Simple Tips for Inexpensive Fall Decorating {Part 1 of 2}

I don’t know about you guys, but I really, really struggle with jealousy when I read certain blogs.  Posts where everything in the pictures is from West Elm or Restoration Hardware or other higher-end stores…things that most likely will never, ever, ever be attainable for me, and yet aren’t even a second thought for these people.  They don’t have a budget and are able to buy everything their heart desires.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought, “Well, my house would look fabulous, too, if I could buy everything I wanted from a catalog.”  I’ve actually had to stop following some blogs because I was becoming so discontent with my own finances.  It was definitely becoming a spiritual struggle for me. 

I’ll still always wish for nicer things, but God is really working in my heart to help me make the most of my financial situation.  (Proverbs 30:8-9 has really helped me in this regard….you should check it out!) It’s such a  fine line to have a budget yet also want to make your home a nice place to be in, isn’t it?  I absolutely love decorating and tweaking my home – it’s a huge hobby of mine.  I joke with Chris that I’d rather dress my house than myself!  lol

Anyway, over the next two posts, I thought I’d show you my fall decorations this year, and hopefully inspire you to realize that you don’t have to be a millionaire to have a cozy home  - just a little creativity, and a willingness to wait for fun finds and shop around.  (I’m also doing this because I like to take pictures of how I decorated from year to year, so that I can remember what my house looked like when the season rolls around again next time.)

Here are my top hints for seasonal decorating on a budget (and specifically for fall):

- Keep an eye out for fall décor throughout the year, and keep a box or two in your attic or garage for this purpose.  So when you find a faux pumpkin at Goodwill in March, or some orange candles at a yard sale in July, you have a place to keep it until September.

- Keep an open mind about what “works” for a given season.  You’re going to see tomorrow that some of my decorations are not specifically for the fall, but they work in the overall scheme.  Think browns, creams, yellows, oranges, and reds for fall, specifically. 

- Along those same lines, I helps me a little bit to think about the overall “feeling” of a season.  For instance, I like breezy and beachy for summer, warm and cozy for fall, happy and cheerful for Christmas (although I like a rustic feel for Christmas, too, sometimes), and light and fresh for springtime.  If you find something that associates in your brain with the way you feel about a certain season, I say, work in it somehow!  It’s YOUR house, remember. :)

- When you see something you like but can’t afford, just try to replicate it in a cheaper way.  Of course it’s not always going to come out the way you saw it in the store, but oftentimes the effect can still be achieved.  For instance, I see faux berry garlands for close to $20 sometimes at Michaels, but I made my own this year for only $4 by waiting for berry sprigs to go on sale and then twisting them together. 

- Embrace Pinterest!  There are so many free printables that you can use to spruce up your holiday decorating, not to mention a plethora of awesome ideas.  You can follow my “Autumn Love” or “Christmas” boards if you’d like to see what has gotten my attention as far as the holidays are concerned. 

 

 

Tomorrow I’ll be back with more fall photos of my house.  See you then!

{I’d love to know if you have any decorating tips, as well.  I’m always open to learning more or picking up new tricks for decorating inexpensively!}