Alternate punny title: Leaf it to me. There’s nothing like a bit of corniness on a Tuesday afternoon — I blame being downright giddy to have power again. Anyway, the weekend before the chaos of Irene I helped host a small bridal shower for our cousin Megan, who’s getting married this fall. John’s mom hosted the informal gathering at her house, and each of the daughters (including me, the daughter-in-law) was asked to bring a few items. I volunteered to bring a bowl of candy and a little table decor — nothing elaborate, just a few touches to evoke a cozy fall feeling inspired by Megan’s autumn-themed wedding invitations.
I took the excuse to get a little crafty. I picked up $2.50 worth of colored craft paper in warm, fall tones. At home I searched for “leaf pattern,” then freehand-sketched a handful of leaf outlines onto white cardstock to use as templates. They weren’t perfect, but they read as leaves — that’s all I needed.
Cutting them out was quick — maybe five minutes for ten leaves. To save time, I used each cardstock leaf as a template, traced it onto the colored paper with a black pen, and crowded several tracings on each sheet so I could maximize the number of leaves per page. I also stacked an extra sheet under the traced page so one cut could produce two leaves in different colors. Working in batches this way let me finish the whole set in the time it took to watch an episode of reality TV.
The variety of shapes and colors ended up looking charmingly homemade — not upscale, but sweet and full of personality. I scattered the paper leaves down the center of the table to create a simple leaf runner that tied the whole fall look together.
They weren’t fancy, but they fit the casual, family-focused gathering perfectly. I liked how the leaves added a homey touch without feeling overdone.
Not bad for $2.50.
Next up: a color-coded M&M project. I thought a clear cylinder vase filled with candy in fall shades would be a fun addition — we have several glass cylinders leftover from our wedding. At Target I found two bags of peanut butter M&Ms in brown, red, and yellow. I bought them for about $5 total, then sorted the candies by color into separate bowls and stored each color in a zip-top bag to bring to the party pre-sorted. (Pro tip: wash your hands before handling candy.)
At the shower I poured the brown candies into the vase first, then the red, then the yellow. It took seconds to assemble and created a pleasing layered look. The peanut butter M&Ms didn’t last long — everyone enjoyed them, and the layered presentation was a hit.
I also picked up eight inexpensive glasses from Target (a set of four for $2.99, so under $6 total) to use as small vases. John’s mom clipped blooms from two potted mums on her porch to create eight mini bouquets. Using clippings from existing potted plants was budget-friendly and efficient — those mums had dozens of blossoms, ample to fill all the tiny vases while leaving the plants looking fine on the porch afterward.
To finish the table I bought six small glittered faux pinecones from Michael’s for about 50 cents each. They arrived on short wires intended for wreaths or bouquets, so I simply tucked a few into the mini mum vases. The little glittery accents matched the golden palette of Megan’s invitations and doubled as tiny favors for guests to take home.
Despite the rainy weather, the shower felt warm and cheerful. The simple decorations — paper leaves, layered candy, mums in glass cups, and a few glittered pinecones — created a cozy, festive atmosphere that everyone enjoyed.
John’s mom also prepared a fun game: we played a how-well-do-you-know-the-bride-and-groom quiz. She tied fall-colored ribbons and Tootsie Pops onto each clipboard, and each guest took a decorated clipboard home as a keepsake. So guests left with little vases of mums, glittered pinecones, ribboned clipboards with candy, and a handful of M&Ms.
My favorite moment was when Clara and her cousin Jake serenaded everyone — a reminder that spontaneous, imperfect moments often make the best memories. Bring on the paper leaves and faux pinecones!
Here’s a quick budget breakdown of the supplies I used:
- Paper leaf runner (6 sheets of craft paper): $2.50
- Five glittered faux pinecones (Michael’s): $2.50
- Eight glasses used as mum vases (Target): $5.98
- Potted mum clippings: $0 (already on the porch; small grocery-store mums might cost around $5 each)
- Two bags of fall-colored peanut butter M&Ms (Target): $5.00
- Glass cylinder vase for M&Ms: $0 (leftover from our wedding; originally inexpensive)
- Total: $15.98
For under $16 we had eight floral favors in glass, a festive leaf runner, and a playful layered M&M display. DIYing a few personal touches made the shower feel tailored to Megan without the need for store-bought, generic decorations. Have you ever made simple homemade party decor or sorted candy by color? It might be a little obsessive, but it sure makes for a memorable table.