It’s that time of year when the mornings are crisp, snuggles are frequent, and there are pumpkins EVERYWHERE! People often ask me to help with their decorating, and as much as I would love to come over to each and every one of your homes and help, there’s just not enough time. So this is my way to help… virtually! If you have ever felt overwhelmed when decorating for the holidays or found yourself blowing your budget way too quick, this guide is for YOU! Let me show you how I decorate for fall. Everyone deserves to live in a festive space! Let’s get to it!
This post is all about How to Decorate for Fall!
Step 1: Check Inventory
Before you go shopping for new fall pieces, shop around your house first! Bring out the fall totes from the basement and take a walk around your house to see what everyday staples you can repurpose. I reuse pillows, throws, lanterns, baskets, vases and candle holders. Learn from my past mistakes, every piece doesn’t have to say “fall” or have a pumpkin on it for you to successfully decorate for fall!
Step 2: Plan Your Zones
If you are beginning your fall decorating journey, focus on 1-3 zones for your first season. Choose your zones by where you frequent the most, the space you see first, or where you host. All homes are different, so choose what makes sense for your space. Consider starting with your front porch, entryway, above the kitchen cabinets, or the fireplace / TV area. There are no rules on how many rooms you must decorate to be festive. You can start and end in one zone. It depends on what brings you the most joy. You may choose to start and end with the front porch. Totally fine! It’s your space!
Front Porch
I start with our front porch every year because it’s the first place my guests see. It doesn’t take much. Take a look at the picture above and notice how I mix my everyday and fall decor together. This is a reoccurring theme at our house… and in this post. Take a look at your current decor and decide what you can add. Have a bench? Add some pillows. Have a wreath? Attach some pumpkins. Or may I suggest one of my DIY wreaths? I have a tutorial using greenery and one with wheat. Have a basket, bucket, or pitcher? Add a mum, wheat, or some pumpkins.
Entryway
Everyone’s entryway is different. For smaller entryways, go with a wreath for the back of the door and maybe a lantern full of leaves or pumpkins. If your entryway is large enough that you have a table or bench, I suggest adding a few fall pieces to your current décor. Check out my entry table (yes, I keep redecorating it..). Notice how I have several repurposed items? The pumpkins, wheat, and pillow covers are the only fall items added. The book stack, lantern, vases, lamp, chalkboard, candle holders, and basket are used year-round.
Kitchen Cabinets
This is potentially the easiest place to decorate depending on your style. If there is space above your cabinets, may I suggest adding a fall garland? It’s a quick and easy way to add some fall fun to your kitchen! Garland is the only thing I add to my kitchen to avoid cluttering up my precious counterspace.
Fireplace / TV Area
Your fireplace or TV area is a great place to focus on. Again, it doesn’t take much. Our first home didn’t have a fireplace or an entryway, so my entry table mentioned above was positioned under our TV. Whatever your situation is, this area is a great place to warm up for the season. We have yet to build our mantle, but that didn’t stop me from cozying up the space. The DIY pumpkins and pillow covers are the only fall items I added. The basket, blanket, and candle holders are from my everyday decor stash.
Centerpiece
A fall centerpiece is a great way to add a fall touch to the table or countertop. This could be a DIY faux flower arrangement or a basket full of pumpkins. Don’t you just love how my Mom decked out the tray in her dinning room, and 2-teir tray in her kitchen. I need to add both of those to my wish list.
Step 3: Pinterest It!
Now that you have taken inventory on what you have, chosen a few zones to focus on, let’s go to Pinterest. Start a new board and go to town. Pin like crazy! Search for spaces similar to the zones you are looking to decorate. For instance, the front porch at our new house is smaller than our last house, so I searched “small front porch fall décor” to inspire me with new ways to decorate the space. Go nuts and pin like crazy! Now take a look at your board. Is there a theme? Similarities? Do you gravitate towards neutral decor or more reds and oranges? There are no rules when it comes to how YOU should decorate for fall. While you are scrolling, check out my pinterest page.
Step 4: Go shopping!
I know you are itching to get to Hobby Lobby, but I promise a trip to the seasonal section at Dollar Tree and Walmart is worth it! I like to hit up these stores first to snag up all the pumpkins I see. May I suggest my DIY pumpkin Tutorial? Remember, if you see a pumpkin you don’t like, you can spray paint it! Trust me, a pumpkin from DT or WM and paint will cost less than the pumpkins you see at any craft or home decor store.
What to Buy
Pillow covers
To avoid storing a ton of accent pillows, purchase a few fall pillow covers instead. Throw them over your current pillows and you are good to go! I have discovered pillow covers to be a lot cheaper than pillows too. I bought this 4pack from Amazon and paired them with my everyday pillows.
Throw Blankets
Do you have the same blanket problem I do? You buy all of them!? Aim for the neutral colors next time, that way the throw can double as décor for a cozy fall display. I snag discounted and soft ones at places like TJMaxx, Home Goods, and Ross. I really like this one from Amazon too. Have any blanket scarfs? Stage them as a blanket with your holiday décor.
Little Pumpkins
Walmart starts selling fall décor as early as July. Be sure to snag a few bags of pumpkins. There’s always a place for them and they’re usually under $3! Throw them in a basket, use them as a lantern filler, or sprinkle them across you mantle with some greenery. What if your bag includes some ugly/ funky colors? I acquired an ugly green pumpkin last year and it looked rotten. So I covered the stem with tinfoil and spray painted that baby.
Garland
Garland can get pricy depending how many cabinets you have, but it takes just a minute or two to display and no other décor is required. You can always look into a DIY version too!
Wheat
Wheat serves as a great vase filler for this time of year. Depending where you live, you may be able to snag some for free! Otherwise, Amazon sells it in bundles.
Step 5: Take Pictures!
Once you have your zones looking festive and cozy, be sure to snap a picture. I learned this hack from my Mama. Pictures will make it a lot easier to decorate for fall next year. Even if you like to change it up, it will give you a great starting point.
Step 6: Store it!
Be sure to store all your fall décor in one space. My designated fall tote prevented a lot of unnecessary purchases before we had a basement. My rule was if it couldn’t fit in the tote, I can’t buy it. This rule forced me to be creative with what I already had. Wreaths are the only thing I don’t store in totes. I hang them up on a hanger and cover them with a trash bag. It’s not fancy, but it does the trick! When my fall decor is out, I store my unused everyday pieces in the fall tote.
Step 7: Share it!
As always, thank you for following along with me in my creative journey. Be sure to tag me and use #meagannicholedotcom when sharing how you decorate for fall! Thanks for stopping by MeaganNichole.com
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Thanks for breaking this down! Can’t wait to tackle my fall decor this weekend!
Me too! Remember, choose your zones and attack! Send pics!!