Creative Ideas for Bringing Your Yard Indoors

Nature is beautiful.  Flowers, trees, grass, animals – they’re all lovely to see and watch all spring, summer, and fall.  But when the cold weather hits, all anybody wants to do is escape indoors.

If you like to stay warm but still love the look of the outdoors, Woodfield Landscaping has a few quick, easy ideas to bring a little bit of autumn into your home.  The best part is, all of these ideas use objects you can probably find in your own yard!

Bring Nature Indoors with These Creative Ideas

Leaves, Leaves Everywhere

Autumn means most trees are turning beautiful shades of red and orange before dropping their leaves.  Take advantage of this by collecting fallen leaves that are in good shape.  Once you’ve got a good stock, here is what you can do with them:

• Coat leaves individually in wax to preserve them, then hang them in your windows using clear thread or fishing line for a unique, colorful fall look.
• Use a plain wreath from the craft store and some hot glue to make a festive fall door decoration.  Coat your leaves in wax beforehand to ensure that their color lasts.
• Place leaves between two sheets of wax paper, then gently go over them with an iron to melt the sheets together.  Add ribbon to seal the edges and create unique holiday placemats.

Acorns and Pinecones and Rocks, Oh My!

Plenty of people find themselves with yards full of acorns and pinecones when fall comes.  Luckily, they make great free craft supplies for adults and kids alike!

• Get your kids together for this one: collect open, dry pinecones and turn them on their side.  Have the kids trace their hands on red, orange and yellow paper, then cut them out and glue them to the back.  Add a neck and face, some googly eyes, and a beak, and you’ve got adorable little turkeys to decorate your holiday table!  In winter, use white acrylic paint and red felt to turn pinecones into snowmen.

•  For another kids’ craft, coat pinecones in peanut butter and roll them in birdseed, then hang them from trees or bushes outside.  Then, enjoy watching the wildlife become a part of your Maryland landscape design.

• Use spray glue and lots of glitter to jazz up pinecones or acorns, then hang them in windows or fill baskets and vases to place around the house.  They even make a classy-but-fun table decoration for a dinner party.

• Glue acorn caps to clay pots to create unique and trendy planters for flowers all year long.  You could also hot glue the caps to a plain wreath for your front door!

• Fill up baskets, bowls and vases with acorns and pinecones fresh from the outside for a more rustic, natural feel.

• Collect smooth rocks and paint them for the upcoming holidays: make Jack-O-Lanterns, black cats, even ghosts and goblins for Halloween.  For Thanksgiving – pumpkins, turkeys, and little pilgrims!

Branch Out

Don’t throw those fallen branches in the yard waste bag – bring them inside!

• Hot glue a few long branches together and add some ribbon or other decoration to make a beautiful swag for over door and entryways.

• Glue shorter pieces around the outside of small glass votive holders for your fall and winter candles.

• Arrange branches in a plain glass vase for a more modern decorating twist.  To add color, fill the bottom with leaves and acorns instead of marbles or stones.

Cooler weather does not mean you have to stop enjoying your yard.  While the work done by your local Maryland landscaping professionals is surely beautiful, when the winter comes, it’s less likely you’ll want to be outside to enjoy it!  So, use a few of these ideas to bring a touch of the outdoors inside and enjoy nature all year long.