If you’re looking for some creative and budget-friendly ways to bring some fall decor into your home, keep reading! I’ve listed some of my best money-saving tips for cheap ways to decorate, and you don’t have to sacrifice style, either!
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Frugal Fall Decorating Ideas? Totally Doable.
It’s still a million degrees in Tennessee, but it’s almost September, so I need fall to officially be here. At least in my head.
I’ve only recently taken a love for fall. When I was a teacher, the coming of fall used to stress me out as a teacher, but since being a SAHM? Bring. It. On.
When we first moved to Tennessee 3 years ago, I was excited to decorate for fall. The downside was, well, being a SAHM, wasn’t really decorating-friendly in terms of money and budget. But it was beautiful here in the fall here in East Tennessee, and I really just couldn’t NOT decorate for fall. There had to be some creative ways that I could make my house fall-friendly on a budget.
I previously wrote a post on how to decorate your house when you’re on a tight budget. There are a lot of principles in that post that apply, but there are some that are particular to fall decor – so much so, that it deserves its own post.
With a little creativity and imagination, I made it happen, and if you’re on a tight budget or are looking for ways to save money on decorating for fall, you can make it happen too. It’s easier than you think. I promise.
11 Easy and Cheap Ways to Decorate Your House for Fall
Here are the inexpensive ways I get my house fall-ready.
1| First, have an idea of the look and feel you want for your fall decor this season.
Things change year to year as far as style, trends, etc. go. Think through what you’re aiming for this year. Do you want soft, cozy and neutral? Traditional fall colors and decor? Rich, moody, earthy tones?
I love to look at pictures to get some inspiration and ideas! If you’re like that too, here are some of my favorite fall home decorating ideas, that include mantles, entryways, tabletops, and eating areas! You can also look through Pinterest and Instagram for ideas as well!
It’s best to have an idea of a look or theme or style that your are aiming for before you dive right in. Take a little time to gather some inspiration or create a vision board first! This can eliminate a lot of waste, unnecessary buying and making the most of what you already have!
2| Take inventory in your own house and use transitional pieces
First, before you start buying or going all-out DIY, see what you already have that can transition to fall decor.
Vases? Jars? Baskets? Candles? Chalkboard signs? Lanterns? Candlesticks and candleholders? These are all great items that can be adapted from winter to spring to summer to fall to Christmas.
You know what has been a lifesaver in my decor? Food jars. Like salsa jars, spaghetti sauce jars…clean those babies out, soak and remove the labels and you’re good to go. (Below when you see the picture of the jars with popcorn kernels? Yeah, those were Aldi coconut oil jars.)
You probably have a lot already that you can use. I’m constantly moving things all around my house, from season to season.
Once you know what you have and you can use, make a list of what blanks you need to fill in. Do you need pumpkins? Cornstalks and hay bales? Candles? Then you can move on to the rest.
Below are some glass bottles that I fill and change out with the seasons.
Here’s how I used them the next year:
The planters and vases and lanterns on my porch are neutral enough that I use all of them almost every season and just change out what goes inside!
3| Use outdoor (and free) decor
The great thing about fall is that nature is your friend here – and it doesn’t need to be kept alive like summer flowers do (well, mums, maybe). You can collect branches and sticks to put in vases. Pine cones, acorns, leaves – those are all things that are perfect for fall decor. You can use branches with colorful leaves in vases as centerpieces, or there are so many fall decor crafts you can make with leaves. Nature is free, and therefore very budget-friendly!
Collecting acorns, pine cones and leaves are also great activities for kids and a fun way to get them involved. I scooped up these acorns while my boys were playing at the playground and made this fun DIY acorn tree. You can also just put them in bowls, jars, candle holders, etc.
I took the acorns and painted them the next year to incorporate into my navy and copper fall theme!
And you know what else is free and on trend and looks amazing with any fall decor? Pampas grass! I got mine in the wild for free! Keep your eyes open as you’re out and about. I’m not above pulling over and cutting a few stalks. A few spritzes of hair spray and they last forever!
4| Hit Dollar Spot
This is by far my favorite back-pocket trick for fall (and any season) decor. You can score very tasteful and trendy decor for $1, $3, and $5. Lots of stores have bargain sections like this now!
All around my house you will see decor from the dollar spot. Think out of the box there as well – I saw fall scarves in the spot but used them as runners for my coffee table!
I got this chalkboard sign for $5, a pack of 4, along with the stuffed white pumpkin for $1.
I got this Autumn Leaves sign at the Target Dollar spot last year (2019) for either $3 or $5 (can’t remember! Sorry! But it was cheap!).
I’d say most of this stuff on my porch was from the Target Dollar Spot (burlap bunting, HELLO FALL banner, light-up balls on the table, stuffed pumpkins, hayride sign, white ‘welcome pumpkin’ sign, neutral-colored pumpkins, white wooden pumpkin… you get the idea!)
5| DIY, sister
Since being a SAHM, I’ve learned to become a DIY girl. There are a TON of what to make some EASY DIY fall crafts. If you need some inspiration, here are a bunch of easy Fall DIY Home Decor Projects.
This is a neutral-colored wreath that is super-easy and super-cheap! You can get the wire wreath at Dollar Tree, and the ribbon is from Hobby Lobby. This is also great to repurpose and re-use for with other neutral decor.
(You can also find more DIY wreaths here, too!)
And these are just pumpkins covered with washi tape. You can also chalk paint and distress your pumpkins, too.
