Delightful Fall Decorations Have Transitioning Capabilities

 

	Fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving can share seasonal decorations outside your home and set the tone for each seasonal celebration you hold indoors. 
	Many natural materials are long-lasting and can be used to create the proper setting for the holidays. They include pumpkins, autumn leaves, gourds, corn stalks, bittersweet branches, potted chrysanthemums in several colors and even bales of hay.
	Stage your entrance scene for fall in early October. For Halloween, prop a scarecrow up on a hay bale and stick a pitchfork into the ground next to it. Adorn the handle and the scarecrow's shoulder with a fake crow or two and add another one to a tied bunch of Indian corn on displayed on your door. 
	Cluster corn stalks and pumpkins of various sizes on the steps or porch leading up to the door and carve or paint a couple prominent ones with jack-o-lantern faces.
The transition!
	The day after the trick-or-treat night, take down everything distinctly Halloweenish. Turn the scarecrow into a pilgrim with a tall black hat and black jacket.  Rearrange the pumpkins and add a few gourds and harvest-colored foliage garlands to bring out the colors of the potted chrysanthemums. You could also add a (fake!) turkey.  
	To ensure the pumpkins and gourds last a full month, and to weather-proof other materials, spray them with a clear acrylic sealant.