties.

3. Stay organized (FREE party planner download)

One way I stay organized on party day is by keeping all my info in one place. I use this printable to keep track and am sharing it with you as a FREE download!

4. Personal touches

I love to use the name of the person that is being celebrated as much as possible! Creating a diy sign or message board is simple and meaningful, while ordering a custom banner or customized party favors is an option for a more elaborate event. No matter how big or small, making something meaningful by adding the guest of honor’s name, will always make them feel special!

5. Be flexible

Nothing always goes exactly as planned, so plan to be FLEXIBLE! Sometimes weather won’t cooperate (see video), or a vendor will be late, or a menu item flops, cakes fall… trust me, things happen. At the end of the day, the party must go on, so being open to change and being able to adapt, will make it more pleasant for everyone involved!

I hope these tips help you when planning an event for you loved one. We ended up having a great party regardless of the terrible weather!

Watch the full video to see how it all turned out, plus more party tips! Let the party planning begin!

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

Download your FREE Party Planner

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

I’m so happy with how things turned out and I’m sharing the full tour + my summer “pink drink” recipe on the Bloom YouTube Channel today. Scroll down to check it out.

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

We basically started with a blank canvas, so that made things fun. We bought patio furniture, gave a new look to an old table, planted an herb garden using a vintage toolbox, repotted succulents, added a window box and spruced everything up!

Click below to watch the fun process on the Bloom YouTube Channel to get all the details. Make sure to wait for the kids’ reactions at the end!

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

Meet Kerri! She’s a wife and mom of two kids Sydney (14) and Brennan (10). She mostly works in her home and loves using her creativity and housekeeping skills to beautify her space as well as her client’s. 2019 will be the third season she is offering her decorating services professionally.

When Kerri arrived I had put our tree up, fluffed the branches and plugged it in. That’s literally all I did all day, unless cutting ornament tags, drinking two cups of coffee and having a salad counts… Yeah I didn’t think so!

She did everything, start to finish, and I’m so glad she did. She decorated for about 3 1/2 hours. Including shopping for ribbon and a few ornaments the day before, she spent about 5 hours total to create the finished look.

1. Shopping

According to Kerri, there are a few main things to keep in mind when shopping for your tree decor. She recommends that before you shop, you decide on a color scheme and overall style of your tree. Pinterest is a great place to find inspiration, but no two trees will ever look exactly alike. While pictures help, ‘inspiration’ is better than ‘imitation’. Once you decide on a color scheme and theme (rustic, classic Christmas, glam, etc.) you’ll be ready to shop. I chose a style that reflects the overall look of my home which is “transitional farmhouse-ish”. (The truth is I don’t really know what my style is, I just collect things and hope they look good together. I kinda just find what I like and make it work. I planned to do the same with my Christmas tree and Kerri was very flexible.) After going back and forth, I decided to stick with white/silver and gold, with accents of mint green and copper/brown.

When she shops for her clients, Kerri loves to start by looking for ribbon! A nice, wide (4”+), wired ribbon can make all the difference in her opinion. Once you find one you love, look for 1-2 others. These can be more narrow and understated. Choose ribbon that compliment each other. Purchase plenty of each! It’s better to have more ribbon than not enough, plus you can always use leftover ribbon for gift wrapping.

When shopping for ornaments, she recommends staying away from giant boxes of balls! “Sometimes people go overboard with balls of the same size. Varying the size, shapes and colors of even the most basic ball-type ornaments will take your tree to the next level in terms of design”, Kerri says. So while shopping, buy a few boxes of balls as fillers, but focus on more unique ornaments. Her best tip for unique ornament buying is, “always buy an odd number of them. A collection of 3, 5, or 7 ornaments always feel better than an even amount”. For mine, we used a lot of ornaments I had, and bought a few new unique ones! Unfortunately I was a “chronic ball-buyer” from way back!

Before you begin decorating, make sure your tree is fluffed, lit, and your ornaments are laid out so you can see everything you have.

