Fall Inspiration Blog Hop

Fall is my FAVORITE time of year for decor, food, weather, activities, footwear…haha…you name it!!! I love the leaves and the colors and the baked goods. OHHH THE BAKED GOODS!! But what I do NOT like is that the fall decorating season coincides with both BACK TO SCHOOL shopping AND CHRISTMAS shopping. So in the season where I want to buy ALLL THE DECOR, I have to make the responsible choices. Over the years I have learned some easy tricks on how to decorate for fall (or any holiday/season) on a budget.

Start small.

Rome wasn’t built in a day…and your home cannot be either. It is soooo hard in this age of social media and comparisons to be happy with what we have. We see the highlight reel of those around us and we want what they have…NOW!! But everybody has to start somewhere. My Auntie gave me the BEST advice RIGHT after I got married and bought our first home. I was trying to decorate my new house and was contemplating what cheap crappy pieces to hang on my walls. She told me “NONE of them.” She said “save your money for what you REALLY want.” Instead of just settling for SOMETHING to fill the space, she told me to wait and save my money for JUST THE RIGHT PIECE. She also said “an empty wall never hurt anyone.” Sometimes it is tempting to buy temporary decor because it is a good deal or because you cannot afford what you REALLY want. Just wait. Wait and then buy what you really want when you can. It feels so much better than constantly throwing out “crap” after each holiday. Just save your money.

It can be hard when we see perfectly decorated homes in magazines and on socials, but even THEY had to start somewhere. I like to start with ONE small area…an entryway, a tiered tray, a tablescape, a corner, one shelf. Then if that is the ONLY thing that I can get decorated, at LEAST I have one festive little area to enjoy. The first year we lived in our new house I was basically starting from scratch, so I ONLY decorated my entry table for each of the seasons and holidays. Instead of buying a few pieces and scattering them haphazardly throughout my house, I focused EVERYTHING on one spot and built from there. Then the next year I moved on to the family room, kitchen, etc. Sometimes just adding a pretty decorated tiered tray is JUST enough to make a space feel festive.

Build on what you have

Holiday decor can be tricky because we want to change it up every year and move with each new trend that comes along. BUT if you can mix and match a few new pieces in with the pieces you have used in the past, it will save SOOOO much money. For example, I have A LOT of faux pumpkins that I have collected over the years. Most of them are from Walmart or the Target dollar spot. Each year I add a few more, but I combine them in with the pumpkins already in my fall holiday stash. So instead of buying 14 sweater pumpkins from the dollar spot like I really wanted to, I only bought 3 and then mixed them in with the 14 pumpkins I already had at home. Voila, the look I wanted for WAYYYY less money.

This has also saved me SOOO much in fall stems and wreaths. I like to rotate my holiday wreaths. The wreath from my barn door last year might move to my front door this year. Or I might tuck a few faux stems and leave into it and give it a face-lift. This year I used a lot of my stems from last year, but pulled them apart. I removed the faux pumpkins and used them in a totally different area. This way you can give some new life to your same decor. Take a look at my open shelves from last year…

I used many of the items from my shelves from last year in my tiered tray for this year. Instead of copying the exact same look again, I rotate my decor and create brand new vignettes. This helps to keep my decor fresh, without spending any money.

Shop at thrift stores

When people tell me they don’t shop at thrift stores, I honestly don’t know how to react. It is such a part of my life, that I cannot imagine NOT doing it. If you have never hit up a GOODWILL or a local THRIFT shop for holiday decor, you should. Thrifted holiday decor is my FAVORITE!! People get tired of storing their holiday stuff and dump off AMAZING decor at Thrift shops. ONE hint though…be prepared to buy a pumpkin in January and an Easter Bunny in July. Just strike while the iron is hot and grab those cute pieces while you can.

