Fast and Fabulous Fall Decor!

Posted on October 4, 2017 by Sarah

This year I started out super ready for fall and hit the ground running! I started out with my Free Burlap Fall Printables, and my Burlap Rag Wreath, and thought wow — I am so ready, let’s do this!

Then… Life hit! Turns out that fall is actually, totally the most busiest time of the year for our family… Especially this year.

[Oh! Did I mention that some of my favorite bloggers and I throwing a teeny, tiny Fall Decor Link-Up Party?! Well, we are, and it’s amazing! Follow through the links below this post to check out their completely stunning fall home decor ideas!]

Continue reading →

Must-Have Pieces for the Perfect Fall Farmhouse Table Setting!

Posted on September 9, 2017 by Sarah

Planning the perfect table setting for each season can be a somewhat daunting task…. Finding the right color pallet, incorporating different patterns and textures, and staying on budget of course, are just some of the challenges faced…

The trick is to purchase a few all-around neutral pieces that you can reuse for every season, and then just switch out a few of the pieces, like the napkin colors and the centerpiece, to get a totally different look for the next season!

Given the time of year, I decided to select all of the must-have pieces for the perfect farmhouse style table setting, for the season of fall! (My fav!) Continue reading →

A Quick and Easy Burlap Rag Wreath Tutorial!

Posted on September 2, 2017 by Sarah

Learn how to make your very own gorgeous and full burlap rag wreath like this one, with this very easy-to-follow tutorial! This is a classic wreath that you will fit just about anywhere in your home, and be used for any season!

If you follow along with The Project Pile on Facebook, you may have seen the beautiful fluffy and poofy burlap wreath that I shared the other day, that my good friend, (Courtenay from over at The Creek Line House) made and posted about… Gorgeous!

This was my inspiration, or rather motivation, to finally get my butt into gear and whip up the burlap rag wreath that I had been hoping to devise long before now!

So yesterday, I finally got my act together and came up with this really beautiful, yet really easy and fast wreath to make! Continue reading →

Faux Pumpkins for Early-Fall Lovers! (Like Me!)

Posted on August 13, 2017 by Sarah

Do you love pumpkins and fall as much as I do??! Don’t get me wrong… I still love summer and don’t ever like to see it end, but my favorite is when those late August nights are right on the fine line where it’s not quite fall yet, but not quite summer any longer. These nights are the best!

Last night, Matt, the girls, and I went for a walk, and discovered that it’s finally that time of year again!

So today, to celebrate… I am putting together a list of some of the best faux decor pumpkins out there! There’s something for everyone! Whether you are into the white minimalist look, or soft greens, whites and neutral tones, or if you are into the more traditional, beautiful and rich, deep oranges, golds and reds! Continue reading →

Get This Burlap Printable Set for Fall, for Free!

Posted on August 2, 2017 by Sarah

Have you started getting ready for fall yet?! I have… I just can’t help it! Fall is like, um, the most amazing decor season of all!

A few years ago, is when I actually created these three fall burlap printables. They have just been sitting idle on my computer, doing nothing, ever since then! I thought of them the other day and decided to try and track them down, and see if I still liked them… and I totally did! Continue reading →

A little fall here, a little fall there, 2016 Fall Home Tour!

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Sarah

Welcome to my home! This is actually the Project Pile’s very first fall home tour — ever! Fall is my favorite season decorating-wise, (and winter is, snowmobiling-wise!)… So I’m very excited to share this post with you!

Let’s start outside!

This is the front yard… not a whole lot going on out here yet, but I still love the view! The soy-a-beans are just about ready, and as soon as this rain clears up, I expect that the farmer will be out and ready to harvest them… My little girl Lacee, just loves tractors and combines, and will sit on the front porch and watch once the time comes. (Please ignore the un-mowed grass in this pic! We’ll just blame that on the rain, for now!)

This is the backyard, and as you can see, the leaves are just starting to turn… Maybe another week and they will be all ready?! Then we can rake and jump in them!

And here is my actual home… Come on in!

This year, I decided to decorate my front porch with some of my old antique pieces that I have been collecting over the years…

Here is my antique wagon wheel, and a few of my antique bottles that have been collected on my family’s 180-year old farm, over the years.

