Stress-Free, Budget-Friendly Fall Decor Ideas And Other Thoughts

Fall decorating doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated to achieve the mood of an uplifting stroll on a crisp autumn day, rust and gold leaves scattered underfoot, and a low sun casting a warm, yellow glow on everything it touches.

Eh, wake me up. I must have gone into a dream!

Here in Florida, not so much with the crisp weather or leaves underfoot, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to recreate one of my favorite seasons without spending a lot or stressing out.

Discount and dollar stores are some of my best friends when it comes to fall decorations. Honestly, I’ve gotten some of the cutest fall decorations from these discount stores.

Here in Florida, not so much with the crisp weather or leaves underfoot, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to recreate one of my favorite seasons ever without spending a lot or stressing out.

And guess what? They’re all simple, festive items that can be used in one room or many rooms, depending on what works for you.

Enjoy And Don’t Stress

As you see from the pictures above, oranges and golds figure prominently, partly because I love seeing the splash of colors, but mostly because our littles get so excited to see the bold colors of pumpkins and fall leaves all around the house.

It reminds me a lot of what happens at Christmas, too. I prefer strings of white lights as outside decorations but the kids get so excited to see colorful strings of lights. Who can say no when kids’ memories are at stake?

So we compromise and both white and colorful lights bejewel our outdoor holiday display, a magpie’s dream of bright shiny objects.

Some seasons may include times when we’re so sleep-deprived because of a hectic work schedule or because of a newborn, in our case two newborns, or a colicky baby, also been there, that the best we can do is hang a seasonal garland on the front door and call it a day. Or maybe not even get do that much and that’s OK.

I’m a big believer in doing whatever works best for the season we’re in and I don’t just mean seasons of the year, I mean the seasons of our lives, too.

Some seasons may include times when we’re so sleep-deprived because of a hectic work schedule or because of a newborn, in our case two newborns, or a colicky baby, also been there, that the best we can do is throw a seasonal garland on the front door and call it a day.

Or maybe not even get do that much and that’s OK.

Or the kiddos are running around and breakables have to be perched atop something that little fingers can’t reach or maybe not displayed at all. Also OK.

What I’m trying to say is don’t stress. Know that whatever you do or don’t do is fine. Decorate to your own style and use things that resonate with you and your family. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Look closely at many of my pictures and you’ll see signs of a well-worn home that’s perfect for us in its imperfection.

What’s Worked For Me

And with that in mind, here are a few things that have worked for me to keep the stress and expenses down during the fall and other holiday seasons:

Mix the real with the not-so-real: I buy some real gourds, squash and mini pumpkins and mix them up with their faux, er … plastic counterparts, for an arrangement that can be changed out every season.

Just keep the pretends in rotation each year and mix and match with their fresh counterparts for a realistic and less expensive arrangement.

Can you guess which ones are real from this picture? I’ve mixed a real squash with these dollar store pumpkin and gourd decorations, that can be bought individually at the store, which is what I did. It’s a good way to spend less on real gourds and squash, which can get pricey if you buy a lot.

Several years ago I bought ears of colorful dried Indian corn that kept going strong forever. The kernels stayed intact for a really long time, so I kept displaying their rustic beauty every fall.

The one remaining one is behind the arrangement you see in this picture. They’re like miraculous corn that keep showing up to be part of the fall season around here.

Shop the outdoors: One of the easiest ways to decorate for fall is to bring the outdoors in, either by buying a bunch of flowers or shopping your garden. Even if you don’t have flowers outside, a tree branch with some leaves will do.

Then add fake fall foliage and you have an inexpensive and festive little fall arrangement for a table. You can buy the faux foliage at any discount store and use them year after year for a handy autumn display.

Rotate the old with the new: While I keep what I call rolling boxes of holiday decorations, staples that come out of the attic every year, I like to change up the decor from time to time without spending a lot. So I scout discount stores for little treasures.

Here’s what I’ve found at the dollar store:

• I was so smitten by this eight-legged glass and metal Halloween spider candle holder that I bought three. I laugh every time I look at them and the kids love them too.

They crack me up and remind me to laugh and not take myself too seriously! And they’re adorable when they’re lit up at night. What can I say, I still have a lot of kid in me!

• These harvest glass votive candleholders with leaves are obviously meant for fall, but I also leave them out during the Christmas season because they really fit in. No need to put them away until January. A little win for sure. I bought one in red, green and orange and they look so beautiful at night.

• These wooden welcome harvest signs and fall hanging pictures are also part of the fall ambiance around here. I hung the rustic-inspired word sign over my painted wreath in the kitchen.

• This red truck and pumpkin hangs over a boxwood wreath.

• Check out these 10 oz wine glasses with fall leaves. I had grabbed two and was standing in line admiring them when I decided to run back and get two more. Now I have four and I wish I’d bought more. They’re really well made and guess what? They’re made in America.

• Nothing says autumn more than a colorful garland of maple leaves and flowers, draped across a mantle or helping out as a table centerpiece. I can’t remember where I got the garland and leaves in the picture below but they come in handy every year.

• These Halloween scene votive candleholders are a whimsical, playful nod to this spooktacular season. I have the graveyard votive, a reminder of all the scary Halloween movies that I used to watch as a teen.

• This boo-tiful candle holder is another whimsical nod to the season. Also a dollar store find.

• And since this is the season to be thankful, I was smitten by this pumpkin-shaped chalkboard wall plaque that says: I’m thankful for … and you fill in the blanks. Last year my daughter filled it in. I haven’t erased what her 8-year-old self was thankful for – it’s still on there as a beautiful reminder of what really matters.

I wish you a stress-free harvest season of abundance in every area of your life.