DIY Fall Decor Ideas

Simple & natural DIY fall decor ideas for your home. Use the colors of the season along with neutrals to achieve your own signature style. 

Decorating for the seasons is one of my favorite things to do…but I like to keep things simple and quick. Transitioning your decor from summer to fall is easy if you add special touches that can be accomplished in hardly any time at all.

Fall is the perfect time to take a step back, and remember that our homes should not be decorated to impress others…but to satisfy our souls. Our goal should be to create a safe place where we can retreat from the world, and refresh our minds and bodies. A cozy space to nest, regroup, and relax. A space that makes us happy.

Keeping that concept of happiness in mind, the following fall decor ideas are things anyone can do, and on any budget. Pick and choose which ones you think will fit your style, or incorporate all of them. It’s totally up to you how you welcome fall into your home!

Fall Decor Ideas

Pumpkins

Decorating with pumpkins is one of the easiest ways to bring a touch of autumn warmth into your home. Sprinkling different sizes of pumpkins here and there around your space adds just the right amount of texture and interest. This year I went with a mixture of real and faux pumpkins, in both white and orange. When it comes to deciding the color of your pumpkins, there are so many choices that you can simply choose what you love. Make sure to give them a bath and preserve them for the season before you spread them around!

Fresh or Dried Flowers

I love the day, usually in late summer, when I walk into the grocery store and spy sunflowers in the flower section. Fresh flowers are one of the small things I treat myself to on a regular basis. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to brighten your day, and add a natural element to your decor at the same time.

Keep dried flowers in mind too. Dried hydrangeas are perfect for fall decor. Along with flowers, don’t forget things like pine cones, tree branches, eucalyptus, cotton bolls, and acorns.

How to Get Rid of Bugs in Acorns

If you want to add real acorns to your fall decor, make sure to kill any critters nesting in the nuts first. You can place your acorns in a resealable bag, and put the bag in the freezer for 2 or 3 days. If you want a quicker method, spread the acorns on a cookie sheet, and bake at 175 degrees F for about an hour. Make sure to keep an eye on the acorns so they don’t burn!

Autumnal Colors

When I think of fall colors, an array of earth tones comes to mind. Copper, gold, russet, dark green, and brown. Adding these colors of the season to your décor is easy if you stick to small items like pillows and throw blankets. Be true to your personal style, and make sure to repurpose pillow inserts if possible.

Lanterns + Trays

Two very versatile decor accessories are lanterns and trays. They make layering so easy, and they come in a whole host of styles, colors, and price ranges.

I purposely keep the mantel decor in our living room simple and small…because that TV is so big! I actually got bigger lanterns first, but returned them for the smaller ones pictured above. It was the right choice for me, and I love the way it all came together.

To get this mantel decorated for fall, I began with the lanterns, I filled them with mini pumpkins, and placed them on the ends of the mantel. Next, I nestled six or seven eucalyptus stems behind and beside the lanterns. After that, I placed two faux pumpkins, followed by cotton boll stems.

This end of our living room is naturally symmetrical, so I mirror that with the mantel decor. There are twin windows on either side of the fireplace, and twin chairs in front of the fireplace.

Along with lanterns, trays are another go-to decor accessory that can take a vignette from just OK to perfectly wonderful. Not only is it another layer, but a tray adds importance to whatever happens to be on it.

Even on our small coffee table, just the bowl of pumpkins would have looked a little lost. By layering the tray underneath, the bowl became bigger and much better.