Making Fall decorations out of nothing can be really simple to accomplish, and if you have a few old paper bags lying around you are halfway there to making some of the cutest and cheapest Fall centerpieces you can make. Here are a few ideas to help you make your home, events, or parties a bit more creative for less.
Paper bag luminaries
Materials:
- LED flameless candles
- Paper lunch sacks
- Hole punch and/or scissors
- Ideas for extra decorating
Using a hole punch, punch a design onto your bags. If you don’t have the hole punch you’d like, stencil it on and cut out the design with scissors. Decorate with odds and ends, like buttons and stickers, as you want, or leave it plain. Place a flameless candle in the bag and allow it to light up your design. Place a few of these around for a Halloween mantel decoration that spells out “Happy Halloween” on the bags, or cut out leaves on a few and place them on a side table for an unexpected touch of fun.
Paper bag wreaths
You can cut these to make hanging wreaths, or candle wreathes that sit on your table around a candle.
Materials:
- Paper lunch sacks or bags
- Scissors
- Ideas for extra decorating
- String or glue
- Paint
Cut the bag into small strips, then string or glue the pieces together in a circle to make a wreath. You can decorate the center with odds and ends, or paint the strips in colors and patterns before stringing them together.
Paper bag vases
Materials:
- Fake flowers or leaves (fresh can be used, too)
- Real vase (optional- unless using fresh florals and then it is necessary)
- Paper lunch sacks or bags
- Ideas for extra decorating
- String or ribbon
- Glue
Simply decorate the bag as you wish and place a vase in it. Fill with fake or real flowers or leaves and tie a piece of twine, lace, string, or ribbon around the top. Glue the string or ribbon in place and set in the center of a table for a rustic vase that will make your flowers stand out more than a plain vase would. If you don’t have a vase, use an old tin can or spaghetti sauce jar inside the bag.
Paper bag place mats
These will really make your table look great for a party, and you can simply toss them in the trash or compost afterward- making clean up a cinch.
Materials:
- Paper bags
- Scissors
- Notions for extra decorating
- Glue
Cut the bag down to size and decorate as you see fit with ribbon, buttons, paint, and anything else you have lying around. For a special touch, write your guest’s name on each place mat for a seating chart, too. For kids, supply a bucket of crayons and allow them to draw on the “mats.”
