Decorate With These Inexpensive Fall Organics
The best inexpensive fall decorating ideas come from nature! Many you might have right outside your front door. See how pretty and easy it is to decorate with things from nature!
Decorating for fall is easy when you bring the outdoors inside! Fall naturals are perfect! After all, fall decorating is all about bringing the outdoors in. It’s a time to use soft, warm elements in our homes. Today, let’s chat about inexpensive fall decorating ideas using fall naturals.
Fall is my favorite season to decorate because I love how simple, organic, and cozy fall can be! Fall organic are just so beautiful and should be a major part of your fall decor.
Let’s look at how easy and inexpensive it is to decorate with the bounty of the season. Whether they are real or an almost life-like faux, these gifts of fall are inexpensive and will add fall beauty and ambiance to your home.
So, let’s take a practical and pretty look at all things natural for fall decorating!
Pumpkins, Squash, And Gourds
Of course, I have to start with pumpkins. I think fall can be represented best by a pumpkin! I love them all! Big, small, fat, tall, orange, white, or blue! Cinderella, baby boo, big moon, Musquee de Provence, blue makote, and more!
Talk about quintessential fall! And they are my favorite fall element to bring indoors! One great pumpkin can be the perfect fall decor!
Here are 9 Easy Tips For Keeping Your Pumpkins Fresh And Looking Their Best Longer.
My favorite gourds to decorate with are called Kentucky spinners. They are small and so cute grouped together, and they can be spun just like a top. So pretty in the fluted plate below.
Bittersweet
Bittersweet is a wild-growing, brambly invasive plant that has wound its way around the hearts of fall lovers.
But don’t grow it in your garden. Bittersweet will take over everything. Most states have declared bittersweet a nuisance plant, but it still grows wild along hedgerows and fields.
It grows wild here in Lancaster County, so I can find it every year.
If you don’t have it where you live, go faux (like the bittersweet in the picture above). Get the best-looking faux bittersweet you can find.
It might be an investment, but you can use it for years! I probably have had this bittersweet for over a decade! And something you can use for decades or more ends up being a very inexpensive fall decorating idea!
Bittersweet looks particularly beautiful with white. So pair white pumpkins with it.
If you have a couple minutes you can CREATE THIS PUMPKIN AND BITTERSWEET ARRANGEMENT!
Think about tucking bittersweet into fall arrangements or add it to a wreath like the one pictured below. You can see how to make the BRAMBLY AND BRIGHT LEAFY FALL WREATH.
Here’s another Bittersweet Wreath that is easy to make.
It adds such a pretty brambly embellishment. When fall decor just needs something, try adding bittersweet.
Beautiful Mums
Mums are at their very best in the fall. They look like bushes when they are mature. Their blooms come in so many fabulous colors, and they are very, very hardy!
I buy pots of them for inside and out. When my inside mums begin to look a little spent, I plant them outside so they will bloom the next year. Get indoor plants in the ground before they are totally spent for the best results when transplanting.
Don’t display mums in the plastic containers they come in. Put the container into a pretty bowl, champagne bucket, basket, urn, or some nice container! What a difference that will make!
If you can’t bring yourself to take Mum out of its plastic pot, slip a grapevine wreath under the bottom of the pot and pull it up to the top of the pot to make a collar around the mum and to hide the plastic pot. Then, pop it into another pretty container.
Caring For Mums is a guidebook that will help you keep indoor mums looking their best! This is a must-read.
Apples
I think apples are so overlooked!
They are just as plentiful as pumpkins, maybe more, during the fall! And they are just as pretty, too! A bowl of juicy apples looks so attractive and can be an edible centerpiece.
Apples are readily available and inexpensive.
See GREEN APPLE AND MASON JARS post for an easy and oh, so pretty way to use green apples.
And if you don’t want to decorate with apples, you can make my FAVORITE RAW APPLE CAKE! It will become a favorite of yours, too!
