Fall decorating, with its rich warm colors, brings to mind pumpkins, gourds, leaves (lots of leaves), campfires, ghosts, goblins, pine cones, and last, but certainly not least, Giving Thanks. In medieval times, autumn marked the gathering of food painstakingly tended over the long summer months. Festivals celebrated a bountiful harvest of food to last the winter. Nowadays we gather our food in a much different way with huge combines lumbering across vast fields harvesting corn and wheat.
In this post I will show you several creative ways to decorate for fall:
Outside Fall Decorating
Several years ago I discovered this, ”Happy Fall Y’All”, crate at a flea market and it brought back warm memories of my years living in the south. I like to fill it with pumpkins, gourds, and mums, accompanied by straw. An additional fall element is Indian corn with its interesting variegated colors, but alas, the squirrels love the tasty kernels. To that end, no more Indian corn outside for me. However, I still like to use cornstalks and maybe an occasional scarecrow.
Small hay bales can be found at Hobby Lobby and the rest is easily found at the grocery store or Home Depot. My favorite pumpkin size is a pie pumpkin purchased at the grocery store. Be sure to look for ones with an interesting stem.
This next photo has a busy arrangement of large pumpkins, pie pumpkins, miniature pumpkins, brown pumpkins on a stick, gourds, Indian corn (before the squirrels got to them), and a faux purple kale from Hobby Lobby that is deceptively real looking. The deep green color with purple tinge compliments the oranges and yellows in the rest of the arrangement.
This particular year the plants in my pots still looked beautiful from the summer, so I simply added miniature pumpkins, brown wicker pumpkins on a stick, and fall berry stems.
Speaking of pumpkins, what do you think of this pumpkin house I found at the Minnesota Arboretum one year?
Fall Planters
When in Minnesota I had the opportunity to decorate two stately pots which flanked the entrance to my church, Mount Calvary Lutheran. The pots were between tall stone columns so I wanted as much height as possible. Thus, I created a tower of flexible sticks and bound the top with buckthorn. My favorite design was where I stacked pumpkins of different sizes and colors. I could not think of how to keep them together without piercing the skin, which would cause them to rot. After much thought I decided to try construction glue which I hid with straws of hay. It worked!
Another year I attached corn stalks to the same stick tower. The simplicity of a single large pumpkin was just the statement I wanted.
A third year, my focal point was a large pumpkin accompanied with colorful gourds and faux purple kale found at Hobby Lobby. To elevate the single pumpkin and better fill the space inside the stick tower I simply used a wood board.
Faux pumpkins and gourds can be very realistic, and they never rot! For example, other than a couple of gourds, all of the items in these two planters are fake.
Inside Fall Decorating
Now I will show you how to bring Fall inside your home. A hobby farm selling interesting gourds and pumpkins was found on Facebook Marketplace and surprisingly they were only $1 each! On account of the low price I got carried away, and before I knew it I had purchased 20. The result was interesting gourds all over my home.
This floral arrangement in a silver vase sitting in a basket and surrounded by gourds was created from my garden.
The items used were:
Fireworks Goldenrod • Persian Shield • Hosta Flower • Spike • Cordyline • Guara • Purple Bean Plant
Autumn Joy Sedum and dried Annabelle Hydrangea are the perfect Fall colors for any table.
The perennial plant, Fireworks Goldenrod, is stunning in the fall with its bright yellow, radiating flower spikes so I brought some in and created a simple centerpiece in a ceramic vase. It was a showstopper in the breakfast niche.
The perennial plant, Autumn Fire Sedum, is a bright cranberry red in the fall and complements my kitchen island arrangement of a pumpkin spice candle and fall potpourri. It smells so good! The silver vase was found at an antique store in Waconia, Minnesota.
The sedum also looks great with these cranberry Yankee Candles wrapped with festive autumn-colored ribbon. The funky pumpkin gives the arrangement just the right twist. The candles were gifts for my new neighbors and my two lovely sisters-in-law, Karen and Brenda.
Fall Tables
An appetizer table for Bridge Club has lots of interest with the varying heights created with tree chargers, tree stumps, a vase of dried flowers, and a colorful faux flower arrangement.
Sumptuous soups and casseroles abandoned over the summer return in the fall. Our favorite is chili, which I served one year at a party. The autumn colored bowls and plates were a find at the Dollar Tree and gave just the size and look I wanted.
A Fall table setting has a centerpiece with an array of pine needles and pine cones placed at different heights using tree stumps. The wood chargers were just the vibe I was looking for, but once we sat down I realized the bowls were quite high for eating, particularly for my five-foot frame. Oh well, the table still looked amazing.
Halloween
What would fall be without ghosts, goblins, jack-0-lanterns, bats, and black cats?
I made these simple bats floating above my faux flowers out of ribbon, black flexible wire and white paint drops all purchased at Michaels.
A corn maze in Georgia was always fun when the kids were small. Each year the farmer used GPS to create a different design.
I had never heard of “Booing” until we moved to Atlanta. You leave a treat at a friend’s doorstep with a note saying they have been “Booed”. They then attach the Boo sign to their front door and soon the whole neighborhood has received a “Boo” treat.
What would fall be without cutting up pumpkins…….
Bobbing for apples…..
And of course, Trick or Treating…….
Our family has a tradition of decorating Halloween cookies every year. We share our creations with teachers and friends.
Thanksgiving
Alas, Thanksgiving signals the end of fall. My friend, Diane, has created some amazing table settings over the years. I covet her lovely peacock plates.
One year Diane’s daughters, Lauren and Brice, painted letters on root beer bottles reminding us to “Give Thanks”. What could be more fitting.
Which of these Fall Decorating ideas spark your interest. I would love to hear your ideas. Just leave a comment below.
With Fall coming to a close it is time to be thinking of decorating ideas for Christmas……. Check out my posts on: Beautiful Interior Christmas Decorating Ideas You Will Love! and Festive Exterior Christmas Decorating You Will Love!
Meanwhile, Happy Fall Decorating!
Looks awesome, another great post.
Cheryl, I have the same squirrel sitting on the acorn, we must have gotten them together, but not as cool as Diane’s large squirrel!!! Fun to see several years of the church pots together. Loving this latest blog! – Christie
Yes, Diane’s large squirrel is cool.
Thank you Christie!
I can’t wait to see your Christmas creativity! 😍
I love the wood chargers and how you bring fall inside the home 🙂 Now I want to host a fall party!
Yes! I hope you do. 🙂
So fun to see these great creations. 😊
Beautiful decorating! Great post!
Thank you Brenda! 🙂