8 Easy and Cheap Fall Decor Ideas

This post contains affiliate links. By purchasing through these links you are helping me keep The Homemaker's Cottage running with no added cost to you!

Confession: Fall is my FAVORITE season!!  There is something so wonderful about the changing leaves, crisp air, the smell of woodstove smoke in the air…In fact, I love fall so much that my husband and I got married during the month of October nearly four years ago.

I’m one of those people who enjoy seasonal home decor, and fall is no exception.  But let’s be real: decor can be pricey!  I mean, it’s cute and all but I personally can’t justify dropping a ton of money on things that will only be out for a few weeks of the year.  If you’re in the same frame of mind, you are in luck because today I’m sharing some easy and FREE ways to decorate for fall using items you probably already have or can find in nature.

1 | Fabric Scraps

Don’t throw away a torn or stained garment! Cut it up and use it for crafts, such as making a rag wreath. This is super easy: simple cut strips of fabric in varying widths but that are long enough to tie into a knot. Then grab a metal coat hanger and bend it into a rough circle shape (I use my hands, but you can use pliers too), and start tying on your fabric strips. You can use all one color, or mix it up with various shades and textures. The wreath can be hung on an interior or exterior door for a fun pop of color.

2 | Pressed Leaves

Friends, this is SO easy! Find some pretty leaves, stick them in a book for a few days, and then pop those bad boys in a frame. I usually apply a dab of hot glue or a small piece of tape to the back of the leaf, and press it on a piece of plain paper trimmed to fit in the frame. There are copious amounts of empty frames in my house (I’m a “collector” of frames!), so I’m always able to find one to use, but you can pick some up at the dollar store or even yard sales for a decent price. I like to hang my framed leaves in a group for maximum effect.

3 | Free Printables

The internet is filled with gorgeous and FREE fall-themed artwork that you can print out and display. Here is just one example, but you can find your own by doing a simple search. Or, if you fancy yourself a creative type, you can use a free design program such as PicMonkey, to design your own, as I did. I like to use wooden frames to display fall printables on our entryway table and in the bathrooms. They’d be just as cute in a kid’s room too. You can find our free fall printables here!

4 | Dried Flowers

Some varieties of flowers can be cut and dried without crumbling. My personal favorite are Pearly Everlasting and Hydrangea, and I dry them by simply putting a cutting in an empty vase for a few days (This is a handy guide for air drying flowers). Once dried, you can put your flowers in a pretty vase, bottle, or even a jar.  

5 | Re-purposed Items

Take a walk through your home and see if you can use anything in your decor. For example, if you have a cozy blanket in rich autumn tones or in a cozy texture, you can drape it across your couch for display. If you save your kid’s artwork, take a peek and see if they have made anything in shades of red, yellow and orange. Then pop those masterpieces in some frames and call it a day. If you have wooden cooking utensils and an empty glass jar, display your wares on the counter, since wood always screams “fall”. You’d be surprised at what you might find if you go looking! I have some dish towels that are pretty plain, but they have red and brown stripes so I display them on my stove handle during the season.

6 | Pine Cones

Pine cones are literally everywhere this time of year! My favorite way to display them is simply in a pretty bowl or basket and set them on the coffee table. They’d look just as nice in a hurricane vase, or even tied and hung over the front door. Now please, please, please do not dry any pine cones in the oven! This is a huge fire hazard and it is totally unnecessary. If you are worried about bugs or germs or anything in the pine cones, you can simply freeze them for several hours to kill whatever is in there, then shake them out. Or spray some vinegar, bleach or even vodka over the pine cones to kill disinfect them.

7 | Borrowed Items

Ask your mom, sister, cousin, BFF, pastor’s wife, or anyone else you know if they have any fall stuff they could loan you. Try posting in a local Facebook swap group, too, and you may find some goodies. This option is great for someone who is not picky, since you never know what might be offered.

8| Clearance Items

If you reeeeally want to purchase items for use in your fall decor, might I suggest checking the stores later in the season? There may not be as much to choose from but I guarantee it will be drastically reduced. For example, I once found some very realistic faux flowers at the big box craft store for ONE DOLLAR instead of the usual 8 or so. Fall themed tablecloths, place mats, hand towels, and even potted plants are often on sale around the end of September and into October, so check stores then.

Whew, that was kind of a long list!  I hope you found these tips helpful, and are able to use them this year.  Remember to spend time outdoors, marveling at God’s handiwork 🙂