2. Decorating with ornaments

Before Kerri begins, she puts a fluffy blanket around the base of the tree. If a glass ornament falls, the softness of the blanket may keep it from breaking. If it does break, the glass is easily picked up since it’s contained in the blanket. I imagine this tip will be especially valuable if you’re decorating with little helpers!

Kerri began with a few basic ornaments and hung them toward the back of the branches. This was a great use of some of the balls I already had. Once she had a few on, she began hanging the larger ornaments to be sure they had a spot. She says, “Larger ornaments can MAKE a tree! People often think large ornaments are just for really big trees. Using a few large ornaments strategically in odd numbers will really make it feel professionally decorated”.

Once the larger ornaments were placed, she began to fill in with a few floral accents. She was using velvet poinsettias in various sizes and colors, gold glitter feathers, and berry branches. She placed about half of these and then began filling in with the more unique ornaments. She hung the most beautiful ornaments towards the end of the branch so they would be seen. She says, “Don’t be afraid to hang more than one ornament on the same branch. Just because you already hung a ball towards the inner part of the tree, doesn’t mean you can’t hang a more unique ornament towards the outer part of the branch. This is another great way to create a designer look”.

Always be aware of how the tree will be viewed while you decorate. For example, my tree is against a window, not seen in the room on all sides. Kerri was very careful not to “waste” unique ornaments on the side no one would see, so keep that in mind when decorating yours as well as shopping. How much of the tree is seen, will affect the quantity of unique ornaments you purchase as well.

-Jamie

Once she hung most of the ornaments, and rearranged things… and hung some more… she was fairly happy with the placement of them, so it was time to start adding ribbon!

3. Decorating with ribbon

I am not particularly a “bow person”, and I don’t usually use many bows in my decor, so I had very little ribbon. She picked out a few fabulous rolls and I was going with it! The ribbon technique she used on my tree was so clever. I would’ve never thought to do it, and it created such a beautiful look. “To make the poinsettias feel more grand, I add ribbon and it visually enhances them and makes them feel bigger. Cut two or three pieces of coordinating ribbon, cinch them in the middle, place them together on the branch under the poinsettia and gently bend the end of the tree branch over the ribbons to hold them in place”, she explains. No tying! I loved this idea and no tying means no untying when it’s time to take it down! She used this technique in a few places strategically around the tree. It added so much to the look!

4. Decorating with bows

Honestly, bows could probably have their own blog post, so I won’t even go there! Again, I’m not a “bow person”. Of course Kerri makes her own bows, but hasn’t always. She said she started making them after a lot of trial and error. She figured it out by practicing over and over.

She decided to make a double bow for the top of my tree. She knew a bow was not something I had in mind for my tree, but she wanted to try it. She mostly wanted to complement the angel topper that I’ve always used and was insistent on using again this year! She tried it and I’m so glad she did!! Her beautiful bow was just what the tree needed to be able to accommodate the large angel topper. I absolutely love how it turned out. She left the ribbons a little long and I really like how they flow down the tree.

5. Finishing touches

To finish things off, Kerri added a few handfuls of the floral picks she had picked out. Pine cone stalks and berry branches finished the look. Surprisingly it made the tree feel larger and gave it a bit of a tousled look that I often find myself loving in decor around my home.

We moved her masterpiece into its spot and we celebrated! It. Was. Finished! I feel so blessed to be able to have such a beautiful creation in my home to enjoy all season!

After hearing her tips, and knowing the small changes to make, I feel confident I can decorate like a pro next year. I’m even going to use some of what I learned on our family tree in the foyer this year! I hope you’ll join me and use these tips and tricks to level up your tree!

If you’re interested in having Kerri decorate for you this year, contact her through Facebook here. Or if you’re tackling your own tree, feel free to message her with questions if you hit a snag.

FYI: All of the new ornaments on my tree, ribbon and angel tree topper were purchased 40% off from Hobby Lobby. The Christmas tree was purchased from Amazon (I linked it below) and I’m still shopping for a tree skirt! The total amount spent was $500 for the items including the tree.

-Jamie

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

Amazon affiliate link:

Kerri’s portfolio:

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