Ah, fall. I sometimes resist admitting how much I love this season because of how kitschy and commercialized it’s become. But I do love it.

While I was enduring the September from hell, I found solace in my seasonal act of comfort decorating – a concept that’s been around forever, but gained the bougie moniker and dominated decorating articles and podcasts in the early days of the pandemic. Think of it like comfort food – comfort decorating uses things that are familiar, sensory and nostalgic, providing a sense of “home” when everything else is in flux.

This season, I was especially drawn to the sensory aspects of my decorating – specifically the blood-pressure-lowering-act of touching a well-worn, pure cotton, cable knit sweater. A little time spent perusing Pinterest and I decided to make fabric pumpkins. I started with the remnants of stretched out sweaters, then used the tops of socks I was supposed to darn, and ended with the pant leg of a worn out pair of Chinos, and still find myself eyeing materials around my house, gauging whether they have pumpkin potential.

I used wine corks for the stems and added twine for a little flair. As adorable as they are to look at, they feel even better. Stuffed with just the right amount of polyfill, they’re like holding a favorite stuffed animal. So soft!

Before I knew it, I’d cranked out a couple dozen pumpkins – far more than my little living room needs – so I offered them to a coworker to take with her when she visits homebound members of our church. Thinking of these little treasures on bedside tables in assisted living facilities and hospitals, and suddenly “comfort decorating” has a whole new layer of meaning.