The Versatile Lantern....to be used throughout the year

Lanterns have become really popular in the last few years. Just skim the pages of a Pottery Barn catalog and you'll see what I mean. They are also one of my "staples" when it comes to seasonal decorating. Just see what I mean!

1. Halloween through Thanksgiving
Use the lanterns to flank the sides of your entryway admist hay bales, gourds and fall garland.

This year I used a lantern in my Halloween Mantel decor with crumpled book pages and a flameless flickering candle inside.

2. Christmas through New Year's

Fill the lanterns with candles on the porch or even inside on the bottom steps of the staircase. Tie holiday ribbon and ornaments to the handle and nestle a candle among cranberries or faux snow inside.

3. Springtime

Use the lanterns in your spring decor by incorporating bird nests with speckled robin's eggs, bright green moss and garden stones as fillers.

4. A Coastal Summer

Starfish, white sand and seashells will freshen up your lanterns for summer. Try tying thick braided rope from the handles for a nautical feel.

Halloween Inspiration

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I guess the little kid in me comes out! Here are some inspiring images. Let your imagination go wild and use everyday pieces you already have in new ways to create spooky decor!

Pottery Barn takes old book pages and twisty tree limbs to create a vintage Halloween porch scene. My neighbors had just trimmed up their curly willow trees and left the branches out for trash pick up last month. I snagged the branches and used my front porch urn to plop them in.The dollar store has the black crowes right now with wire connected to the feet that you can secure them to the branches with. Then all you need is to tear up an old book and stain the pages with a little watered down brown paint.

I get my fall garland at Hobby Lobby usually after Thanksgiving when they mark it down to 90% off! You can get lanterns like these at Urban Farmhouse for a fraction of what PB wants for them and use them in almost every seasonal decor from Halloween to Christmas through the spring and summer by changing out what you put inside. I'll try to do a lantern tutorial soon to show you what I mean!

So simple yet super chic! Apothecary Jars are also another "decorating staple" that I use throughout the year by changing out what goes inside!

Hmmm, wouldn't this look cool against my gray wall in Urban Farmhouse's showroom? I have an old cherry picking ladder and the crows....where could I get a big vinyl peel and stick tree? My wheels are turning!!!

Love the idea of spray painting tree branches black (and glittery) and hanging little bats in different kinds of scrapbook paper from them as ornaments. If only I had more free time!!! Love the white pumpkins under the console table.

Where can I get a top hat? I must have this. It would also make a great snowman hat for a vintage Christmas design.

I love the idea of using everyday items and making them fit a seasonal design. If you have black and white dishes....try this out.

very cute cupcake toppers....I think I need to have a Halloween party now! Would you come???

This takes the cake for the ultimate fantastical Halloween design. Who else you ask? Why Martha Stewart of course. There is a step by step tutorial on her web site on how to do this in your own home if you have some free time and printer. How clever!

Happy Haunting!!!