Table of contents for Celebrate Fall/Winter 2024 in Real Simple

OCTOBER 1 IS A BIG DEAL in our house. For us, it marks the official start of the holiday season—where ghosts and goblins mingle merrily with snow folk and Santas. We start by hanging a few favorite decorations (hello, pipe cleaner mummies) and then, over the next few weeks, gradually add to the holiday vibe. We also celebrate each day with small but meaningful gestures: a candy bar slipped into the kids’ backpacks, a family playlist featuring favorite holiday songs, or an activity like cookie baking (see recipes, Winter page 6). But most of all, we enjoy each other, our friends, and everyone in our orbit who brings us happiness. We hope you’ll do the same this season and find lots of ideas and inspiration in the pages ahead. Happy…

Pet O’Lanterns All you need for this paw-some pumpkin is a photo of your pet’s face, a bit of tracing talent, and some skill with a few carving tools. The trick to re-creating such a detailed image is to mix areas where you fully cut through the pumpkin rind and spots where you just scrape away the outer skin (known as etching). The combination of techniques produces varying depths, resulting in light and dark areas as well as fine details. Pro tip: Completely carve out a few defining features—eyes, nose, ears, whiskers, even the outline of a leg—then etch the rest. Hey, Pumpkin! Greet your guests with this friendly gourd. If etched on the outside of an uncut pumpkin, the design will be visible during the day (and your…

Ceiling Fan Let’s go H-A-L-L-O-W-E-E-N! For this cheer-full costume, use adhesive letters (masking tape or a printout that’s pinned or glued on will work in a pinch) to spell out “Go Ceiling!” across a plain T-shirt of any color. Use pom-poms (or even clean mopheads), face paint, and/or a headband to complete the spirit-squad look. A peppy, can’t-bring-me-down attitude is optional but highly encouraged. COPYCAT Need a costume quickly for everyone in the family? Spell out “COPY” with adhesive alphabet stickers (or cut out cardboard letters and use hot glue to attach) on white T-shirts (or opt for black T-shirts with white letters). Finish this purr-fectly easy group look with kitty ears, whiskers, and tails. RAIN CHECK For this super simple getup, print out check marks in various sizes, then…

Surprise Popcorn Balls HANDS-ON TIME: 30 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR MAKES 16 BALLS 3 tablespoons butter1 10-ounce package tiny marshmallows1 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme½ teaspoon vanillateaspoon salt5 cups popped popcorn5 cups crisp rice cereal16 bite-size TWIX® or SNICKERS®2 ounces milk chocolate, chopped 1. Line a tray or baking sheet with waxed paper or parchment paper. 2. In a 5- to 6-quart pot and using low heat, melt butter. Stir in marshmallows until melted and smooth. Stir in marshmallow creme, vanilla, and salt until combined. 3. Remove from heat. Stir in popcorn and cereal until coated. Let stand until cool enough to handle. 4. With buttered hands, shape popcorn mixture around a candy bar making a 2-inch ball. Place on prepared tray; let cool. 5. Place chocolate in a small…

Upcycled Baubles Put corrugated packing paper from all of your online shopping to good use! Cut paper into various-size triangles (such as 3 inches wide at bottom and 22 inches tall from bottom to point). Paint one side and when dry, roll (painted side down) wide end to narrow to create ovals or spheres (depending on the triangle’s dimensions). Secure end with hot glue. Finally, use a long embroidery needle to string shapes and colorful wood beads on gold cording. Raffia Wreath To craft this round topper, unfurl twisted raffia paper ribbon and tie loops to a 3-inch macrame ring using waxed cording, then glue on pom-pom “berries” to finish. You’ll need two 42-inch lengths of raffia paper in two shades of green along with hot pink 10mm pom-poms to…

Decorating with the living dead might seem like a scary proposition. But posable skeletons can be, well, humerus when you flex your funny bone. Whether you have skulls, hands, or complete life-size specimens, you’ll thrill family, friends, and the whole neighborhood with these bony buddies. Dead Ground Strike playful poses with your skeletons—like a petrified game of croquet—that are easy to alter and will keep neighbors guessing. One day, your skeleton crew is engaged in a lively lawn game, the next they are raking leaves and jumping in the piles. Dirt Devil You only need a skull and arms to create a spooky vibe in your yard. Prop a large flat stone up with bricks (hidden with leaves) and tuck bones underneath to give the illusion of a corpse clawing…

DEC 1 TO DEC 24 Advent Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “arrival,” as in the arrival of Jesus. DEC 6 St. Nicholas Day Children awake to shoes stuffed with candy and goodies, courtesy of St. Nicholas. DEC 21 Winter Solstice For those in the Northern hemisphere, this is the shortest day and longest night of the year. DEC 25 Christmas The very first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree—in 1931—was small and had no lights. DEC 25 TO JAN 2 Hanukkah The world’s largest menorah is 36 feet tall and stands near Central Park in Manhattan. DEC 26 TO JAN 1 Kwanzaa The first postage stamp to celebrate this weeklong holiday debuted in 1997.…

Star Power Dress up your traditional Hanukkah place settings by topping blue, white, and gold dinnerware with a Star of David shape crafted from leafed branches. Simply ask young ones to gather stems or small branches then trim extra leaves so that just a few remain at the tips. Using twine, tie three stems into a triangle. Repeat with three more stems, then tie the two triangles together to create the star shape. Accent each place setting with its own unique star. Dinner Music Guests will sing your praises when you use classic Christmas carols to decorate the table. Photocopy old favorites from a songbook to use as place mats. Set each place with neutral-hued dishes (mismatched items add charm) and a coordinating napkin. Use birch rounds to hold pillar…