Decorating For Fall With Colorful Leaves
I have a thing for fall leaves. My favorite ones are picked right off the ground like one would look for shells on a beach. I am fascinated with them. When I come home from a walk in the fall, I usually have a pocket stuffed with the prettiest leaves! So, using them in fall decor is a must!
Tuck real or faux leaves here and there this fall. Leaves add that little extra interest to what you are decorating!
You can mix different fall faux leaves together for a really pretty abundant look!
Here’s a very pretty and easy FALL LEAF CANDLEHOLDER DIY.
A fall wreath looks so pretty with lots of colorful fall leaves!
You might like to see how to make the FALL LEAF WREATH, pictured above. It’s so easy anyone can make it.
Baskets And Trays
Textural baskets and warm-toned trays bring a natural element to fall decor! I love baskets for their wicker and organic finishes and shapes! Baskets are great ways to organize and contain things, but they also can be at the center of fabulous fall decor too!
Wooden trays add texture and depth to any fall vignette!
Fall is the perfect time to get out your wicker and wood and use them in your fall decor.
Pinecones
Don’t just use pinecones when decorating for Christmas! Use them for fall, too. They mix wonderfully with pumpkins, gourds, acorns, and bits of bramble and stuff! They add tons of texture, depth, and shape to fall decor.
Pinecones are my filler of choice. They work wonderfully as a base layer to fill up a container. In the image below, I filled a long dough bowl with pinecones and then laid all the pretty natural elements on the top. No sense in the pretty decor laying on the bottom of a centerpiece where no one will see it!
10-Minute Fall Dough Bowl Diy is an easy and stunning centerpiece using pinecones and other fall organics. And see how I created this Fall Organic Dough Bowl for my coffee table.
ACORNS AND OTHER NUTS
Nuts work as fabulous fillers and fall detail decor!
My favorite nuts are walnuts. They remind me of my childhood. I’d also put acorns in this group too! Tuck them into arrangments for an added layer of fall fun! Glittery or velvet acorns can look stunning tucked into fall decor! And what a surprise.
Indian Corn
Indian corn is a colorful addition to fall decorating. Use it in arrangements, or make an impressive Indian corn wreath for your front door. You can see a tutorial HERE.
I like to use Indian corn at the edges and sides of an arrangement so the husks stand out over the bowl. This adds drama and interest to any fall centerpiece.
Decorate For Fall With Drying Hydrangeas
I’ve saved one of the best for last! Hydrangeas are so beautiful as they start to dry in the fall and will add a showy elegance to any fall decor!
Use them en masse for a WOW FACTOR arrangement, clip the stems and tuck them into a fall vignette, or make a wreath from them.
Whatever you do, don’t forget to use them!
Here’s the easiest way I know to DRY HYDRANGEAS. This really works!
And here is a GORGEOUS PUMPKIN CLOCHE AND DRYED HYDRANGEAS THAT YOU CAN MAKE! I hope you try this arrangement!
More Natural Fall Organics
Here are a few other great natural organics to use in fall decorating…
- pheasant feathers
- cotton bolls
- branches with colorful leaves
- dried seed pods
- cat o’nine tails
- marigolds
- succulents
- flowering cabbage and kale
- log rounds
- deer sheds
- dried orange rounds
Click The Video Below For More Fall Ideas And Inspiration
All of these natural elements are inexpensive and look amazing in fall decor! If you’re not using fall organics in your fall decor, it might be time to add them to your home.
What are your favorite natural fall organics, and how do you use them to decorate?
I know it’s only mid August but I can’t wait to decorate for fall. I’ve never included apples, but I will this year. Thank you, Yvonne!
I agree with you;Natural is best way to celebrate Autumn
I love bittersweet and have purchased a few lovely faux vines that I entwined through the hooks on my pot rack above the kitchen island. Fall is my favorite too, Yvonne!
I’m with you, fall is my favorite season to decorate! Thank you for more great tips!