Here’s another fall DIY I did (you can find directions for this ribbon and floral wall hanging here!):
6| Fill jars with cheap or free stuff
Remember those jars and vases you gathered in #2? You can fill them with popcorn kernels, pine cones, acorns, faux pumpkins, faux berries...and you can even get cheap filler from Hobby Lobby (they’re already down to 40% off fall decor in September) or potpourri from the dollar stores. Even a candle works well inside a jar or vase, and always looks classy.
Cheap filler pumpkins and balls from Walmart. You can even chalk paint them if you’re going for a more neutral color scheme.
7| Upcycle & Repurpose Clearance, Thrift or What You Already Have
You can upcycle and repurpose not only things you can find inexpensively at the store but also things you already have! You don’t need to get everything brand new. A lot of times, paint and a few embellishments create a whole new life for a piece of decor!
For instance, last year I decided I wanted to do a navy-and-copper fall theme. I had NO navy and copper fall decor (well, just one sign, which gave me the idea in the first place!). Anyhow, I had a ton of pumpkins and I just couldn’t see myself going out to buy new pumpkins, so with a little paint, I had a whole new set of decor!
This was a terra cotta vase I got a thrift store that I painted navy and did that trendy mud swipe on it, lol. The eucalyptus were also from the thrift store and I spray-painted them copper.
You can get cheap pumpkins, faux flowers, and berries at dollar stores and Walmart. Those can easily be upcycled with paint or small adjustments and used in a DIY craft or wreath. Don’t forget about 40% off coupons at Michaels.
Thrift stores and yard sales are a goldmine for items to upcycle and repurpose. I’m collecting fall items all the time, whenever I happen to see them.
I had gotten this pitcher at Hobby Lobby in the spring for 60% off and then bought the wheat for 40% off. The chalkboards I use seasonally and I’d gotten them from Target Dollar Spot. Throw in a few pumpkins and pine cones, and you’re all set!
This was a wreath that was on clearance at Christmas from Walmart, and I painted clip-on pumpkins from Dollar Tree for a fall wreath!
Chalk painting and washi tape are fun ways to upcycle. I also love to buy cheap faux flowers at Walmart or the store, split them apart and cut them so they’re exactly what I want.
I had seen these Hearth and Home faux berries in small bottles at Target, and decided to make my own version from cheap berries at Walmart.
I had this glass bowl, and I took some cheap berry faux flowers from Walmart and cut off the berries with pliers. It’s the perfect filler for this!
These are spray painted eucalyptus stems in repurposed olive oil bottles!
And don’t forget about end-of-season sales. You can score some amazing deals for next year once they are put on clearance!
8| Use Fall Printables
So many bloggers are so generous when it comes to printables, and they are super-professional looking. Many times they are free or you can get them super-cheap on Etsy.
You can frame them, or better yet, I love gluing a clip onto a picture frame, with the glass removed, and it’s a super-cute place to display them. This can easily be adjusted from season to season!
I have many fall printables in my subscriber library for free – be sure you sign up to gain access to them (sign up in the right sidebar)! And here are other fall printables you can look through as well!
Below is a board I got from the Target Dollar Spot for $3. I painted it and put my own printable in there!
Here are some fall printables I designed that you can find in my Etsy shop!
9| Use letter boards
If you have one, this is a great way to add some fall sentiment, that can transition from season to season. You can find all kinds of fall quotes on Pinterest!
And if you don’t have a letter board and can’t buy one, small chalkboards work well too! I got this 4 pack of chalkboard easels for $5! If you don’t think your handwriting could work on a chalkboard, imitating Rae Dunn letters is pretty easy to do! Here’s a great post that can get you started with that!
10| Raid the garage or shed
You’d be surprised what you have kicking around there that you can use for cheap fall decor. You might have some items that easily transition and work – so you might find some raw material for DIY projects like paint, rope, old chairs, and tables, scraps of wood.
We had this ladder kicking around and it was perfect for the porch. That table was given to us, but it just sat on the side of the house. Here, it is ideal fall decor!
If you need some more porch inspiration, by the way, here are some tips specifically for porches but 30 different decorating ideas for fall! Lots of the same principles apply to decorating inside as well.
11| Have a friend decor swap
Lots of times, we get bored with our own decor and are looking to bring in something fresh. Fortunately, most seasonal decor doesn’t go out of style, so it’s a perfect material for a friend swap. Get some girls together, bring some decor that you’re looking to get off your hands, and swap it out! You’ll find some amazing treasures without spending a dime
Inexpensive Fall Decorating Done – That Doesn’t Look Cheap!
I know it can be really hard when you see all these picture-perfect homes on Instagram, decorated to every tiny detail. You feel like you can never pull that off, with the budget you’re on. I totally get it. But I think you can do an amazing job and create a home and space you love without going into debt over it! And it’s really not about what everyone else has – it’s about a place that you love, to fill with people you love, and make amazing memories. And that can be done no matter what the budget – and still look tasteful, classy, and beautiful!
I’d love to hear some of YOUR best tips! And if you use any of these ideas, I’d love to see them! Please leave a comment on Pinterest or tag me on Instagram!
More Fall Decorating Ideas
15 Easy to Create Fall Table Decor Ideas
18 Farmhouse Fall Mantel Ideas
15 Dreamy Fall Vignette Decor Ideas + How-To Tips
Thoughts? I’d love to hear them! Leave a comment below!
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