Use NON holiday pieces

Don’t overthink it when it comes to adding fall touches. A little goes a long way. I like to collect neutral decor…lots of whites…to use for ALL seasons. Not EVERY piece used in a fall tray (or vignette) needs to be fall decor. When creating my fall tray, I used my white chicken, a white colander, and a white decorative vase to create a cohesive feel. These everyday items mixed in with some inexpensive fall stems and faux pumpkins make up the most of my tray. The only fall splurge pieces were the fall mug and the fall embroidery hoop. By shopping my house, I was able to create a whole new look, but only had to add a few pieces to my fall collection.

There are so many NON holiday pieces that work great for fall decorating. Some of my favorites are crates, buckets, copper pots, enamelware, stoneware, wood pieces, and my FAVORITE…white pitchers. By collecting quality vintage pieces that I LOVE all year long, I am able to create holiday vignettes with VERY few actual holiday pieces. I guarantee that cute chicken will just rotate from area to area in my home and will be used for every season.

Use pieces in a DIFFERENT way

My FAVORITE part about decorating is stretching my brain and creating something TOTALLY new. SO I like to take pieces and use them in a DIFFERENT way. For example, I ALWAYS grab the blanket scarves from the Target dollar spot this time of year. Guess what?? I don’t wear scarves. BUT they only cost between 3 and 5 bucks, and they make adorable throws, tablecloths, runners, etc. I used a fall colored scarf to add a bit of texture to the bottom of my tray. That soft blanket scarf material just SCREAMS cozy!! But holy moly, throw blankets can get pricey. Plus who wants to store them??

I also LOVE to grab cute holiday tea towels (usually again from the dollar spot) and make some super cheap holiday pillow covers. There are so many cute sayings and patterns…they just make the cutest darn pillows. PLUS, you don’t have to finish any edges because they are already done!! Use simple kitchenware as decor. Colanders, pots, jars, bowls, and salt and pepper shakers are some of my FAVORITE decorating tools. Thinking outside of the box and re-purposing has saved me SOOO much money. PLUS it helps my house scream JESSICA…not HOBBY LOBBY. I am the youngest child, individuality is important to me…haha!!

Use nature

There is nothing better than free decor. Fall is the best time to use what Mother Nature is handing out. Some of my favorites are apples, pine cones, corn stalks, straw bales, branches, logs, and dried leaves. Just by filling up a bowl with apples or leaves, you can add BIG fall vibes to a space and spend ZERO DOLLARS!! You just CANNOT beat free:)

Don’t stress

Remember that holidays are supposed to be FUN!! Do not let holiday decor stress you out. If you are stressing about what you spend on holiday pieces, it will kill the joy. Start a sinking fund and save up for new holiday decor FOR NEXT YEAR and you will be able to enjoy the holidays THIS YEAR much more. Credit card debt does NOT BRING JOY!!. Plus, there will ALWAYS be another holiday. If you JUST do not have the funds or the energy to decorate for fall this year…there will be ANOTHER fall next year. If you cannot afford the 8 Christmas trees that you dream of, start with ONE this year. Make that tree the BEST it can be. Then add in a couple more as you can spare the money. THIS WILL NOT BE THE VERY LAST CHRISTMAS OF ALL TIME (I hope…but seriously 2020 has me wondering).

Fall is the best and I am so excited that I FINALLY got to pull the pumpkins out and get a little bit of cozy fall goodness up for the season. If you need more fall inspiration to help you get started, head over to visit a few of my SUPER talented friends. I am so blessed to be participating in a blog hop with them today and CANNOT WAIT for you to see all that they have in store for you. Just click on each link below to get inspiration for fall porches, home tours, kids’ spaces, shelf decor and SOOOO MUCH MORE!! These ladies do fall like NONE other. Happy fall blog hopping friends. Let’s chat soon. JESS

CALI GIRL IN A SOUTHERN WORLD

JORDECOR

OUR SIGNATURE SWAG

CRISP COLLECTIVE

TABLE FOR 5 PLEASE

THE LITTLE WHITE FARMHOUSE

MY RUSTIC HOUSE

DOWN SHILOH ROAD

MY WEATHERED HOME

OLDE TYME MARKETPLACE

ITTY BITTY FARMHOUSE

SHE GAVE IT A GO

THE PONDS FARMHOUSE

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