Hello friends!
This year, I’ve been completely obsessed with copper decor. My kitchen already has several copper accents, so it just made sense to let copper be the inspiration for this year’s Fall tree. Copper pairs beautifully with everything autumn—warm, cozy, and with that hint of orange that I can never resist.
Gathering Inspiration and Starting with Copper Molds
To begin, I pulled out a collection of vintage copper molds I’ve gathered over the years and spaced them around my kitchen tree.
Being totally honest, I wasn’t sure what direction to go after that. Those molds hung alone for weeks while I played around with ideas and color schemes. Sometimes inspiration takes a little time to simmer!
Adding Color and Texture with Floral Picks
Next, I gathered floral picks I already had on hand—but of course, I made a “quick” trip to Hobby Lobby (if you believe that!) to grab a few more.
I chose jewel-toned picks in blue, cranberry, mustard yellow, orange, and green. Scattered throughout the tree, they added depth and color without overpowering the copper tones.
Hanging Plates for a Whimsical Touch
In my “lunchroom” (the name my kids gave our breakfast room years ago), I had a stack of blue Johnson Brothers and Blue Willow-esque plates picked up from thrift stores and estate sales.
I ordered some plate hangers from Amazon, attached them to the back of each plate, and hung them throughout the tree. The blue plates added a pop of cool color against all the warm copper tones.
Bringing in Fall Details
To reinforce the fall theme, I tucked in small white pumpkins throughout the branches.
Since my kitchen has a lot of fruit accents, I tried adding some fruit ornaments from my Christmas tree collection, but they competed too much with the pumpkins and were all about the same size. In the end, I left them out.
Velvet Bows
Simple velvet bows are having a big moment right now, and I love how they add a soft, colorful pop around the tree.
Creating Custom Fruit Art Ornaments
While shopping at Hobby Lobby, I spotted some small, ornate gold frames in the scrapbook section—two in a pack and a great price! That gave me an idea: why not turn them into mini framed fruit paintings?
I visited one of my favorite free art sources, the National Gallery of Art’s Open Access Collection, and downloaded several fruit paintings.
After resizing and printing them to fit the frames, I created one-of-a-kind ornaments that tied perfectly into my kitchen’s fruit theme.
(If you’d like to see exactly how I made them, click here for the full tutorial.)
A Tree Worth the Wait
I’ll admit, I may have overthought this tree—it took some trial and error to pull it together—but I love how it turned out. Most of the pieces were things I already owned, which made it meaningful and economical.
It’s always more fun (and budget-friendly!) to use your collected treasures and give them new life in your holiday decor.
Thank you for stopping by and visiting me and Mary at A Young Tradition. We love spending time with friends—especially those who enjoy creating beauty and tradition in their homes, one season at a time.
I have a whole bin of copper items I was going to try and sell, but I think I will drag them out for Thanksgiving, thanks to your lovely post. Love the tree, and you are right, gorgeous and so warm and inviting, Sandi
Sandra–Yes, please keep and use them! I had my copper molds in the basement for several years and just couldn’t find a purpose for them, but couldn’t bear to part with them. They would be beautiful for Christmas, too! ~Kristi