By Glenda Wise 

 

The other day I was at Hobby Lobby finally buying a big metal pumpkin for my flowerbed. I can’t tell you how long I have waited to get one of those! I would look at them everywhere I went, but couldn’t bring myself to pay nearly $100 for one. This year it finally happened! Hobby Lobby had them and you know you don’t pay full price for anything there; I waited until they were 40% off and got it for $24! Yeeeesss! It’s the little things.

 

Anyway, while I was there, I spotted the stems of cotton (you know that’s how Hobby Lobby operates, they suck you in with a great deal, then you get in, and you lose all ability to think rationally because everything in there is so fantastic!)

Back to the cotton, I have been wanting to incorporate cotton into my fall décor (I know, Joanna Gaines uses it in every day decorating and makes it look fabulous). I bought a couple of stems, so now my $16 savings on the pumpkin has dwindled down to $9, because I spent $7 on the cotton, but, hey, I’m still a winner! Ever since, the cotton is still in the bag just waiting for me to do something with it.

The nice thing about cotton is that it looks simple and elegant all on its own and you don’t have to do a lot with it. A few sprigs in a white pitcher paired with a couple of pumpkins looks inviting and comfortable, yet simple and elegant. Careful though, cotton is just like anything else, just plopping a couple of stems into a vase can give the look of, “Oh, she bought some cotton and has no idea what to do with it” look. Now, if you can afford to fill a vase full of cotton, do it, because that would look phenomenal (at $3.50 a stem, on sale, that is probably not happening for me). I can just see it now, beautiful cotton stems spilling out of the top of a metal milk container! Simply beautiful! If you can only do a couple of stems like me, cotton is like a nice accent to pull an entire look together.

 

Here are few ideas:

• Fill a wicker basket with white pumpkins and accent with the cotton stems.
• Perch a clear vase on a wooden pedestal accented by fabric pumpkins. Finish by placing your stems of cotton in the vase.
• I love mixing textures together. In a wicker container mix dried green hydrangea, cotton and curly willow stems. The best part about decorating with these items is that it doesn’t need to look fixed.

 

The more natural it looks, the better it is.

Now, go get you a few stems of cotton and have fun with it! Happy fall decorating!

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