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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to wish decorating for autumn was a thing in the UK?

163 replies

sheepsheep · 14/09/2018 20:18

I want to decorate my house for autumn. A low key version of the way some people in the United States decorate for fall.

But it just isn't a thing here, so I can't really find any good stuff in the shops.

Or am I just looking in all the wrong places? In particular I would love some nice decorative pumpkins that aren't Halloween themed.

Shops seem to be going directly into Christmas, which annoys me. Why do we only get a two week window for Halloween stuff but a 4 month window for Christmas?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
11
Poocalypso · 15/09/2018 07:24

Autumn also gets to me, I love going on walks and finding nice twigs and bark and acorns and conkers I am also guilty of having some fun plastic things (found in charity shop). Might try a wreath this year. Are you on pinterest? Try looking for what the Steiner schools do (so steiner crafts autumn), so nice and very twee indeed :)

ipswichwitch · 15/09/2018 07:26

I’ve been lurking in the Christmas ponce thread, but clearly I need an autumnal ponce first!
I love elQuinto’s wreath, that’s a thing of beauty right there

Poocalypso · 15/09/2018 07:26

@inepon that sounds dainty (off to google salt dough!)

Pinkyponkcustard · 15/09/2018 07:26

@inepon love that idea - my ds would enjoy that too

Pinkyponkcustard · 15/09/2018 07:29

@ipswitchwitch maybe we could have a seasonal ponce thread?
I decorate for Easter and Halloween, keeps the house looking fresh and all

Procrastination4 · 15/09/2018 07:29

We have an idle enclosed porch and I have to confess that I decorate it for Autumn/Halloeeen/Winter/Christmas/Winter/Spring/Easter/Spring/Summer each year. BlushOtherwise it’d just be a delightful residence for spiders and goodness knows what! At least this way, I clean it out thoroughly every six weeks/three months. Besides, I enjoy seeing it when I come every day, and the lights I have in it (different arrangement per display) look cosy and welcoming at night...confession is good for the soul!Grin

Procrastination4 · 15/09/2018 07:31

So I totally get you, OP, and you are definitely not BU!

Procrastination4 · 15/09/2018 07:33

Argh! Halloween! (Missed it in the preview)

SuburbanRhonda · 15/09/2018 07:39

I also have a lot of conkers dotted about various room as apparently they deter spiders

But spiders coming into the house in autumn is part of the cycle of changing seasons - why would you want to deter them? Or is it just a Pinterest version of autumn that people trying to create, rather than enjoying the real thing?

Helipad · 15/09/2018 07:48

YANBU Autumn and Halloween is my favourite time of the year 🧡 I decorate a little too, it’s a kind of creative outlet for me.

Like PP said, our halloween is a gentle, moody and gothic type of affair, no slasher stuff here either.

elQuinto’s wreath is awesome Shock

Etsy should have home decor items like this. Just make sure to check the seller is in the UK/europe, otherwise you’ll be slapped with custom and handling charges. Shame though as it’s the US sellers who tend to have the most amazing items for sale.

ParadiseLaundry · 15/09/2018 07:55

Love this thread and the lovely ideas! I was just complaining to DH about the lack of autumnal decor in the shops. I fancied a nice runner and decorative gourds like you OP. I'm convinced it's going to catch on soon though. This reminds me that last autumn I started an autumn seasonal scenting thread, I might try to find it for more inspiration and link it here too if you don't mind @sheepsheep Smile 

Oblomov18 · 15/09/2018 09:18

I love autumnal colours. I have no skills what-so-ever re arty wreaths etc, but I love the pictures on this thread of fireplaces and pumpkins 🎃 etc.

P3onyPenny · 15/09/2018 09:21

I decorate for all seasons, it adds to my enjoyment and appreciation of them.To be honest I think I prefer making my own or gathering natural bits and pieces on walks.

I'm going to dip leaves in wax this year. I follow a makingtheseasons thread on Insta which is good.

IVflytrap · 15/09/2018 09:52

We did used to decorate for autumn in this country. That's what the harvest festival was. Look up corn dollies and the like. We kind of lost that connection to nature after the industrial revolution but harvest was a big deal for everyone back in the day. Churches still do harvest festival collections but that's about it for celebrating these days. It would be nice to see it revived.

Raspberry10 · 15/09/2018 09:52

TK Maxx and Homesense will be your friend. Tons of Autumn decorations in there every year.

Morethanthisprovincallife · 15/09/2018 10:01

The pottery barn thing is insane.

They don't ship to UK anymore so ergo they ban us from even browsing their stuff!! How infuriating!!

It's ridiculous.

I could never afford their shipping anyway!!

sulflower · 15/09/2018 10:14

But spiders coming into the house in autumn is part of the cycle of changing seasons - why would you want to deter them?

Because I, like many other people, have a crippling phobia of them. You obviously don't. I'm seriously considering hypnotherapy to try and conquer my phobia, I just cannot bear the sight of spiders.

ipswichwitch · 15/09/2018 17:20

Could call it A Ponce for all Seasons Pinkyponk! Like the sound of that! No joy finding pine cones today - I’ll end up having to buy them at the craft shop at this rate! I’ve got a lovely orange pumpkin spice candle and want to make a pine cone wreath to put round it. Off to another wood tomorrow!!

Normandy144 · 15/09/2018 17:57

I love it too. My DH is Canadian and we lived there together for a few years. I loved all the pumpkins on front door steps and 'fall' garlands. I bought one from homesense a couple of years back and we have a few other decorations I got from Lidl. We have the house decorated for a few weeks before Canadian Thanksgiving which is first Monday in October and we celebrate with a big family Thanksgiving feast on the Sunday, as obviously we don't have a holiday here in the UK.

Clarich007 · 15/09/2018 18:00

I feel like i've wandered into a alternative universe...never heard of this before and I'm 67.
Why just why ?

P3onyPenny · 15/09/2018 18:08

In my case- it's the small things in life,it brings the outdoors in,gets you out foraging,it's creative,makes you appreciate the seasons and makes the house v Cosy. My teens take the piss out of me but they and dp always say they love coming home to our house.

specialsubject · 15/09/2018 18:08

oh.well, I suppose at least you only need to buy this stuff once.

nature does the autumn decoration and even the shittiest parts of uk cities have trees..

Normandy144 · 15/09/2018 18:08

Clarich007 well if you've not visited the US or Canada in autumn then it's not surprising you haven't heard of it. Its not as huge as Christmas decorations or Halloween, more subtle nature accents of the season. In the same way you might have a floral arrangement with seasonal flowers. It looks pretty, but each to their own.

Eliza9917 · 15/09/2018 18:32

Who the fuck has time to decorate for seasons? Christmas is bad enough.

I've still got holly & berry tinsel on the downstairs bannister because I missed it when I took the Xmas decs down FFS.

And it can stay there, there's Christmas stuff in the shops again now..

Rufustheyawningreindeer · 15/09/2018 18:38

Ive got some lovely glass pumpkins

From TKMaxx