Your blog inspires me! Thank you for posting about Fall decor. As I read I could almost smell the leaves and taste those crisp apples. Even though we lack a natural seasonal change in Florida, the interiors of our homes can still reflect one. Thanks again for your inspiring ideas.
Love, love, love Fall!! Your ideas keep me inspired! Thank you Yvonne! And Happy Fall Y’all!!?
Your ideas were earth-friendly, exciting, encouragement to begin moving into the next season AND your giveaway is especially generous! What a combo ?
Gorgeous elements!
This list is a keeper!
I love Fall, maybe because my birthday is in September! It is still hot as blazes here in the deep south, and will probably remain so until mid-October, but decorating for Fall puts me in a cooler mindset (which is good for everyone!). Thanks for the decorating ideas – I always incorporate pinecones, for sure, as well as little pumpkins. Your decor is fabulous!!
I love the leaf garland! What great ideas! Can’t wait to get rid of my summer vignette!
Love this post on fall decorating. The way you mix nature and everyday items amazes me. It is ALL beautiful.
I love your ideas. You inspire me so much! Thank you!
I think you’ve hit on all the best signs of Fall! I also enjoy cinnamon candles, cornstalks, acorns (real, faux or felted), and I heeded one of your past hints from years ago- to save the pumpkin stems from real pumpkins and replace them on those fake, plastic ones! Makes them believable! Happy Fall y’all!
You always encourage me to be excited about the change of seasons. I love summertime but the beauty of Autumn is in the air and I can’t wait to try some of your amazing ideas to accessorize my home. I loved seeing the pumpkins and garland you have here. It is always a beautiful outside, no matter what the season, and I’m grateful to God for that. Your blog is beautiful to read and I always look forward to it. Thanks so much!!
I love the beautiful close ups of the vignettes you create, but I’d also like to see a broader pic of how it looks in the room overall. Thanks for sharing your home with us.
Yvonne, thank you for the wonderful autumn decorating posts! I love the seasonal naturals used in home decor. You mentioned the bittersweet is accessible in Lancaster County. Would you please indicate where I could pick some up? I travel through southern Lancaster County frequently on my way to Quarryville and Oxford. Thank you!
Yvonne, you read my mind. I love all things natural and organic for Fall. No tchotchkes here, well, except for a little scarecrow or two. My bleached pinecones have been tucked away, but only for the summer. Looking forward to using a new pair of neutral, embroidered pillows, along with an embellished wooden tray. These are birthday gifts that my sweet daughter threw in her cart for me, while shopping at Home Goods. Also, leaves and pumpkins, and center stage on the mantle, a cornhusk wreath, decorated with a garland of leave and berries. My only dilemma is deciding whether to go all neutral, or use the classic Fall colors.
Still very hot and humid here in N.C.. Relief is supposed to be coming next week. Certainly I will be changing some decor inside and out come September. My kitchen will be first and the lemons,green and white tableware and my summer vignette being replaced with faux Granny Smith apples,wooden bowls and wicker baskets and some wheat and cotton branches. I wait till later in the month to change over my family room and porch although I have a sunflower and grape cluster wreath which may go up very soon. Planning and reading blogs like yours for inspiration is getting me through the last week’s of August.
Fall is my favorite season -pumpkins, mums, and football. What is not to love. Even when the crispness in the air doesn’t show up until November or December! (It was over 100 yesterday!). I found the most wonderful velvet pumpkins and acorns two weeks ago and can’t wait to put them out!
Love everything about this post!! Think I’ll make the leaf garland with my granddarling this month. Love the bittersweet but can’t find it…. thanks!! Xo
Can’t wait for fall after this hot steamy August. Great hint on using the grapevine wreath as a collar for mum plant! I will remember that one! Thanks for the Pottery Barn giveaway!
