Fall can span three or four months, and depending on where you celebrate the season includes several holidays in a row. This can make decorating for the entire time a pricey struggle of rotating decor. To make it easier on yourself this year, here are a few ways to shape your fall decor that will last the entire length of autumn.
Say It with Words
Starting sometime in August, if you go into just about any store, you’re going to get bombarded with fall decor. You know what I mean: everything from wall plaques to throw pillows printed with messages like “Happy Fall” to “Gather,” “Blessings,” or just a simple “Let’s Eat” or a pun featuring a pumpkin or turkey. This is the easiest and most overt way to add a little fall feel to your home – add a few throw pillows, a new doormat, and maybe some hand towels. But be wary: the more seasonally or holiday-specific the look, the less use you’ll get out of it.
Turn Over a New Leaf
For a purely season-based decor palette, all you have to do is look to nature. As the days get shorter, leaves change color and fall off to help prepare the trees for a dormant period. A completely natural phenomenon, but the striking imagery of leaves falling is one of the best signifiers for the season. You can embrace the idea (but not the mess of dead plants) in your fall decor in a few ways. Faux autumn foliage can make beautiful flower arrangements for a table centerpiece or wreath. And fall leaf motifs are common on all kinds of linens, like table runners, napkins, and tablecloths, which all signify gathering around a harvest table.
See the Forest for the Trees
In a similar way, the exposed branches of dormant trees can also be a good visual indication of autumn – and one that’s easier to decorate with year-round. Bare tree branches are a natural decorative building block for frames, shelves, and even lamps or tables. They’re also great for giving your home a more all-natural look. Pair this tree motif with autumnal colors for a more stunning display. Then swap out with evergreen or holly for winter, fresh flowers for spring, and so-on for a look that’s always in-season.
Go Wild for Wood
If you don’t want a tree (faux or otherwise), but would like a wood element, hand carved wood can also be a nice bit of autumn decor. Look for specific fall items as wooden carvings, like harvest vegetables or gourds, bird figurines (like crows, ducks, or miniature turkeys), or more holiday-specific things like witches or pilgrims. You can find these sculptures in any paint you’d like, but unpainted carvings highlight the natural wood grain and are your best option for autumn decor that will last you through the season.
Pumpkin Spice Living
Despite what coffee shops tell you, pumpkin as a flavoring is available all year long. We still associate pumpkins with fall, though, because that’s when the actual orange gourds are in season. The real thing will rot faster than you think (trust me, I make this mistake every year!), so decorate with real gourds at your own risk. For a safer, more long-lived option, look-alikes will stay intact for the whole season. Think those aforementioned wood carvings, knit or fabric pumpkins, or even just pumpkin patterns or prints. Pumpkins are a solid, holiday-neutral option that bring out the fall spirit every year without fail.
Whether you opt for a simple leaf motif or a cornucopia of harvest veggies, a few simple pieces of fall decor will give you that little festive pop this autumn without the extra work of rotating out for every holiday.
