6 Easy Fall DIY Decorating Ideas
What is it about fall that makes us want to decorate our homes for the season and consume pumpkin flavored, well, everything? Maybe it’s the beautiful colors of changing leaves or the spirit of the holidays arriving early that makes us crazy for the autumn aesthetic.
Whatever the reason, there’s no better time to make your house look picture perfect. If you want to make your home cozy for the cooler weather, check out these super simple and inexpensive DIY projects to make your house look cute all fall.
We’ve rounded up the six easiest fall-themed projects that will transform your home into a Fall Wonderland in no time.
#1 – Cute Candles
Homemade candle holders are the fastest way to set the mood for autumn in your home. If you have a collection of mason jars in your home, you can easily decorate them with fall leaves to make multicolored candle holders. All you need for this project is a bundle of leaves, Mod Podge (a water-based glue and sealer) and a sponge brush (your fingers work just as well, only slightly messier!). Pick up a pack of fall leaves from your local dollar store, or simply forage for freshly fallen leaves in your backyard.
Bend your store-bought leaves a little to make them pliable, or wet real leaves, then paint on the Mod Podge on each leaf in thin layers, completely covering it. Then, stick the leaf to the inside of the jar, layering them over each other until the jar is covered from the inside. Let it dry for a few hours, then tie the top with a rafia.
Choose a cinnamon, pumpkin, or vanilla scented candle to up the autumn ante even more!
If you love the idea of cute candles but want an even easier project to carve out a snug hole in a small gourd and pop in a tea light.
#2 – Natural Vases
Think of pumpkins, gourds, and squashes as the most versatile edible decorations ever. Hollowing out a bottleneck gourd or a squash makes for a perfect flower vase to decorate the inside of your home with. Fill your pumpkin with mums for a lovely and easy decoration outside your front door. Pro tip: coating the pumpkins and squash in Vaseline helps them last longer!
#3 – Door Decor
Wreaths are probably the most iconic sign of the start of the holiday season and cooler weather. Showcase brilliant autumn leaves from your backyard by making a wreath and hanging it on your front door. It’ll take about 10 branches of fall leaves to fill up this wreath, depending on the number of leaves on the branches of your Japanese or Shantung maples, Shumard Oaks or Arizona Ashes in your Austin yard.
To make this wreath, you’ll also need some cardboard or heavy-duty cardstock, a stapler, a glue gun, some twine, and parchment paper.
Skip the old, dry leaves and collect only freshly fallen ones with no damage. For super quick preservation, cure them by popping them in the microwave (5 at a time) for a few seconds. Place the leaves between two sheets of parchment paper and microwave for about 20 seconds, turning them over halfway through. Then, press them flat with a hot iron to get rid of any remaining water.
Trace an outside and inside circle – a small and large plate work well – on the cardboard and cut them out. Then, gather a few pressed leaves into a bunch and staple to the cardboard above the stem of the leaves. Work clockwise from the top of the wreath, from the outside of the circle in. Every bunch of leaves you add should be placed strategically to cover the last staple. Continue covering the cardboard all the way to 6 o’clock, then start from the top again, this time working counter-clockwise. When the wreath is entirely covered, use craft glue or hot glue to position a few leaves over any visible staples and to fill in any areas that look less full or uneven. Ta-da! Once the wreath has dried, use a Command Hook or a glue a loop of twine, yarn or string to the back of the cardboard to hang on your door.
You can also make a more elaborate (and slightly more expensive) welcome wreath with artificial foliage for a wreath that’s extra-vibrant that lasts longer. Simple purchase a green moss wreath, some florist picks, and wire at a craft store or online. Use the florist picks to wrap the wreath with green, yellow, red, and orange leaves.
#4 – Friendly Welcome
An alternative to a wreath that’s just as welcoming and charming is a hand-made sign. If you have a vintage tray that you no longer use, apply chalkboard paint to the middle and hang it from your door! Decorate it wrapping fall branches of berries around it from a craft store. Write a note to your neighbors, trick or treaters, or simply “Welcome!” Once winter hits, you can swap out the branches for holly.
#5 -Pumpkin Centerpiece
All you need to create a breathtaking centerpiece is a quick trip to Goodwill and the grocery store or farmer’s market. You can find large glass vases for about $2 at Goodwill or at another thrift store, and then fill them with whatever creative combination of mini pumpkins, gourds, corn kernels that strikes your fancy.
Alternatively, fill a shallow glass tupperware you already have at home with a bed of fall leaves or corn kernels, then arrangement mini pumpkins and gourds on top for a quick and beautiful addition to your dining room table.
#6 – Squash Family
There’s yet another use for the many gourds and squashes on sale at every grocery store all fall. This DIY is a fun one to do with the kids – you can make a cute squash family! Either forage for eyes, noses, and mouths in the backyard with the kids (think pine needles, polynoses, and dried flowers) or hunt for them at the craft store. You can make hair out of hay and burlap to fashion scarves and hats! Just affix with a glue gun.
Bonus Decor Tip
If you’re not much of a DIYer and are looking for something even simpler to spruce up your home’s walkway, all you need is a few pumpkins and some floor cleaner. That’s right – liquid floor acrylic works to preserve pumpkins. Use a moist towel to gently apply a thin coat all over it. This trick only works for uncarved pumpkins, but it will keep them looking shiny and fresh for four weeks – all the way from Halloween through Thanksgiving!
A Cute Home Is A Clean Home
Speaking of cleaning products, every Fall-themed makeover begins with a good cleaning. Before starting any DIY decorating project, make sure to get your house in tip-top shape. One thing that’s difficult to do yourself, however, is make your house’s exterior looks brand new. For that, hire professionals to safely and efficiently power wash your home.
Here at Westlake Home and Commercial Services, our team has the expertise and equipment to revitalize your home and get it ready for the fall/winter season to come. Call us at 512-280-1649 or click the button below for a free estimate today.