Down here in Alabama, we don’t really have a fall season. I love the fall colors and have a pretty fall wreath for my front door, but it pretty much stays “air conditioning” weather through Thanksgiving. One Christmas, when we first moved here from PA, it was so hot that we turned the AC way down so we could light a fire in the fireplace and pretend it was a cold Christmas day in PA!! The teeny, tiny pine cones in your table arrangement made me chuckle. The pine cones down here average 8 – 12 inches long! Apparently, we have a different “breed” of pine tree which produces a mama jumbo size! I’ll have to gather some tiny ones when I visit PA in September.
I love fall decorating, cause pumpkins are my favorite thing to use, all sizes, all colors!
I can’t even begin to think of fall with these warm temps. It is my favourite season though. I’ll look back at these posts mid September and devour all your decorating fall ideas.
I am unable to enter my email for the Pottery Barn give away. LOVE all the fall decorating hints!!
Karen, I think I answered your question about entering above. See the other comment for directions
When I get up every morning, I grab a cup of tea and go straight to my email to find your posts. You are so talented and have given me such inspiration. Fall is my very favorite time of year. Can’t wait for the weather to cool down here in So Calif. so that I can get out for walks with my little Yorkies and search for those outdoor elements.
Thank you ever so much for bringing us all into your lovely home. ?
Teresa.
I’m so glad to hear we have tea (I’ll be drinking coffee) together! Give Yorkies a hug from me!
I like Karen could not find how to enter the Pottery Barn give away. And, like Joanne in Alabama I make fall happen regardless of our wonderful warm weather here on the Gulf Coast. I have begun gathering those large pinecones already. I pinned your fall ideas and plan to try several of them. Thanks for a wonderful blog.
Karen, go to the bottom of this post and you will see a box with the name of the giveaway. Click on the words “enter your email for a chance to win” and enter! Good luck!
I really like your idea of placing small pumpkins on candle holders. I am going to do that this year. I too love bittersweet. I cannot find any real here in Ohio anymore, but will be on the lookout for faux. I told my sister about your daily inspiration email and she sent me a thank you for telling her about your wonderful ideas and special Sunday emails. A big thank you from both of us.
You both are welcome, Psulette! Thanks for spreading the word!
Oh, what a great post on a humid, muggy day ….don’t want to wish away the summer but sure am looking forward to Fall. Your ideas are great…starting to see mums out at the garden centers and grocery stores and can’t wait to get some. I agree they need to be put in something to jazz them up. I have two planters I use for all seasonal plants…they were polished brass containers many years ago and I spray painted them with a rough texture brushed chrome finish. Turned out great and they look good if I use them in my home or on the screen patio. Right now the sunflower wreath is on my door…but soon as Labor Day comes the Fall Leaves will fall in ! Thanks for your great ideas! http://www.ournewvista.com
Oh Yvonne, I am so looking forward to fall, especially after this hot muggy summer! Can’t wait to open the doors and windows and smell the scent that autumn brings. It is a favorite season of mine and all of your ideas really speak to me!! After Labor Day, I will begin the transformation! Thank you for sharing another great post!
What a great and much needed post today. It’s been a long hot summer and it isn’t over … September is traditionally one of our hottest months. Fall is my favorite season…and my favorite season for decorating. It’s also the easiest and longest season to decorate for. I love the Fall colors. There are so many wonderful (many of them free) things to have indoors/outdoors to decorate with. Since I despise summers (such heat and humidity!) in the South this post gives me inspiration to hold on for a few more weeks until our heat lessens and the leaves begin to turn – usually mid to late October. Thanks for the breath of fresh air today!
Hi! Thanks for the post. Autumn is my favorite season. I am a bit jealous of you all that have bittersweet growing around naturally–not so much in Montana! But this year our Mountain Ash berries are finally mature enough to turn orange so I am thinking I can make a wreath with them!
I love your ideas Yvonne. I’m looking forward to cooler days especially today: 104 right now in Central California. Very good pictures of your vignettes. Thank you!
Fall, ahhhh my favorite time of year. I love everything about it. Your ideas are fresh and beautiful and I will definately be using them in my fall decor.
