Dear Sandi: “I love the outdoors and I would like to bring as much of it inside as I realistically can. What suggestions can you provide me with to make this happen? I have been able to figure out that I can throw in some items such as pinecones, leaves, etc. into a bowl, but I need some more real ideas. What inspiration can you give me?”

Dear Sue: First of all, we are fortunate to be living in probably one of the world’s best places for those of us that love the outdoors. We are surrounded with an absolute wealth of readily available natural material, and of such diversity that it truly staggers the imagination. From Salem, in an hour’s drive we can be at the coast, the mountains or the desert, and each one of these areas offers its own rich cornucopia of natural materials, just there for the picking up. (Naturally you must be sure that you are not trespassing on private property without permission, or taking anything that is prohibited by law).

So, my first piece of advise is since it is Fall, make the most of it and get out there and gather some of the incredible things that only happen this time of year.

Plants
Soon the trees will be turning colors that Ralph Lauren, Martha Stewart and the other pundits of celebrity designer colors could only dream of creating. Most of us remember pressing autumn leaves between the pages of phone books when we were kids, but believe me, it is no less exciting to do as an adult! And don’t forget other wonderful material like fern fronds and many types of seaweed, which also press beautifully. Now is also the time to be on the lookout for the amazing array of pods that many of your garden plants will produce. Ever notice the bizarre pod tops produced by Cannas after they are finished blooming? Rose hips, of course, are great, as are poppy pods, dry grasses, and many of what we consider to be pests and weeds, such as Queen Anne’s Lace and even fireweed. I like to leave a fair amount of stem (when available) on these, then let the stems dry in unusual shapes, twists, etc. You can easily achieve this by starting your drying in a vase, let them begin drying, then finish the process upside down, or lying on a counter, etc. Experiment, each batch will react differently.

Whether you're looking for handmade paper, furniture, fabric or accessories, you will find it at loose ends. If it is unusual, organic and fabulous, then loose ends is the place. Showroom hours are 8 am to 5 pm weekdays and the first Saturday of each month 10 am - 3pm at 2065 Madrona Ave. SE, Salem, or visit us online at www.looseends.com Questions? Give us a call at (503) 390-2348.

Now that you have this treasure trove of natural material, what can you do with it? A couple of years ago, Art and I were in Paris for a trade show and were able to acquire some old mounted botanical pages. These look fabulous on a wall, especially if you have three or more to create a mini “gallery” arrangement. You can easily make your own by adhering your pressed material to an interesting handmade paper, then adding some hand lettered botanical information and framing them. If your hand lettering leaves something to be desired, create your script in a fun font on the computer, print it off, then photocopy it onto a more interesting paper. Many handmade papers (those without too much raised fiber) can be run through a machine.

The dried pods, rose hips and weeds you have make great casual bouquets. Use them “as is”, or add bits and pieces from your collection to arrangements of more traditional dried flowers to add movement and drama. I have some loopy, twisted mixed material that is tucked into the back of one of my wall sconce lights. It adds interest in the daytime, but at night it really comes into it’s own, throwing bizarre shadows onto the wall behind it.

If you have really gone nuts (no pun intended) gathering and drying everything in the garden all summer, you can always take those bunches and put them to work while they are drying. For an HGTV show we took an armload of dried botanical bunches, knotted wide bands of raffia around their stems and tied them off a curtain rod, replacing the frilly valance. If your material is not dried yet, it can be drying AND looking great at the same time!

Sticks
Don’t overlook sticks – sticks are wonderful, and they come in every size, shape and thickness. You can take sticks of similar girth, trim them all to the same height, then lash them tightly together near the top, bottom and middle with raffia, hemp rope, seagrass braid, etc. to make “botanical bundles” that can easily cost you $50.00 and up depending on their size and source. A tall basket or old umbrella stand is ideal for a collection of bamboo poles, or an assortment of irregular sticks, anything from moss covered gnarly twigs to curly kiwi sticks. Also, consider using a sturdy, interesting branch (maybe from a birch tree) to replace boring curtain or drapery rods.

Sandi Reinke is an author, frequent television guest and lead designer for loose ends (www.loosends.com), a Salem-based interior décor, garden, and casual lifestyle company. To ask Reinke a decorating question, e-mail info@looseends.com or mail her at the showroom address, 2065 Madrona Ave. SE, Salem, OR 97302. Phone: 503-390-2348.

Rocks
Rocks are obviously very much a part of the outdoors, and they can easily be used in a variety of useful and decorative ways. Add small pebbles to the top of your houseplants to help hold in moisture and create a more interesting look. Very unusual rocks, either a strange shape, maybe one with fossil remains or unusual color striations can be used the same as a favored piece of art and positioned where it can be experienced and enjoyed. We like to take larger, smooth beach rocks (about 5-7” in length and relatively thick) and cover them with either paper or fabric that reflects the taste or interests of a friend and give them a couple for “desk rocks”. We used to call these paperweights, but nobody really seems to need paperweights these days. Our fly fishing fan got a “desk rock” covered in a fish design paper. We made five smaller, exquisite “desk pebbles” for a Japanese friend from some beautiful Oriental design papers. Consider putting collected rocks of similar size, shape or color in a centerpiece bowl, the same as you would potpourri.

There is also an almost unending number of art/craft ideas that incorporate natural and organic materials. There are many books out there on this subject, and even though too many of them have projects like rocks with google eyes and driftwood pieces glued together into little people, there are still many great ideas to be found that will bring an organic theme into your home without too much “kitch”.

You will find that the more you work with your “found” materials the more the ideas will come to you. When you are out in your garden or anywhere else, try to really “see” what surrounds us on a daily basis, then to think about those same things in new and different ways.