Autumn decorating doesn’t have to mean hours of complicated crafting. Just pick a nice glass container, fill it with pine cones, chestnuts, acorns, walnuts, and dried leaves, and in just a few minutes you’ll have an impressive decoration for your table, shelf, or windowsill.
What You’ll Need
- clean and dry glass containers of various shapes
- pine cones, chestnuts, acorns, and optionally walnuts
- dried autumn leaves
- twigs and other dried natural materials you find
- optional: jute twine or a dried citrus slice
First, clean your gathered natural materials and let them dry thoroughly. Never put anything damp into the glass, as mold could form inside. You don’t need to measure out the materials exactly—the best results usually come from loose and natural layering.
1. Large Storage Jar with Twine: Fill a roomy glass jar almost to the rim with a mix of pine cones, chestnuts, acorns, and golden leaves. Place larger pine cones among the smaller items to create a varied look, and loosely tie jute twine around the neck of the jar.
2. Low Bowl for the Windowsill: Arrange chestnuts and acorns in a low, cylindrical glass container. Add a few pine cones and dried leaves, letting one bright yellow leaf stick out above the edge to create a colorful centerpiece.
3. Tall Cylinder with Statement Pine Cones: Fill the bottom of a tall vase with chestnuts, add a layer of acorns, and finish the top with two larger pine cones. Tuck dried leaves behind the pine cones so they don’t cover the main shapes.
4. Simple Jar for the Shelf: Fill a classic wide glass jar with a random mix of chestnuts, acorns, pine cones, and leaves. Press a few nice pieces against the side of the jar so they’re clearly visible.
5. Round Autumn Aquarium: A round, bulbous glass container looks great on a coffee table. Arrange the natural materials more horizontally, placing pine cones in the center and surrounding them with chestnuts, acorns, and yellow leaves.
6. Container with Lid: Fill a wide jar with chestnuts, acorns, and smaller pine cones. You don’t need to fill it to the top—leave some space so each item stands out. You can place the lid next to the jar or close the decoration.
7. Forest Arrangement with a Tall Twig: Place chestnuts, acorns, pine cones, and a few walnuts at the bottom of a cylinder. Insert dried leaves at the back, and finally add one long, irregular twig to visually extend the decoration.
8. Trio of Small Jars: Sort the materials by type into three smaller containers. Fill one with acorns, another with chestnuts, and the third with small pine cones. Group the jars together and fill the space between them with dried leaves.
9. Rich Decoration Among Books: In a large round glass jar, alternate layers of pine cones, chestnuts, acorns, and crumpled dried leaves. This fuller arrangement works well on a shelf, as its warm brown tones match wood and book spines.
10. Wide Bowl with Twig: In a large glass bowl, create a low layer of chestnuts and acorns. Place a few pine cones and colorful leaves on top, then lay a thin twig across the arrangement to tie the whole surface together.
11. Square Container for the Nightstand: Fill a straight-sided container with a mix of nuts and pine cones to form a compact cone. Place one larger orange leaf at the top to soften the regular shape of the glass.
12. Tall Jar with Walnuts: In a large glass jar, combine shiny chestnuts with matte acorns, pine cones, and walnuts. Add leaves between the layers so color appears throughout the height of the container.
13. Airy Round Container: You don’t have to fill a round glass container all the way. Create a loose, low layer of pine cones, chestnuts, acorns, and dried leaves at the bottom. The empty space above gives the decoration a light and clean look.
14. Tall Cylinder with Rose Hips: Layer pine cones, chestnuts, acorns, and leaves in a narrow cylinder. Insert a twig with red rose hips and a thin bare branch at the top. The red detail adds a stronger autumn color to the brown composition.
15. Two Containers Instead of One: Fill a larger glass jar with chestnuts and acorns and stand two striking yellow leaves behind them. Fill a smaller jar next to it with pine cones. Dividing the materials looks neat and is easy to change up.
16. Minimalist Decoration for the Stairs: Fill a tall cylindrical candle holder only in the bottom part. Use chestnuts, acorns, pine cones, and a few light-colored leaves. The lower level of filling lets the clean glass stand out and fits well in a narrow space.
17. Jar with a Dried Citrus Slice: Add a dried citrus slice to the mix of chestnuts, acorns, pine cones, walnuts, and leaves. Place it right against the side of the jar so its round shape and warm color stand out.
18. Footed Bowl with Red Leaves: Arrange pine cones, chestnuts, and acorns in a glass bowl on a stem. Highlight the back with several red leaves. Thanks to the pedestal, even a simple filling turns into a festive table decoration.
19. Ribbed Vase for the Balcony: Stack chestnuts and acorns in a tall textured vase, then add pine cones and dried leaves on top. Finally, insert a long twig. Place the container in a sheltered spot where it won’t get rained on.
20. Square Glass Cube: Fill a low, square-based container with a rich mix of pine cones, chestnuts, acorns, and leaves. Place larger pine cones at the top and let some leaves rest against the glass to show off their patterns.
Final Tip
The prettiest arrangements come from combining different sizes, textures, and shades. Alternate shiny chestnuts with matte pine cones and acorns, and add colorful leaves at the end. Check your decoration regularly, keep it dry, and wipe dusty glass with a soft cloth from the outside.