L-o-v-e all the fall ideas! They’re always gorgeous! 😀
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I grow my own bittersweet. It is an awesome way to bring fall inside. I love the book page leaves.
I love this post Yvonne❤️ Going to make your leaf garland this year. So many fabulous ideas. Thank you
Thank you so much for this post, Yvonne! This is exactly the type of inspiration I need as I embark on my “zero waste” decorating for fall here soon. I think I’ll start by scavenging my backyard and then check out our local farmers market to find some of these items. Love it!
Love, love your style!
Many beautiful ideas. I love to see what you do next!
Love your fall decor!! Looking for faux bittersweet..any ideas where I can get it online? Thanks and have a LOVELY day!
Bittersweet is very popular this year. Your best to look in local decor shops. They will carry more realistic faux versions.
I never thought about using nuts for fall decor .Thanks for the great ideas and inspiration
I made your burlap and book leaves garland last year and it was my fav decoration last fall. I love your blog! And your podcast!
Your talent is immense! One question, what is in the apothecary jar with the white pumpkins? Very pretty!
Thanks
Thanks Linda! A cloche is holding the pumpkins on a dish. Hope this helps.
Massive congratulations on your 100th episode! And thank you for the design inspiration. :o)
Thanks so much Anna! So glad you are reading
I always look forward to your beautiful pictures, decorating tips and recipes. Your blue and white tablescape with the pumpkins was especially striking tonight. Thank you for all your wonderful ideas.
I actually ordered bittersweet online from etsy last fall. It was wrapped so well and arrived in beautiful shape.
Just wondering where you buy your Bittersweet at or can you recommend a place on the internet? We don’t have it growing here where I live and all I have found is made with Styrofoam balls, which I hate!
I think buying faux florals etc is best at local decor or home shops. They tend to carry high quality, more realistic looking faux. They are also more pricey but so worth the investment.
Thanks for showing the white pumpkins in all sizes and the blue ones too. I love them. Last year you had little white one tied with a black and white check bow. I gave everyone in my small group at church one and they went over big, big! What fun I had. ~ Deb
Autumn is my absolute favorite season. Being in CA we are DRY and HOT. Waiting for my husband to get his new heart, a transplant. Looking at the Indian corn reminds me of childhood, life was good then.
Carol, Praying for you and your husband! Sending love too!
Yvonne,
As usual great blog! Inspiration galore! Where or where did you find the velvet acorns – also any sources online since we often don’t have the same retailers? Thinking I might find some bittersweet at Save-On-crafts.com. Thanks!
I bought 3 birch logs from a garage sale years ago and love using them on my front porch for both Autumn and Christmas. Also, love the book page leaf garland!
Thanks for all of your ideas. Fall is my favorite time to decorate, and I probably have as much fall decor as Christmas decor. I would like to find some good-looking faux bittersweet.
I love these tips! And I love your decorating! It’s beautiful! I do have a question though: are your candles real or faux? If they’re faux, they’re amazing! If they’re real, they’re still amazing! Where did you get them? Thank you again!
They are faux. I love “luminary” candles.
So happy to see the fall tours your home is a vessel of beauty and ideas, as is your blogger friends. Thank you for sharing your home!!
I enjoyed viewing this blog. Thanks for sharing.
Happy Fall, Yvonne! Every time I see this fall decorated wooden bowl I am so inspired! It is stunning and so swoon-worthy with all of the fall elements! I have been looking for sunflower pods ever since last fall and have had no luck so far. Do you have a good source for faux sunflower pods? I’m sure you have access to so many of the elements used in this picture from the Amish country. Wish I was closer to all the wonderful things you are always finding in Lancaster County!
Hi Shebe, here you go:https://rstyle.me/+rdg2a2Ybzu9sgepB0KyKVw
Yvonne, is there any way to use monkey balls? Can they be preserved?
Hi Ethel. I’m not sure. I’ve never seen them before. Google it and see what you find.