Are you looking for Simple & Afforadable Ways to Decorate for the Fall Season?  Ideas that (gasp!) don’t necessarily involve pumpkins 😉   Here I’m sharing 5 Tips for Creating Simple and Budget Friendly Fall Decor:

Tip 1: Use spray paint to make what you already own “feel” like fall.

Take those galvanized lanterns you’ve got sitting around and spray paint them with a copper spray paint to transform them into the perfect fall decor.   Take a vase and spray paint it a mustard hue.  It’s amazing what a $6 can of spray paint can do to transform what you already own into some pretty incredible fall decor on a budget.  Go look around your home and see what you can re-purpose this fall!

Tip 2:  Find vintage books that fit your fall color palette, and add them to your existing decor.

Whether its olive greens, browns, oranges…vintage books came in a variety of colors, some of which are perfect for the fall season.  And you can effortlessly add them to your existing decor by placing several under a stack of bowls, beside a tall vase, under amber bottles, etc.  It’s an easy and affordable way to sprinkle some of that Fall feel around your home with very little time or effort!

Tip 3: Bring items in from the outside.

Branches, leaves, pinecones…anything and everything is fair game for fall decor.  These organic elements add beauty to your space, and the best part is they can be found for free!  Rest a branch on your mantle, hang leaves or dried flowers from a branch, fill a glass vase half full with pinecones and then stick faux stems in it.  Fall is the perfect season to incorporate these natural items into your home!

Tip 4: Add some copper pieces.

The warm hues of copper make it the perfect addition for Fall!   I’m personally a fan of incorporating authentic vintage copper pieces, which can often be found at local antique markets, thrift stores, or online shops (or go raid your mom’s attic – copper was wildly popular in the 70’s!).  But if you aren’t able to source the authentic stuff, you can often find new copper pieces in stores like Home Goods or Target.

Tip 5:  Incorporate signs or quotes that give a nod to focus of the season being about coziness, gratitude, or togetherness.

Don’t feel like a sign is only a fall sign because it has the word Pumpkin or Fall.   Instead, don’t be afraid to get creative with incorporating a saying that evokes the feeling of fall without necessarily being overtly fall-themed.  For example, I  had this quote from Haven & Pine that is several months old, but I felt like the theme of “stewarding well” really resonates with the fall season, and therefore I choose to put it on display right by our table for the fall.

The best part about all these ideas…they use items that are versatile and not overly “theme-y”, which means that they can be incorporated in fresh & new ways throughout the year!   

Instead of spending money on items that will spend 80% of the year in a storage bin in the dark recesses of your basement (because you can’t really hang a Hello Fall sign in April 😉 ), you can actually use these items throughout the year in new ways.  And that, my friends, is money well spent.  So tell me…which one of these tips is your favorite?!  And if you’ve got any additional tips for simple & affordable fall decor, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.  Let’s inspire one another!

And if you’re looking for MORE ideas for fall decor, check out my Pinterst board of “Fall Home Decor” inspiration!