by Jenny Barnett

By late October, the color’s gone quiet.
Leaves crunch underfoot, the sky hangs low, and every creature (human and wild) begins to turn inward.

This is my favorite time to bring the outside in.
Not with plastic pumpkins or glittered faux leaves, but with the real textures of the season : pinecones, twigs, feathers, moss, seed pods. Things that remind us the land is still beautiful, even in rest.

If you’re longing for a slower, softer kind of seasonal decor, here’s how to make your home cozy with what the forest, field, and roadside offer, no shopping cart needed.

1. Forage First, Then Decorate

Keep your eyes open on walks, chores, or pasture checks; nature’s offering decor in real time.

Look for:

• Pinecones (scattered under evergreens, dry and bug-free)
• Branches with lichen, berries, or an elegant twist
• Seed pods (milkweed, teasel, rosehips, poppy heads)
• Feathers from turkeys, jays, owls (always ethically collected)
• Moss from fallen logs or rocks (gather sparingly and respectfully)
• Dried grasses like oatstraw, reed canary, timothy

Tip: Let anything you bring in sit in the sun or a cool oven (200°F for 20–30 minutes) to ensure it’s clean and critter-free.

2. Display with Warmth and Intention

Nature-based decor isn’t about perfection, it’s about presence. Here’s how we like to use it:

Nature Table or Tray

Set up a dedicated corner to display finds: feathers, bones, stones, nuts, seed heads. Great for kids and guests alike.

Mantle Moments

Line your fireplace shelf with pinecones, a beeswax candle or two, antler sheds, a few branches in a handmade jug, and maybe a primitive dried orange garland.

Rustic Wreaths

Use grapevine or flexible willow as a base. Add feathers, moss, rosehips, dried herbs, or curls of birch bark. Keep it asymmetrical for a more natural look.

Wild Arrangements

Fill crocks, enamel pitchers, or Amish-made baskets with dried florals and native grasses. Nothing uniform — just seasonal shape and color.

3. Finish with Firelight

Nothing brings it all together like a warm, steady glow.
I keep beeswax tapers on the table and a small candle in the kitchen window for morning tea, evening dishes, or that moment when the sun slips behind the bluff before dinner.

My go-to is Outpost Soap Works on Etsy, where the beeswax smells real, burns long, and supports the kind of maker I believe in.

Add a little orange peel to the base, or nest your candle in moss and acorns if you’ve got a hurricane cover or fireplace ledge.

Make It a Ritual, Not a Display

Decorating with wild things invites you to notice more, want less, and honor what’s already here.

Let the earth show you how to prepare your home for stillness.
Let your decor decay a little, shift with the air, lose petals and drop needles. It’s all part of the rhythm.

At autumn’s end, what’s beautiful isn’t loud.
It’s quiet. Humble. Collected in a coat pocket and placed with care.

— Jenny