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10 Ways to Save Money on Fall Decorating

[additional-authors]
October 18, 2018

As the temperatures finally drop here in Southern California and it feels a little bit like fall, you may be in the mood to spruce up your home for the season. Autumn is one of my favorite times to decorate because it’s all about being cozy and comfortable. But instead of spending a lot of money buying fall-themed accessories at the store, there are many inexpensive — and free — decorating hacks you can take advantage of.

1. Collect free foliage
Look in your backyard for branches, leaves, pinecones and other natural elements that you can place in vases and bowls around the house. Bringing the outdoors in will give your home that fresh fall feel.

2. Eat your accessories
Some of the best accessories you can display are those you can also eat. Apples, oranges and pomegranates in bowls around the house add cheery color, while walnuts in jars or serving dishes provide autumnal charm. You can also display spices like whole cloves and cinnamon sticks for some irresistible fall aromas.

3. Upcycle those cans and jars
Wash out your used tin cans and glass jars and repurpose them as rustic vases and organizers. Wrap them in ribbon, fabric or string to decorate them.

4. Decorate with books
Create vignettes around the house with old books. If you don’t have vintage-looking books, wrap your current best-sellers in decorative paper or even plain butcher paper, and they’ll become chic accessories.

5. Re-cover your pillows with clothes
Give new life to throw pillows by covering them in old shirts and sweaters. You don’t even need to cut them up in case you want to wear them again. Just wrap them like you would a package and safety pin the excess fabric in the back of the pillow. Talk about cozy.

6. Dig out those old pots
Do you have a cabinet full of old pots and pans you haven’t used in years but don’t have the heart to give them up? (Full disclosure: I do.) Let them see the light of day by using them as display vases and bowls. The more banged up they are, the better. 

7. Frame some leaves
Find colorful leaves in your neighborhood or a nearby park, press them in a book to dry and flatten them, and then put them in a frame. Instant art! 

8. Pick up some potted flowers
Instead of purchasing cut flowers, which will last only about a week, opt for pots of fall-hued flowers such as chrysanthemums. At my local supermarket, a pot of mums costs about the same as a bouquet of flowers, but it will last all season long.

9. Paint it
Metallic copper or gold spray paint is one of my decorating secrets. Spray paint old candlesticks, jars and other tchotchkes with a metallic patina, and they are transformed and expensive-looking. If you’re not into spray paint, try chalk paint. It’s easy to apply and gives your decorative objects a different kind of vintage look that’s just as beautiful.

10. Look in your garage
There are many utilitarian objects in your garage that can be repurposed to give your home that vintage farmhouse feel this season. Rickety ladders, wooden tool boxes, galvanized buckets and other hidden gems in the garage can be the focal point of a gorgeous fall vignette. Even random things such as nuts and bolts or old work boots can find unexpected new life in your decor. 


Jonathan Fong is the author of “Flowers That Wow” and “Parties That Wow,” and host of “Style With a Smile” on YouTube. You can see more of his do-it-yourself projects at jonathanfongstyle.com.

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