And here is my antique milk-can, also from the farm, and an antique ladder, from that area.

You can check out my full front porch décor here: A Rustic Fall Front Porch, using Some of my Favorite Antique Pieces!

From the front porch, let’s enter into the dining room! Just a little fall décor in here, so far. I still have to do my table-setting, but being the master-procrastinator that I am, probably won’t get it finished till the night before Thanksgiving! I just did a little decorating on the buffet in this room…

A few pine cones and flowers here…

A few hand-painted and real pumpkins there!

[Psst! You can learn how to hand-paint your own pumpkins here: How To Transform Dollar Store Pumpkins!]

You can see my full buffet décor, and learn how I put this look together, here: A Quick & Easy Fall Buffet Makeover!

Now let’s mosey on down to the living room! Sorry, the lighting is a little more than off, in here… I love my big, beautiful front porch, but it really seems to hamper the photo-taking quality in this room… Oh well, what can you do?!

On the way down, we pass my antique barn windows that were used as the seating plan for wedding…

All I did here, was switch out my regular white rose garland for some leafy-red sunflowers, and then hung a very simple wreath in the middle. Very colorful, and yet a really, really, simple update for fall!

These are my chickens! I actually stole these from my mother! I love them so much, they stay out all year, no matter the season. All I did here to dress them up for fall, was switch out the flowers in my faux flower box for some fall colored ones.

I did the same thing for this side-table… just added some more rusty-colored flowers for fall, plus my deer head!

Oh, and a few cutesy, little pumpkins too!

Oh… and just in case you wanted to see what the other half of my living room looks like, (the half that I always try to hide from you), here it is… Toy City, over here! LOL

Let’s head to the kitchen now!

Again, just some very simple fall season updates in here!

Pretty, mini pumpkins here…

Plus a few wicker pumpkins there!

Oh – and let’s not forget my 2 second kitchen table centerpiece! All I did here, was take the leaves off of an old fall garland that I had kicking around, and stuff them into this transparent vase… Doesn’t get much easier than that!

OK… are you ready for my fall bedroom décor?!

Just kidding! I really wanted that to happen, but let’s face it… I’m just not that good! 😉

I really hope you enjoyed this “a little fall here, a little fall there,” 2016 Home Tour! Thanks for stopping by the Project Pile!

10 of the Prettiest Fall Wreaths for your Home!

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Sarah

Ok, so I have to be honest here…. I started off with owning no wreaths – At all! And now I am like, completely obsessed with them! I just want more and more, and with everything I see, I find myself thinking, “Hmm… that would make such a cute wreath!”

My new-found wreath obsession has driven me to search the internet and compile this list of some of the prettiest fall wreaths out there, for your home, just to share with you… Enjoy! 🙂

1. This gorgeous 45 Second Fall Leaf Wreath from The Creek Line House is not only stunning, but super quick and easy to make… I mean 45s?! Yes, please!2. I love a good monogrammed wreath, and have been wanting one forever… That’s why I finally decided to make this 10-Minute, 10-Dollar Pretty Fall Wreath! Simple and very budget-friendly!

3. Does anyone else love collecting acorns, as much as I do?! The problem is, that I never know what to do with them all…. Well, problem solved! I can’t wait to make my very own Fall Wreath With Acorns!

4. How about pine cones?! Is anyone else quite as slightly-obsessed with them, as I am?! They are just so neat when you think about it… And I cannot wait to make my very own Pine Cone Wreath!

5. Ok, pine cones and acorns?! Mind-blown! This super-creative, Foraged Fall Wreath is a real winner in my books!

6. Burlap has been in style for quite a while now, and honestly, I just don’t see it going out of style any time soon! So why not create your very own Burlap Wreath, that will remain classic for years to come!

7. Hydrangeas have also really come into style over the last little while, and I really just can’t get over the beautiful fall colors that were used in this gorgeous, and easy to make Fall Hydrangea Wreath.

8. I have always loved Indian corn and have seen the really pretty bundles, but I never would have thought to create an Indian Corn Wreath like this one… So simple, yet so beautifully, bold!

