Even if you’re someone who doesn’t go gaga over pumpkin spiced-beverages and apple cider scents, it’s hard to escape the fall fanfare. There’s just something about the cooler weather and changing leaves that makes people want to embrace the season. And for a lot of folks, that extends to their living space.
If you’re not careful, you could easily spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars getting your home fall-ready. But if you’re on a budget, fear not. There are plenty of ways you can decorate your home for fall without going overboard. Here are six low-cost options to consider.
[READ: 7 Easy Ways To Add Curb Appeal To Your Home This Fall]
1. Use Nature to Your Advantage
Fall is a great season to spend time in nature. It’s not too hot or cold, and the scenery can be downright breathtaking.
In the course of bringing that fall vibe to your home, Bradley Montanez, founder and CEO at TableUps, suggests using nature to spruce up your space rather than going out and buying a host of decorative items.
“Nature is the best decorator,” he says. “Simple things like pine cones and leaves will create a cozy atmosphere for fall. Bring in natural elements, such as pinecones, acorns and leaves, to add to your decor. These can easily be collected from your lawn and placed in a bowl or sprinkled down the middle of a table runner.”
2. Repurpose Things You Already Own
It’s one thing to spend money on a new furniture piece you’ll use for years. It’s another thing to raid your savings for seasonal decor that’s destined to be stashed in your garage for 10 months out of the year.
For this reason, Montanez is a fan of repurposing items you own instead of buying everything new.
“Be creative with items you already have,” he says. “Take an old ladder and use it for holding blankets, or take a wood crate and fill it with seasonal fruits or gourds. Items like these can add so much character to your home without having to spend too much money.”
If you have a dining room table, Montanez says you can also use items you already have at home to create a beautiful fall centerpiece.
[READ: How to Paint Your Ceiling to Elevate Your Space]
3. Embrace Those Classic Fall Colors
If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to drive along a scenic overlook when fall foliage is at its peak, you’ve no doubt experienced that breathtaking array of color. Thankfully, it doesn’t take a ton of money to bring those colors into your home.
“Replace your throw pillows and blankets with rich fall colors like burnt orange, deep crimson red, and mustard yellow,” Montanez says. “These little things will add up to make big changes in instantly giving your living area that cozy autumn feel.”
4. Layer Textures for a Cozy Vibe
There’s been a big push toward adding texture to home decor for an extra-warm feel. Rachel Walker, design director for Bedsure.
“Add warmth and depth to a room by layering different textures,” she says. “Throw blankets and decorative pillows can instantly create a cozy autumn atmosphere.” You can also play around with smaller rugs, which tend to be less expensive than larger area rugs.
[Related:How to Create a Cozy Wintertime Bedroom]
5. Bring Fall Colors Into Your Bedroom
When we think about fall decor, we often focus on spaces that guests and visitors will spend time in. But if you’re a fan of fall, don’t forget to incorporate some of that warmth into your bedroom.
Swapping out your bedding is one easy option. Since you may need a midweight blanket during the in-between season anyway, you have an opportunity to choose one that screams autumn. You can also invest in fall-colored sheets and pillowcases.
“Color is a powerful way to enhance the bedroom’s overall decor without breaking the bank,” says Walker. “For busy individuals, bedding sets or bundles offer a convenient solution to completely change the look of a bedroom.”
6. Add Natural Outdoor Elements
Hopefully, your trees will grace your property with colorful leaves that make your yard shine. But you can also enhance your exterior without spending a fortune, says Marcia Layton Turner, co-author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Staging Your Home to Sell.”
“You can easily add inexpensive potted mums, pumpkins — real or faux — and cornstalks to create a vignette on either side of the front door,” she says. “If you have steps to the front door, consider lining them with groupings of pumpkins or colorful plants.”
[Related:10 Small Front Porch Ideas]
The nice thing about using real pumpkins is that once you’re done with them, you can carve them as a fun activity with children. Or you can see about using them for cooking purposes. Smaller pumpkins are easier to work with for this purpose, though you can scoop out and roast seeds from the larger ones to get your money’s worth.
You can also decorate your door itself. Fall is a great time to add a fresh coat of paint. “Add a pinecone or cornhusk wreath on the door that you make yourself for pennies with natural materials from outside,” Layton Turner suggests. If you’re not the crafty type, buying one is perfectly acceptable, too.
Finally, Layton Turner says, a seasonal rug near the front door can create an immediate welcoming atmosphere. You can place one on the outside, inside or both.
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6 Low-Cost Ways to Decorate Your Home for Fall originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 09/20/24: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
