10 Simple & Affordable Ways To Liven Up Your Home: Fall Edition

Some people feel discouraged to decorate for a new season because it can be overwhelming & pricey. Having to change multiple areas in your home can add up quickly, especially if you don't already have a pre-existing inventory of seasonal decor in storage! On today's blog post I show you that it is possible to transition your seasonal decor for your entire home simply & inexpensively. For each of the 10 area listed below, I will show a before & after picture of how I initially styled it for Summer and then how I tweaked it to encompass Fall. 

For the most part, I used the following materials. Don't be fooled by how sparse the quantity may look. I used them as vase/container fillers in every room + had some left over to use for my front door wreath!  These were all purchased from Hobby Lobby & were 50% off! The top and last row were $2.50 each & the wheat bunches were $3.00.
 
 

I also used these $0.98 pumpkins from Wal*Mart. I was inspired by this DIY Pottery Barn Inspired Faux Pumpkins tutorial I found on Pinterest >> LINK HERE. I did tweak it slightly by dry brushing over the stripes of brown so that it was more washed out instead of intensely brown.
Before:

After:

I also linked corresponding tutorials in each section as a reference for any other materials that aren't shown above, which are all inexpensive as well! All in all, I spent no more than $30 on materials to decorate my entire house for Fall! Now that to me is a STEAL!!!

#1 Mantel
Easy DIY Floating Mantel UNDER $20!! LINK HERE!

Before:

After:
DIY Weathered Picket Fence LINK HERE! 

Simply secure Fall leaves & pine cones to a piece of twine and you have yourself a DIY Autumn banner!

Fill vases will different types of Fall leaves & twigs. Accent with a faux gourd & a decorative plate.

You can't go wrong with a rustic pumpkin placed atop a candle stand ;)

#2 Kitchen Bar
DIY Wood Flower Trough UNDER $2! LINK HERE!
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After:
Simply switch out your Summer flowers for Fall ones! I love the color of these rich burgundy/brown hydrangeas.

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After:

Mini pumpkins and gourds can be a little pricey at pumpkin patches & even the grocery store! This year I planned ahead and grew my own mini pumpkins in my backyard. A seed packet was only $0.75! The whole process is so much more gratifying - you get to decorate your home with things you harvested from your own garden! :)

Basket is from Michael's for only $2.50!

#3 Kitchen Island

Farmhouse-Inspired DIY Cutting Board LINK HERE! Before:

After:

The rustic, antique tin filled with wheat & golden mini flowers totally encompasses that farmhouse feel.

#4 Stovetop

5 Easy & Inexpensive Ways to Liven Up Your Kitchen: Spring Edition LINK HERE! Before:

After:

Can't go wrong with some sunflowers, wheat, & a mini pumpkin!

#5 Kitchen Counter
 Before:

After:
3 Ways: Distressed Autumn Mason Jars LINK HERE!

I had so much fun creating this Halloween inspired mason jar!

#6 Bedroom Shelf

Distressing - 4 Ways: How-to Make Anything Look Antique LINK HERE! Before:

After:
How To: *Rustic Window* Using Dollar Store Picture Frames! LINK HERE!

#7 Staircase Shelf

 Before:

After:
DIY Mini-Pumpkin Patch LINK HERE!
Who doesn't love anything mini? ;) 

#8 Front Door Wreath
Classic Fall Wreath Tutorial LINK HERE!

#9 Staircase wreath 
Colorful Aspen-Inspired Fall Wreath Tutorial LINK HERE!

#10 Bathroom
Harvest-Inspired Rustic Wheat Tin - Under $10! LINK HERE!

Colorful Aspen-Inspired Fall Wreath Tutorial

 When it comes to Thanksgiving, the first thing that comes to mind isn't composing what the big holiday dinner will consist of. No. No way. Lets get real here - I hate cooking. Cooking gives me anxiety. Just so you grasp how much I loathe cooking - I rather clean the kitchen, dishes & all, instead of cook! Instead, the first thing that comes to mind is how can I make my home scream unique, festive, autumnal decor? I want my guests to see things that that wouldn't typically see at a retail store. Today's DIY embodies exactly just that.You will need the following materials:

Aspen Leaves(Michaels); 6 Pine Cones(Hobby Lobby); Ornament Hooks; Glue Gun; Wire Cutters; Twine; Towel

An autumn bouquet of your choice w/lots of foliage at the top (Michaels); Long-stemmed flower of your choice (Michaels)

First you will prep your pine cones by removing their tops using wire cutters. Doing this will create a flat/semi-hallowed out surface for the pieces that will be glued there. Do this for 6 pine cones.

Next cut 6 strings of twine - each 16 inches long. Loop it around the top underside of the pine cone twice. Secure it tightly with a knot.

Next, cut 12 Aspen Leaves, paired & color-matched, and cut to the length shown below.

Taking your glue gun, place glue into the top-center of the pine cones. You will then place 2 color-matched aspen leaves on the left & right side. Looks like a cute & magical pine cone butterfly, right?! :P I went a step further & added a rose hip in between the leaves. This not only hides the glue that was placed there, but also adds a little extra flare :) Alternatively, you could use berries, mini-pumpkins, acorns, etc. 

While those are drying, take your long stem daisy and cut most of the stem off leaving 2 inches. Place the daisy in the middle at the base of your autumnal bouquet. Secure with 2 ornament hooks and glue.

Now we will secure our 6 pine cones to the autumnal bouquet. Lay the bouquet on the floor and place the 6 pine cones at various lengths for a cascading effect. Alternate sides and aspen leaf colors-pairs for dimension and color vibrancy.

Secure each individual pine cone to the branches on the backside of the bouquet with an ornament hook. Make sure they are not visible from the front and discard the extra twine.

Using 12 inches of twine, secure it to the top-middle and bottom-middle of the back of the bouquet. The support in these two specific places will prevent it from tipping forward. Doing this will allow the wreath to hang upright and straight.

And your wreath is complete! 

 

I hope this DIY inspires you to go beyond the Thanksgiving menu & to create an Autumnal atmosphere outside the kitchen. If you re-create this DIY, please leave a photo in the comment section below - I'd love to see them! See you in my next blog!