With the exception of Christmas, Fall will forever be my favorite time of year. I don't think there is anything more beautiful than big full trees with leaves that are bright yellow, red, and orange.
I grew up in Pennsylvania, so I was never wanting or lacking beautiful foliage. It's one of the perks of growing up in a rural area. Even the smells of Fall make me happy as does the ability to wear big sweaters and comfy boots all season long.
But what also really makes me happy is when I can come home from a long day at work and unwind in my apartment while being surrounded by fall aromas and bright fall colors. However, achieving that can cost a pretty penny and at my age, when student loans and rent are my main financial priority, I can't be spending hundreds on beautiful decorations. Instead I have to get creative -- which I love!
This year I spent just about $103 on fall decorations and fall candles. It was a little high because I am a stickler for candlers and will only buy Bath and Body Works candles. (I blame that on my 4 year stint of working there.)
Back to the money and being frugal. Yes I spent just about $100, BUT, I got a huge orange decorative vase, a fall garland, supplies to make a fall banner, 3 mason jars, 2 large 3 wick candles, 2 candle holders, a small ceramic pumpkin candy jar, a medium-sized glass pumpkin, a Fall word canvas, and 5 different miniature small fall decor pieces.
Let's start with this photo. this is my living room. The focal point is obvious, it's the fireplace. Since it's the natural focal point, I decided to spend most of my money and time on fall decor for the fireplace. As you can see, it's bright and very fall like. For a more in depth discussion on this you can visit my blog post, Let the Fall DIY Decorating Begin!: Fall DIY Banner. As my earlier blog post explains, I made the "FALL" banner that hangs on the fire place. The rest of the decor is frugal finds that I mixed and matched to get the desired look I personally wanted. I also used mason jars on my coffee table to help tie in the fall theme. The medium sized mason jar has the same pauperie that is in the large jar on the mantle and the smallest mason jar is holding a small fall tea light candle. It's all about the small, simple details -- they really make a difference and bring a room together.
This next photo is a small display on my bookcase next to my fireplace. It includes 2 fall candles and 2 fall candle holders from Bath and Body Works as well as the medium-sized glass pumpkin that I mentioned before. It's a simple staging. And it also expands the fall theme throughout my living room. I also use it to hide my cable box that is peeking through in this photo.
This final photo is of my dining room table. The orange plaid runner is actually a hand towel that was part of a set of 3 that my fiance's mom gave us. That was my inspiration for the center piece. The above center piece is actually 3 different pieces. The two sparkly, orange leaves on either side are something I added to give it more texture and of course bling! Each leaf was $1.19! And the main piece with the red sunflower, pine cone, and berries cost me $4.29! Add it all up and you have a pretty fall center piece for about $6.50. You can't beat that! And as I am sure you have noticed, I prefer simpler styles for my own home so it was the perfect combination and fix for my table.
I enjoy purchasing home decor and I enjoy following the trends of decorating but that doesn't mean that to do you, you or I have to break our budgets or spend hundreds of dollars. I spent $100 and I was able to thoroughly decorate my living room, decorate my dining room table, and even add some small fall accents in my kitchen. The key is to be patient and be CREATIVE. Sometimes things that are cheap and sold individually can actually look gorgeous and expensive when mixed together.
If you have any frugal fall decorating tips I would love to hear them! Feel free to share below or send me an email. If you want your fall decorating tips to be featured please send me an email with your tips and tricks and a photo or two of them on display.
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