Labor Day is over and fall is officially (unofficially) here! I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to feel it already: It’s less humid, we’ve had several pleasant seventy-something degree days in a row, and I’m already starting to see some leaves change on a few trees!
With all this change in the air, you’re probably looking to do a little change in the decor in your home as well: Nothing major, I understand the end of summer can be bittersweet, but there are a few little touches you can make here and there to make your home pop for the autumn. Here are a few subtle fall decorations I like to put out.
(P. S. While you’re in the autumn mood, check out my post from last week on fall gardening tips!)
1. Try a nice fall wreath
You can pick one of these up yourself at a craft or home goods store, or you can make it yourself using some hot glue, flowers from the dollar store, and maybe a few odds and ends you can find in your backyard. (Check out this post for instructions on how to make a wreath.) A wreath covered in warm, fall colors like brown, red, orange, and gold, and with little touches like pinecones, leaves, and acorns, is a great way to usher in the new season.
2. While we’re on the subject of foliage, how about some fall flowers inside?
You can do a flashy “hello fall!” look with sunflowers, chrysanthemums, asters, and the like, or you can do something more subtle and just set out a little bouquet of earth tones on your table or mantle. A little bit goes a long way. I just love going to the dollar store and putting together bouquets of flowers to put out: It’s inexpensive, I get to play florist for a bit, and they don’t need care and never die! That’s a win-win-win situation.
3. Not into florals? How about some pumpkins?
Setting out pumpkins, real or fake, can get you right in the festive, fall mood. You can put them in a basket outside your door, which just screams “harvest,” or go for a more subtle look and put gourds of a different color around your house. These little guys still let us know it’s autumn, but without all the connotations of Halloween and Thanksgiving right around the corner. After all, it’s still September, let’s take this one step at a time. (Although, if you go with the basket of orange pumpkins, when October rolls around, it’ll be pretty easy to just turn them into Jack-o-Lanterns!)
4. Or, try something else entirely.
If the flowers and the pumpkins aren’t ringing your bell (or, if they are, and you want to go above and beyond in honor of the season), try some little outdoor touches. Adding little accents like hay, pine cones, and acorns around the house can add a little subtle fall flair without being too obvious, and the cute, charming nature of tiny touches like that is downright homey. (If you’re worried about mold or allergens from picking these things up from outside, craft stores are never in short supply.)
5. Bonus tip: Try something sweet.
Fall truly is the homiest, coziest of seasons, and nothing says homey and cozy like setting out fresh baked goods for family and guests. If you love to bake, try whipping up something like gingersnap cookies or apple pie. The warm aroma will fill your home after it’s made, and the confections can serve the dual role of decor and tasty snack (while they last!)
Of course, if you realize you’re gobbling up the tasty treats a little too fast, a scented candle will always do the trick, too! 😉
