Early Fall Decorating Style Starters
This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read my Disclosure Policy.
Budget-friendly early fall home decorating ideas to start thinking about so that when fall does arrive you will have a fall decorating plan ready. Having a plan will help you to easily transition your home from summer to fall.
Now that the summer months are behind us… Ready or Not… Here comes fall and fall home decorating ideas.
Coming into the fall season is a favorite time for many of us home lovers. I think it is the comfy-cozy aspect the season that makes us eager to welcome it into our homes.
It doesn’t feel at all like fall yet around my house, in fact as anyone who lives in the south knows…. the heat will stick around well through October.
But my mailbox tells a different story.
The first signs of fall have begun to arrive in my mailbox in the way of home decorating and fashion catalogs.
I am keeping a pile of them to take on a beach getaway next week. The catalogs make for great mindless browsing while relaxing on the beach or simply chill-laxing on your porch or patio enjoying a summer afternoon or evening.
I usually find inspiration in the pages that get me thinking what I can make myself as well as how I want to decorate my home for the fall season.
So I thought I would share a few early fall decorating ideas that are budget-friendly for you to start thinking about so that when fall arrives, you will have a fall decorating plan in mind that you will easily be able to put into place.
When To Start Decorating For Fall
So if you are asking, Is it too early to decorate for fall?
I would say no, but it is not too early to start thinking about it.
The end of summer is always a bittersweet time for me. I love the summer and don’t want to see it end, but the warm and cozy feeling of the fall season will draw me in soon and I want to be ready.
When to put out fall decor is a personal choice. Over the years I have slowly transitioned from summer to early fall, then to full autumn over a few weeks time.
I have also paired back quite a bit when decorating the house for the fall season. I used to have bins full of fall decorations, but with each passing year, I have been giving most of it away.
The novelty decorations were beginning to feel too fussy and unnecessary to me.
What feels better to me now is simply creating a warm and cozy feeling by adding some fall color and textures around the house and less about bins of stuff.
Fall Home Decorating Style Starters
My favorite fall decorations are now much simpler… like piling acorns found on a walk in a bowl, lighting the first fire in the fireplace and getting out the fur throws from the closet to place on the sofa.
Here is my list of 11 things you can start doing right now to ready your home for fall once you are ready to decorate for the season.
- Edit The Fall Decor you already have. If you have bins full of fall decorations, now is a good time to go through it to decide what you like and don’t like anymore.
Sell or donate what you don’t want or need anymore.
Also look through your all-season decor stash in search of warmer colored objects.
For instance, this collection of doorknobs are not typical fall decorations, but when gathered together, they have a warm look to them that says fall to me.
2. Candles – Now is a good time to look for battery-operated flicker style candles that may be on sale.
3. Keep an eye out for items made from trees – If you have a birch tree or any tree for that matter in your yard, you can trim the branches and save them to use in a vase, place in a basket or to display in an unused fireplace.
If you have a fireplace – birch logs look nice piled in a basket. You can buy them at the craft store now before they sell out.
When out on a walk and you see a small tree trunk down, bring it home and cut it to use as risers for your smaller decorative accessories.
4. Look around your house to see what you can place a pumpkin on come October.
- Planters and urns work well for larger pumpkins and candle holders make perfect pedestals for smaller pumpkins.
5. Head out to your yard to check how any flowering plant or hydrangea blooms are looking.
Mine are no longer vivid pink and purple. I have found if you cut the drying stems from the bushes now before they get brown and then place the stems in a vase of water they will retain whatever color is left that looks aged, but not dried and all brown.
6. August is the hottest month of the year in most parts of the country. If it is too hot to sit by the pool or relax outside, why not start to make a simple fall decoration, like a raffia tassel to use to accent a mantel, a door knob, or key hanging from a drawer.
The tassels are easy to make and you can find many colors of raffia at the craft store.
7. Look in your china cabinet for plates, platters and more to create a new fall display in your kitchen or dining room.
8. Plan a Trip to the Thrift Store – Search for white covered books there or books that are of a similar size that you can paint any color or cover with textured fabric.
Use them as risers for small items you want to put into focus or get crafty and make a stack of books with a favorite fall saying or quote.
Once fall is over, remove the fall saying and use the books to add height to a lamp or vase on a table.
- How I made the book stack and also for the Free Printable
9. While you are at the thrift store look for square or rectangular wicker baskets with handles that you can easily remove to make chic storage organizers to use in any or every room of your house.
