Non-Pumpkin Fall Decorating Ideas (Early Autumn!)

Are you looking for fall decor ideas with no pumpkins? (No offense to the pumpkins!) Check out these different ideas for decorating your home with zero pumpkin aesthetic.

Early Fall Decor, Pumpkin Free

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My decorating style has changed over the years. I was all in when we first moved to TN, with a house I could decorate. I had a zillion shelves and spaces to decorate – and loved every bit of it.

Until it all became too much.

Now, I just crave simple. Just a few areas to place seasonal accents without taking over every space.

Today, I’m sharing easy ideas for decorating your house for fall without using pumpkins. I love pumpkins – but early fall just feels too early for me.

In my brain, September to mid -October is autumn leaves and apples (decor and baking!). Mid-October to Thanksgiving is pumpkin season.

Different years, I’ve done no-pumpkin fall decorating (well, minimal pumpkin – I might have added 1 or 2 on a shelf).

This year, I had plenty of decor I had already stockpiled, and I was liking it a lot with an early fall vibe, with no pumpkins.

So here are my tips if you’d like to give this a go! I’ll give you my bullet point list first, then I’ll share pictures of how I did it in my house.

Non-Pumpkin Decorating Tips for Early Fall

1| Use real florals

Flowers are just for summer! You can use all kinds of florals – dried or fresh – in fall colors.

I love to use fresh fall planters and mums on my porch.

Inside, I like to use dried flowers, baby’s breaths, & hydrangeas in small vases.

2| Let nature inspire

Go beyond florals and let nature be your influence!

My favorite pieces of decor for fall are leaves and berries. I love, love, them both.

Pampas grass, wheat stalks, acorns and pinecones are great for autumn, also.

You can also think of fall fruit – like pears, pomegranates, or apples.

3| Focus on a fall color palette

Like I said, it’s really the colors that make the difference. Here are a few to try:

Traditional: Oranges, reds, and yellows

Non-traditional: My most favorite palette is plum and mustard. I think it’s so classy and I try to mix it in wherever I can. I’m not generally a ‘moody decor’ type person, but I love this purpley-brown-goldish-mustard combo for fall.

Bright fall color mix: For me, this goes beyond traditional colors and mixes in sage greens, along with more off-beat browns, mustards. It’s just an assortment of all the colors at once, which I love. It keeps it from being too… overpowering, maybe?

Neutrals: For a soft palette that unobtrusively mixes with your home decor, neutral has a lot of appeal.

You can use it with straw hats, totes, place mats, blankets, candles, ribbon, even a wreath!

4| Incorporate evergreen accents in fall colors

This is where you can have standard decor – just use fall colors (see above!).

Blankets, pillows, candles, centerpieces, candle rings, tablecloths, table runners, wall art, mini-wreaths, rugs, and books in an autumn color palette all add a fall accent without screaming ‘it’s fall!’

Terracotta, amber bottles, copper pieces are also great to mix in because they inherently have a fall aesthetic.

Fall Decor with No Pumpkins in Action – Inspo Pics

Let me show you concrete ideas of how this plays out:

1| Fall Flowers

PORCH PLANTERS

This is one I grabbed from Costco!

Vibrant autumn flower arrangement with red, orange, and yellow flowers in a black pot, displayed outdoors against a brick wall,

DRIED FLOWERS

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A painted gold mason jar is also a nice touch for fall!

2| Let Nature Inspire

LEAVES

I love aspen leaves for fall! Simplest decor ever – just stick the branch in a vase & good to go!

BERRIES

Autumnal dried floral arrangement in a glass vase, cozy rustic decor for fall, natural earthy tones, seasonal decorating ideas, home interior aesthetic.

These are my most favorite berry stems. So realistic, and you can shape them so many ways!

PAMPAS GRASS WITH DRIED BRANCHES

DIY Organic Inspired Fall Wreath

This was a super-easy DIY wreath made with a thrifted grapevine wreath form. I just stuck pampas grass & dried branches from this arrangement I had. I didn’t use glue – just poked them in the wreath form! Then, I added a soft neutral bow with my favorite ribbon (I use it everywhere).