9. Every time I go walking in the woods, I am always on the lookout for the very beautiful, but very elusive bittersweet vine… I haven’t come across one in about 20 years, but as soon as I do, I will definitely be making this stunning, Fall Bittersweet Wreath!

10. Ok… this Cat Wreath is more of a Halloween wreath than fall, but oh my… it is just SO cute, I just had to include it!

Just in case you don’t have the time to make your own pretty fall wreath, you can check out these beautiful Fall Wreaths from Amazon!

A Rustic Fall Front Porch, using Some of my Favorite Antique Pieces!

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Sarah

I’ve been waiting all summer to get out there and decorate my pretty front porch for fall! To start off, I decided to head out to the old junk pile… ahem… I mean Project Pile, to sort through and pull out some of my antique pieces that I haven’t got to use yet…

This old ladder was actually the main inspiration piece for this fall front porch design! I had purchased it a couple of weeks prior to use in the new baby’s room to hold quilts. My main intention was to chalk paint it white, but I really just didn’t have the heart to paint over it’s beautiful, old-looking patina, so I decided to use it for fall instead! I may or may not end up painting it in the future… we’ll just have to wait and see!

I grew up on a cash crop farm, so of course, I am quite partial to beautiful cornstalks. Since my family’s farm is about six hours from our home, I ended up purchasing these beautiful stalks from a local farm market in town.

Same with these giant, gorgeous pumpkins, and the straw bale. Do you like my fall wreath on the front door?!

I made it just last week and I think it really works well with the rest of my décor. You can find out how to make one just like it, here!

Last summer I found this big beautiful picnic basket at a garage sale for five dollars! I haven’t had a chance to use it yet, so I was really excited when I came up with the idea to set up the straw bale as a picnic area! All that I used was my fall-ish blanket from the dollar store (total score!), my picnic basket, a lantern, for some romantic ambiance… and some of my antique bottles in the beautiful wire basket that was given to me by my wonderful sister-in-law, Julie!

To dress it up a little, I added in my antique wagon wheel from my parents 180-year-old farmhouse, a piece of rustic barn board from the gorgeous barn that used to reside behind my neighbor’s house (The Creek Line House), and of course, some mini-pumpkins and gourds!

More mini-pumpkins and gourds were placed onto the ladder, because let’s face it… you can never have enough mini-pumpkins and gourds!

My lovely antique milk-can is also from my parent’s farm! It’s extra special, because it’s one of those projects that my dad and I did together when I was younger… Painting it white and blue! To keep it simple, I just added in some sunflowers in a mason jar, for an extra pop of color! (Just ignore that green extension cord hanging out in the background!)

After finishing up decorating, I noticed that I was missing one key element… A door mat – and did I have the perfect one? Of course not! So I needed to be a little bit creative here, and put on my thinking cap… Then it came to me! I had a couple of pieces of barn board cut into the perfect shape for a mat in the garage… I wasn’t quite sure if it would work or not, but decided to at least try it… And, I love, love, love how it turned out! Definitely extra-rustic!

And well, that’s about it… my very rustic fall front porch. Antiques, plus fall harvest items, plus fall foliage, plus a pop of color and a little bit of creativeness!

The 10-Minute, 10-Dollar Pretty Fall Wreath!

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Sarah

Have you ever heard that saying, “Sometimes less, is more?” Well that is the basis of this ten-minute, ten-dollar pretty fall wreath that I’m about to share with you!

Short, simple and sweet!

Here is what you will need:

Grapevine Wreath (Walmart for $5)
Fall Leafy Thing (Dollar Store for $3)
Monogrammed Letter (I made this out of $2 worth of twine from the Dollar Store! Learn how to make your own $2 monogrammed twine letter – coming soon!)
Scissors
Hot Glue Gun
Shim (for extra support)

The very first thing that I did was start playing with the layout of the leaves and my letter “G”. I decided that I liked the “G” placed the best on the bottom left hand corner of my wreath.

I then started pulling of the leafy pieces from my dollar store fall leafy thing, and started just sticking them into my wreath. I added just a few before placing my “G”.

