Warm and Cozy Fall Home Decorating Ideas That Will Save You Time and Money

Are you looking for some autumn-season decorating options that are not only simple but also budget-friendly? Today I’m sharing some home fall decorating ideas that are sure to save you time and money while transitioning your home to warm and cozy vibes.

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Autumn is in the Air

Fall is the time to embrace all things pumpkin, the crunch of fallen leaves under your feet, and your favorite sweater.

Today I’m sharing some simple ways to add fall decor to your home without spending a lot of money or time in the process.

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2022 Fall Home Tour

I can’t tell you how happy I am to be joining an amazing and talented group of bloggers and friends this week for this 2022 Fall Home Tour hosted by Marty at A Stroll Thru Life.

This is an incredibly inspiring FULL WEEK with 28 bloggers inviting you into their homes to show you what they’re doing this fall season to decorate their homes. Be sure to read to the end where you will find the links to each blog post.

My home is one of the 6 that you’ll be seeing today. If you’re visiting from Yvonne at Stone Gable, welcome! I have to admit that Yvonne is an extremely hard act to follow. Isn’t her home decorated beautifully for the fall season?

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If this is your first time here, I’m Kim and my blog is “Shiplap and Shells”. I live in a 1920 beach cottage on the Puget Sound and share…

• Cottage-style and vintage home decor
• Gardening tips, tricks, and inspiration
• The Pacific Northwest lifestyle

Read more About Me here or Take my Home Tour.

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Transitioning from Summer to Home Fall Decor

Personally, I think of early fall decorating in September as more of a transitional process.

I may have a faux pumpkin or two displayed, but the real focus for me is to clear out the summer coastal decor to make room for a bit more texture and seasonal fruits, flowers, and greenery.

So…if you’re not ready to start decorating with pumpkins quite yet, I hear you!

The fall decor for my home like pumpkins and Halloween and Thanksgiving-themed decorating will come soon enough, but now is the time when I enjoy the simplicity of the fall transition.

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How to Decorate for Early Fall Without Spending a Lot of Time and Money

First Things First – Before You Decorate for Fall

• Decide what color palette you will go with this fall.
• GO SHOPPING…in your house, closets, garage, garden, and yard.
• Once you’ve figured out what you can use from the pile of things you already have, make a list and go shopping for any items that you want to purchase.
• Clear out the summer decor so you have a blank slate for fall.
• Keep it inexpensive and simple by focusing on small changes that will make a big impact.

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Decide on a Fall Color Palette

When you think of fall, what colors come to mind? For me, it’s oranges and browns. But I rarely go with traditional colors when it comes to home fall decor.

My decorative pillows this fall season have rose, cream, and different shades of brown this year. When I do bring more pumpkins out they’ll be white and green rather than orange.

I was completely inspired by the changing hydrangea limelight and sedum autumn joy’s rose, green and cream combinations.

Is there something in your transitioning garden that is inspiring you to choose the colors for your fall decor for your home?

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Collect Items for Your Fall Decor From Nature

If you’ve followed me for any amount of time you’ll know that bringing in flowers, fruit, and anything else from the outdoors is my FAVORITE way to decorate for any season.

Give me all the things that come from the outdoors to use for my home fall decor! Pinecones, leaves, and branches are all FREE and look fabulous in any fall vignette.

Here are some of my favorites…

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HYDRANGEAS

These beautiful blooms are my fall home decor go-to year after year. And they never disappoint!

Drying hydrangeas in a little bit of water in a vase takes very little time and is budget friendly because it costs NOTHING!

If you keep your hydrangeas away from the direct light and in a cooler spot in your home they will last you through the fall season and even into the winter holidays.

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FRESH FLOWERS AND GREENERY

There are still quite a few flowers and greenery in my cutting garden right now.

And if you don’t have any in yours you can always get some flowers and greenery for fall at the store. I don’t know about you but I LOVE getting beautiful blooms at Trader Joe’s and they are always the cheapest cut flowers around…guaranteed to meet anyone’s home fall decor budget!

Another option for flowers and greenery this time of year is to use artificial fall flowers. They are making faux flowers so realistic-looking now. This option may cost you more at first but if you keep them stored properly you can use them for years to come.

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DRIED FLOWERS, GREENERY, AND GRASSES

Bring in outdoor elements such as dried flowers, greenery, and grasses this fall season. Here’s some dried eucalyptus that I’ve had for 3 years and actually use year-round in my decor.

My pantry is full of summer annuals that I am currently drying. You can use dried flowers in your home fall decor by displaying them in a vase or vintage galvanized bucket, or just hanging them from a hook or a pan rack in the kitchen.

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FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Pears, artichokes, and apples are my favorite seasonal fruits and vegetables for fall.

