Tight budget? Saving up for Christmas yet? Well, fall is one of the best times of year to decorate on a budget because so many of the elements you’d typically use are common backyard items (or at least could be with some preparation).
As you may know, we have been tackling our mortgage head on, which doesn’t leave much extra room for things that are necessary to live, like decorating. Which, at first, felt like a tragedy for me. Not decorate for fall?!?! How could this be possible? I love fall! I love decorating for the seasons!
They say necessity is the father of invention and that has certainly become the case around here. I realized that not having money to decorate doesn’t mean it can’t be done. So, I headed out to our backyard and went on a hunt for budget friendly fall décor from the outdoors.
What I found were:
Decorative landscaping grass
The kind that have lovely wheat-like tops by this time of year are perfect for their color and texture. I trimmed away enough to fill three vases and it’s not even noticeable in the landscaping. These are my favorite natural fall element.
Pinecones
I wrote about our pinecone garland on Monday, so be sure to check out that post. Again, lovely color and texture for your autumn home.
The big obvious one is Pumpkins
Now, I know most people wouldn’t jus have these growing in their backyard, but if you are tight on money this year, take it as your cue to plan ahead next year and plant some (if you have the space). I was totally going to and just never did.
If you don’t grow your own pumpkins, they are still an affordable decoration for even the tightest budget. Look for a small farm stand and you’ll get the biggest bang for your buck.
Leaves
Once they start changing color there are all kinds of ways to use leaves in your fall décor! There are ways to preserve them so they don’t die and make a mess in your home.
Apples
Again, not something everyone has in their backyard, but how cheap are bags of apples this time of year? I think they look lovely in a pretty basket.
Still not convinced? Well, I had asked some of my blogging friends to share some of the natural autumn décor from their homes to give an example of how it can be done!
Over at Prodigal Pieces, Larissa’s fireplace has the perfect neutral palette made possible by white pumpkins, dried grasses, cotton branches, and hydrangeas. Even the logs at the side of the fire lend a decorative touch (though, they are probably there for more practical reasons.
On This Makes That, some lovely natural elements are used to decorate Susan’s front porch. Mums, pumpkins, and gourds welcome their guests and make it so pretty.
At Love My Simple Home, Julie has a great suggestion on easy (and cheap) fall decorating with scrabble pieces! Not a backyard element, but something most people have sitting in their homes.
Maybe She Made It has another pinecone garland that has super cute ribbons.
And, finally, Carolyn from Homework was able to pull off this cute dining room display despite the heat using preserved branches and leaves.
So, you see, decorating doesn’t have to be in the budget to have a cozy, seasonable home. By using natural elements (most of which can be found in backyards) like pumpkins, leaves, pinecones, grasses, and fruit, our homes have just the right touch of autumn. Fall decorating can be especially fun to go outside and see what you can find! You might be surprised!
While we are on the topic of fall, I am doing an October Photo Challenge on Instagram and would love it if you joined me! It’s just for fun, so no pressure, but basically, there is a theme for every day and you post pictures using the hashtag #charmingfall and tag my account @charmingimperfections so I can see them. I’ll be featuring the prettiest pictures along the way. This will be such a fun way to celebrate fall!
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