Now summer is saying its glorious adieu, it’s time to say HELLO to autumn! 

Now, we know it’s hard to let go of summer, and even harder after the amazing summer we’ve just had. Fear not, though. Autumn is ready with an abundance of fun waiting to be discovered. 

No matter if it’s still light or making the turn to darker, colder evenings, try out these autumnal activities to make the transition to the autumn season filled with joy and creativity.

 

Start Making Christmas Presents

Autumn is the perfect time to pick up on your crafts with plenty of time to go until the big C-word (Not that C-word!). If you’re a keen knitter, crochet queen or even a paper mâché master, there’s a ton of fun to be had with crafting. Start making scarves, hats, shawls or mittens for your nearest and dearest, which will give you more spending money over Christmas!

If you’re not sure about which craft to pick, decoupage is a great way to start crafting easily. Make some coasters, badges or plant pots in a theme your friends and family will love. If you’re absolutely putting your foot down about crafts, why not make a craft box with supplies for someone you love? 

 

 

Beautiful Botany with an Autumnal Wreath

Some of you may remember our blog entry last autumn with Leafy Couture and their autumnal wreath tutorial. Why not replicate it again this year while we still have some flourishing florals in our local nature reserves? We love a good autumnal adventure!

Obviously, not all of you may have access to a nature reserve, so instead we recommend supporting your local independent florist instead! They’ll be your one-stop-shop for anything you need to create a beautiful autumnal wreath, including all the supplies. They may even give you a few handy tips, too!

 

 

Discover Local Conventions or Meetups

Avid fans of motorcycles, vans and vintage cars know where all the rallies and conventions are, but there are a ton of conventions for hobbies big and small! Simply Google any conventions near your town or city and find something that appeals to you, or search for something you love! It’s also a fab rainy day activity, too!

A few of the Joe Browns clan are going to Yarndale in Skipton to stock up on our yarn supplies. If there aren’t any conventions that appeal to you, search on Facebook for book clubs or meetups for sewing, knitting, foraging or even skateboarding!

 

 

An Abundance of Autumnal Adventures in the Great Outdoors

Autumn is a massively abundant month with fun for all ages to be had. Brace yourselves, we have loads of tips for the great outdoors – you're bound to find something you'll love here. 

 

1. Find a farm offering pumpkin picking

Pumpkin picking has become incredibly popular over the years, so a lot of local farms will be offering this wonderful experience. It’s a perfect family activity to create Jack-o-Lanterns or simply make your favourite pumpkin recipes... (psst - watch this space)

 


 

2. Forage for blackberries and make a pie

There’s nothing more rewarding than baking something delicious from items you’ve foraged, and now blackberries can be found everywhere this time of year! Take a basket and some family or friends, don your wellies and get picking those delicious, tart blackberries. (Just be careful to pick from waist height and up – we'll let you figure out why!)

 

 

3. Go Mushroom Hunting

This one’s a little tricky, as it takes some research and know-how to identify mushrooms, but fungi foraging is super rewarding. It's important to know that a lot of mushrooms have look-alikes, and believe it or not, some mushroom species are protected to the highest degree of the law. 

We recommend when foraging for mushrooms that you just take pictures and explore to find as many different types as you can. If you want to know more, there are plenty of foraging groups on Facebook who would be happy to tell you what species they are! (Pssst! If you’re a fan on the fungi, why not check out our Enchanted Forest homeware collection?)

 

 

4. Show the little ones how to play conkers

Arm yourself with some hand protection (safety first!) and go foraging for conkers! It’s a super nostalgic memory for a lot of us here, so why not pass down the hours of fun to be had playing conkers? Find a horse chestnut tree and on the floor you’ll find ripened conkers. (A handy tip is the older and healthier the tree is, the harder the conkers – find your champion conkers here!)

Prepare your conker by submerging in a cup of vinegar for two minutes only – no more! Leave your conker on a surface and preheat the oven to 250℃. Once preheated, leave the favoured conkers in the oven for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Leave the conkers until they’re lukewarm and pierce a hole through the conker. Then show the kids how to play! Make sure to wear eye protection, though!

 

 

5. Make a home for wildlife

This one is great for the little ones! Make a bug hotel, a home for hedgehogs or a mansion for a mouse! You don’t need to bring a lot with you, however some old plant pots (especially terracotta ones) make fantastic homes for critters who want to stay warm. 

Lay your materials on the side so your critters can access the home, and fill with things such as dried bark, pinecones, twigs and moss so they can sleep, hide and eat. Let your imagination go wild with this one by making it as big or as compact as you like! Bug hotels and homes help with biodiversity by offering sanctuary to our friends who need to hibernate. If you’re handy with tools you can make all sorts of different compartments with upcycled wood and chicken wire fencing.

 

 

After reading this blog, we hope we’ve inspired you to get into the spirit of autumn! Why not take a look at our other blog posts to see what’s new with the Joe Browns clan? You may just find something that’s right up your alley.