When placing my letter, I noticed that it might need just a little bit of extra support…. I went out to the garage and found this handy-dandy shim which worked just perfectly. Even a paint stick, or anything that you can find will do!

After inserting my shim into the wreath, I then hot glued my letter to the shim.

The really great thing about this wreath is that nothing is actually glued or permanently fastened. This means that you can switch out the décor for the next season and reuse the wreath!

(I think maybe for spring I’ll leave the letter and add in some pussy willows that I have saved from our tree on the front lawn! I just have to actually remember this plan when the time comes, lol!)

Next I inserted the rest of my fall leafy things underneath my letter, and really – that’s it!

It only took about ten minutes to complete this wreath, (if even that)! And I mean for ten dollars? You can’t go wrong! I love, love, love all of the pretty fall wreaths that I always see at Michaels and Winners and other gift and home décor shops, but I just can’t ever justify spending forty to one hundred dollars, plus! And personally, I think my wreath turned out just as pretty – for a lot less!

So go ahead…. Give it a try! Post pictures of your very own beautiful homemade wreath in the comments below!

A Quick & Easy Fall Buffet Makeover!

Posted on September 14, 2016 by Sarah

This year I could not wait to start decorating for fall! And even though it’s still a little early, I just don’t care – I’m going for it!I actually started stock-piling up my fall decor in early August…. but I am just starting to organize and put it out now…. Sad in more ways than one, yes I know! 😉

My first task of every season is always to start out by decorating my favorite antique dining room hutch – or the “Buffet”, as I like to call it.This buffet was in my parents dining room for the whole time that I was growing up in their 180-year-old farmhouse, and then was eventually banished to live in the barn for a few years.

Since I have always been super in love with this beautiful piece, I decided to bring it home and give it a makeover. (You can check out the entire process, including before and after photos of the makeover, here!)

Now…. Back to decorating!

Step One: Clear off entire buffet.

Step Two: Add a pretty runner.

Step Three: Ignore the dirty mirror… for now!

I always, always find that the best way to start decorating, is to start with a clean slate!

After creating the perfect blank slate, the next step that I like to take, is adding my larger “background” décor pieces. And…. What I start out with is not always what I end up with, as you’ll soon see!Like my pretty runner?! I found this little guy in a super cute antique shop in Campbellford, Ontario…. I actually picked up two of them, so I have a matching one for my dining room table. Hopefully I’ll get to my fall table setting sometime soon! (If you are looking for ideas for the perfect fall table setting, check out my post on How To Create The Perfect Table Setting!)

Again… ignore the dirty mirror – we’ll fix that guy later! 😉

Next I start dressing up my larger pieces, by adding accents and playing around with the details.

I actually used all Dollar Store stuff to dress up this piece! Dollar Store, pinecones, flowers, and the leaves off of the flowers. I just jumbled them altogether in the baskets until I was happy with them!

I even got the pretty fake gourds and pumpkins from the Dollar Store!

I just dressed them up a little…. (How To Transform Dollar Store Pumpkins!)

Once I was happy with the above piece, I started sticking in other pieces of my fall décor, and switching things out, just to see what I liked the best! As you can see below, I ended up switching out the clock for my most favorite vase ever…. A decorative tin vase that I purchased at an annual flea market for a whole five dollars!

After I decided to use my favorite vase, I then had to find something to put in it…. It took me a few minutes to come up with the perfect thing that I have been waiting to use for a long time now!

You see, I have this crazy monster-tree in my front flowerbed! It was only supposed to grow to 4 feet, but it’s more like 10 feet, since the pieces on the top grow straight up. The last time that I trimmed it, I thought hmm…. I’m going to utilize this monster-tree and make it work!

The final steps for decorating my beautiful buffet for fall, were to add pumpkins, and a few pops of color! I know that neutral whites are really in this year, but I just had to add the bright orange pumpkins…. And I do love how they look!

I also added in my lovely antique insulators…. Three of my favorite pieces!And that’s basically it! Recap! Start with a blank slate, add a pretty runner for a backdrop…. Add in some larger background pieces, some accents, some favorite pieces, and a pop of color!