All of my fruits and veggies are faux so I can have them displayed throughout the autumn season.

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Bring on the Cozy with Warm Fall Textures

Ollie is getting quite good at modeling my throw blankets and decorative pillows for each season.

He especially loves this pretty pillow and throws I found on my last trip to Poulsbo. This collection is NOT part of the “budget-friendly” tips today but I had to throw it in anyway.

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DECORATIVE PILLOWS, THROW BLANKETS AND RUGS

Just adding a throw blanket to a sofa or chair makes the perfect transition from summer to the fall season.

You can find some reasonable throws right now. Don’t confuse my boy Jax for a black throw on the couch!

Pillows are another easy way to bring your home fall decor to life.

Here’s a tip for those of you (like me) that don’t have a lot of storage space. Buy the pillow covers only so you can switch the pillow inserts and not have to store the entire pillow.

I am so excited that the pillows I’m finding at Target right now have zippers.

Confession time here… the rose and cream floral print pillows are from a spring collection at Target but they matched so well with the rose color theme I was going with that I used them again.

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TEXTURED PUMPKINS

Why decorate with ordinary pumpkins when you can have texture?

Don’t you LOVE this pumpkin? I certainly do, but I couldn’t tell you where I found it several years ago. I think it was at a local home decor shop. It looks like it’s made with little dried apple slices.

Here’s another pumpkin with lots of textured branches. I took a mini wreath of faux greenery and set it on top of the pumpkin for a more interesting and colorful look.

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WOOD

Do you love wood decor as much as I do?

Wooden trays and dough bowls like this vintage one are perfect vessels for any fall decor.

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BASKETS

Wicker picnic baskets and hanging baskets for flowers make such an amazing statement and are the perfect textured fall decor for your home.

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Glass Jars and Bottles

Amber and clear colored glass bottles are beautiful on their own. You can add flowers or greenery to them or just do nothing at all.

Add food, pinecones, or anything else you can think of to display for fall. This is a great home decor item you can use for each season. Seashells would look great in a glass jar in the summer or Christmas ball ornaments in the winter.

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Add a Wreath or Garland

Wreaths and garland are such a great way to bring in the fall season.

I bought this wreath at Target.

Find an inexpensive wreath at a store or online to save time OR make a DIY wreath to save money.

I made this magnolia wreath with dried oranges for Christmas but it would look just as wonderful for fall.

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Add Some Character with Vintage Pieces

Whether you are shopping for the perfect vintage flea market find from an antique mall, estate sale, or favorite thrift store, you can always find a great deal that will look perfect in any fall vignette.

Copper pieces such as teapots, flower containers, canisters, and pitchers add so much to any home fall decor vignette. It’s just a given to display your copper collections in the autumn months.

Using vintage galvanized buckets and containers will make your flower arrangements even more amazing and can be fairly inexpensive if you know where to look.

Mixing metals are completely appropriate and somewhat of a vintage trend, so go for it!

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Light a Candle

Tea candles, pillars in candlesticks, or my favorite Antique Candle Co. candles in a glass jar are ALL the best ways to create a warm and cozy ambiance. Lighting a candle is about as easy as you can get, am I right?

Shop here for their fall candle collection.

The biggest tip for you to save money when decorating your home for fall is to use what you already have in a different way.

Come up with creative ideas for how to create fall vignettes differently than you’ve done them before.

Get ideas from home decor blogs like mine, Pinterest, magazines, or Instagram. You’ll be surprised by how many ways the dough bowl you already own can be styled.

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Next up on today’s fall home tour is my friend Kristin at White Arrows Home. I just love how she decorates her lakefront cabin, and I know you will love her fall home tour of beautiful workspaces and desks.

Don’t miss any of the other fabulous fall home tours every day this week. Make sure you come back each day to visit the other bloggers for more inspiration.

Below is the daily line-up for the week with links.

2022 Fall Home Tour

Monday, September 12th

A Stroll Thru Life – The Stonybrook House – StoneGable – Shiplap and Shells –

White Arrows Home – Clean and Scentsible.

Tuesday, September 13th

Decor to Adore – Simply2Moms – 11 Magnolia Lane – Calypso in the Country –

Country Road 407 – Pink Peppermint Design

Wednesday, September 14th

Whispering Pines Homestead – Cuckoo4Design – Southern State of Mind –

This is Our Bliss – Thrifty and Chic

Thursday, September 15th

Our Southern Home – Southern Hospitality – Hymns and Verses – Worthing Court –

Southern Home and Hospitality – Remodelandolacasa

Friday, September 16th

Pasha is Home – CitrineLiving – Quarters One – Up to Date Interiors –

A Pretty Life in the Suburbs

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