10. When out shopping at places like HomeGoods and Target, keep an eye out for breadboards and cutting boards.
Breadboards of any shape give any style kitchen that comfy-cozy feeling.
- I made this handled breadboard from reclaimed wood.
11. Begin to save brown paper bags from the grocery store – When mums and fall plants start to be sold everywhere, you can make a free planter cover to hide the plastic pot.
- A brown paper bag makes a perfect fall covering to hide it.
So now that you can see that even though it may be too early to start decorating for fall, it is the perfect time to start thinking ahead and planning for it.
What are your favorite ways to transition your home decorating to fall?
OMG!!! I love everything! Everything looks perfect for this summer!
Lots of great suggestions; I also like to add apples and plaids to incorporate thoughts of back to school.
Thanks for these great ideas and instructions. While August is usually warm in Northern Michigan it cools off fast after the second week in September. I’m with you on not overdoing the decor for fall. You always have great affordable ideas. Thanks!
Love this post! Slowly and with lots of natural elements. I’m not ready yet though 😊. It was 115 here in AZ yesterday 🥵
Wonderful ideas! Thanks so much! I use your idea of displaying pine ones on candleholders so this fall I’ll use them for small pumpkins!
These are such great ideas. I am in Michigan, too, and Fall is my favorite season. I am looking forward to more cozy nights with hoodies and my patio heater and outdoor lights on the deck and fires in the fire pit.
Nice Photos how can i contact with you guys ?
These fall home decorating ideas are simple and easy to execute. What’s great is that in order to enjoy them, you don’t need to change your existing décor. They fit well with most color schemes and styles.
Hello Diane Henkler,very nice
Great ideas! I’m goping to decorate my house thisa weekend and your post gave me great ideas. I love adding fresh flowers to my fall decorations and I’m choosing again a new color fall mums. And can’t wait to receive my copy of Susan Branch’s new book – just ordered it. Greets!
I LOVE summer (yes even the heat – we live in Baltimore). I steadfastly refuse to accept that summer is over until I can no longer get in my pool. Last year I made it to September 21. After that I like to wait until at least the first frost to consider decorating for Halloween.
Thanks for introducing me to Susan Branch and to Ina Garten’s apple crisp!
I don’t know what I am doing wrong but I can’t get the pdf to download! Love your home and reading about all that you have done to your new home.
The last two days here in Michigan we have the first cooler weather of the summer. Our summer has been perfect temperature wise, so this little cool snap definitely gives things a September feel, already. Tonight I was at the dollar store and noticed they had some fall items and I picked up some faux leaves and some unusual and large picks. That’s the beginning for me…. but my eyes are on the mums I saw at the grocery store so maybe I caught the bug. ;) Thanks for all the lovely tips, Diane. You are always so creative and inspiring.
Hi Diane – I am excited to see mums and pumpkins soon too. In Michigan I bet you are seeing many more signs of fall than I am, but the temps have dipped over the weekend here in SC to mid 80’s. I am looking forward to being able to open the house up and turn the AC off, but I am sure we will still get some more 95 degree days. I hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Writing that makes it sound so official – end of summer. Enjoy adding the fall touches around your house with your new leaves and fall florals.
I can almost smell the pumpkin spice! You’ve shared some wonderful ideas for fall….I just want to go to the lake a few more times before I start decorating! I do love Susan Branch’s books….so inspiring!
Have a wonderful weekend!
xo,
RJ
Noooo… it can’t be fall, we haven’t had a real summer yet… LOL
Well… I wasn’t ready for fall, but your post did kind of make me look forward to it! It really is a magical time of year. Our Sacramento summers are long like yours so when real fall comes, it is such a treat! Adore Susan Branch- thank you for sharing about her autobiographies. I’m adding them to my reading list.
I love painted books. I spray painted some black and others gold. I mostly use them to display Hummels and other small knicknacks on bookshelves. I also use them as bookends by piling a few next to the upright books. I like the white ones you did so will try that next. As far as transitioning from summer to fall, I don’t do much of that here in Hawaii. A few pumpkins on the front lanai, maybe, but that’s about it.
I am so excited about Susan Branch’s biographical books. I didn’t know about them and will be ordering them soon. Thanks for sharing. I’ve purchased many of her other books, especially the cookbooks and they are fabulous. Love her artwork and comments.
Great ideas! I too love the Susan Branch books and her style. Did you know she has a website too with many great ideas? It got political a while back but other than that has been so enjoyable to peruse. Now you’ve got me wishing for fall. We too watched the spectacular total eclipse over Lake Murray – sitting in that heat! Wasn’t it beautiful?!