As long summer days turn once again into crisp fall evenings, the need for a shift may come to you. Maybe it’s the feeling of wanting to stay in bed a little longer, or curling up on the couch with a cozy blanket and a good book. Perhaps it’s the desire for a warm morning coffee or tea with some cinnamon or nutmeg flavoring (PSL, anyone?).
For me, I like to mark the changing of the season with a physical change to my living spaces.
The changing of the seasons is a great time to freshen up the look of your home. With just a few simple things, you can transform your table, mantel or front steps into a welcoming fall focus point. You can choose to take this to any level you want to. From BOGO sales at Michaels to higher end decor found at Pottery Barn or William-Sonoma, there is something for everyone to decorate with and celebrate the change in seasons. While looking for inspiration, I also created a Fall Decor board on my pinterest page, which you can find here.
Of course, you can include the kids no matter their age and display their creative work. There is always an activity to do in the fall or some help to give you if they are interested in that part of the process. They could collect acorns or colorful leaves to display on the tablescape, or bundle twigs to use as fireside decorations. School age kids can make crafts like painted pumpkins or coloring pages that you could display. Maybe even have them come up with an acrostic poem or brainstorm words having to do with fall and then create a word cloud. For the crafty kids, there are a ton of fall crafts to do. A simple internet search lead me to this site, which would have my kiddos busy for days!
Mantel
For the mantel, you will want 4 things.
- A garland of some kind for width. Michaels has a ton of different garlands made with artificial leaves, acorns, berries, pumpkins, etc. You can make one yourself with wire and ribbon or order a custom garland from Etsy like this one.
- A sign or other object for height. In order to take the eye up and fill the space above the mantel, a vase filled with fall flowers (real or fake depending on how often you feel like tending to it) or a sign with a welcoming message will do the trick.
- Lighting. The candles that flicker but are electric are wonderful for sleepy moms who don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night in a panic wondering if she blew out the candles or not!
- Assorted decor in different textures. A mix of ceramic pumpkins, burlap ribbons and soft little woodland creature statues all say that fall is here and give depth to your decor.
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Front Door/Outside
Decorating outside can be a great way to welcome yourself and family home after a long day at work and school. You only need a few things to make it feel like fall outside.
- Wreath. You can make it yourself or buy them at a place like Home Goods. It will change the entire look of your front door.
- Welcome mat. Something with fall colors and images at your feet is a great way to let others know that your home is ready for fall! This is a great example.
- Scarecrows, pumpkins and gourds, and hay. All of the traditional outdoor fall decorations can have a special place on your front porch if room allows. Maybe even throw in a bushel basket full of apples!
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Table
You’ll only need a few things from around the house to make your everyday table into a fabulous fall masterpiece!
- Tablecloth or runner. If you don’t already have one, you can make one easily with any fabric you like. Here is a tutorial for a no sew table runner!
- Candles. Again, I love the flicker of the artificial candles without the risk of one of the kids knocking over a real flame.
- Charger plates. I found these very cheap but adorable charger plates at Michaels. They’re the perfect way to spice up your everyday dinner plates.
- Linens. Anything you have around the house will work if it’s in a fall color. If you don’t have a complete set of cloth napkins or placemats, you can always look at consignment shops or Goodwill to come up with an eclectic fall set for a steal!
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Redecorating just one area in your home is a great way to welcome in the new season and you don’t have to spend a fortune to achieve the cozy feeling of fall!
