The Ultimate Cheap Fall Decorating Ideas Guide for Any Budget!
Can you feel it– that slight crispness in the air? I definitely can’t feel it yet in the South, but hey– at least I can see all the pumpkin spice-flavored things in the grocery stores! Fall is here!
And with fall comes a range of cute fall decoration ideas. Pumpkins abound. Leaves are crunchy. And decorations are still pricey. If you buy them.
I know, girl. Those shops attract me with their cinnamon sugar sticks and pumpkin spice candles, too.
How do you decorate for fall on a budget? By doing it totally free! Yeah, I said it. FREE. I have five free fall decoration ideas for you to transform your space with the coziest autumn vibes, because the best cheap fall decor ideas cost no money.
So, step away from the shopping cart and let’s dive into some free fall decor ideas! *insert pile of leaves here*
1. Old Book Page Wreaths and Garlands
Total cost: FREE!
Difficulty: Beginner-friendly!
Time to complete: About an hour or more
What You’ll need:
A book or two that you were planning to get rid of
A bit of string and hot glue (or even just a strip of duct tape) to attach the book-page leaves to
This is a popular fall decoration idea for many budgeters! All you have to do is find some books and start cutting the pages into leaf shapes! Seriously, it’s that simple. If using duct tape, start attaching the stems to it until you can no longer see the tape— I recommend cutting a step of duct tape in half instead of using the full width.
Aged books look better, as they give you that vintage appearance. Yet, if you don’t have any older books lying around, you can always stain the pages with an old tea bag or coffee!
If you don’t have a printer to print off a leaf shape, you could use a real leaf as a stencil. Or create your own leaf stencil – sometimes I trace silhouettes from Google images by placing a piece of paper on my laptop screen and gently tracing with a pencil.
Be sure to crinkle the pages to give them a nice textured look.
Out of all the tutorials on the internet for this idea, I like this one the best. To make a wreath, simply loop the garland into a circle!
Want a cute book-themed storage box to go with your garland? I have a step-by-step guide for that! And it will look so dreamy with these decorations!
2. No-Sew Scrap Fabric Pumpkins
Left: the materials I used to make my scrap fabric pumpkin with light blue white polka dot fabric. Right: The completed product! It’s so cute!
Total cost: FREE!
Difficulty: Beginner-friendly
Time to complete: About 20 minutes or so
I don’t know about you, but I am ALWAYS looking for ways to use up fabric scraps. I’m a recovering fabric-aholic… I don’t even sew much, but I love looking at fabric in thrift stores.
No-sew scrap fabric pumpkins are a great way to utilize your fabric scraps while adding whimsy to your fall decor for free.
Here’s my favorite tutorial for this project! If you don’t have driftwood readily available for the stems, that’s okay. I found a piece of bark out in my yard to use. You could also use any ol’ stick.
I also didn’t have any beans or pebbles lying around, so I found an old strand of beads to stick in my pumpkin to weigh it down a bit!
3. Blanket Pumpkin
Total cost: FREE!
Difficulty: Beginner-friendly
Time to complete: Literally could not be faster.
Who would think you could turn a regular throw blanket into an adorable pumpkin?! Not me. And I wouldn’t have known if it wasn’t for this YouTube video byDo It On A Dime! She has plenty of other great fall decor suggestions in the video, so be sure to check it out.
For this particular free fall decor idea, all you’ll need is a blanket. Roll the two ends towards each other, hotdog-bun-style. After that, tie the blanket in a loose knot. Then, fold the two ends over the top, tucking them in at the opposite corners to make the pumpkin. Seriously, check out her video! I’ve been a fan of her affordable, creative decor and cheap organization tips for years.
4. Use Vintage Books (Or any book, really)
Image credit: Unsplash
Cost: FREE!
Difficulty: Beginner-friendly.
Time to complete: No time at all!
Okay, so this one is as simple as it gets. All you need is a stack of classy-looking books. You know the ones, the hardcover books with the older bindings. Whether they’re in super great shape or a little worn, they will add a cozy Autumn vibe to your space– and it won’t cost you anything extra!
5. Use Your Leaves (Yes, seriously, the ones in your yard!)
Image credit: Unsplash, Sheldon Liu
Cost: FREE!
Difficulty: Beginner-friendly
Time to complete: No time at all!
Aside from pumpkins, nothing is more Autumn-themed than leaves! And there’s a good chance you have plenty of those just waiting for you in your back or front yards.Better Homes and Gardens has many ideas on what you can do with all of those leaves, ranging from centerpieces to placemats to placecards and wreaths.
For a super simple centerpiece, all you need is a vase and a few branches.
If you want to create a nice little vignette, combine a few of these great ideas to make a perfect free autumn decoration centerpiece for the holidays! Fill a vase with branches (both with leaves and without). Set the vase beside a stack of books, and place one or two scrap fabric pumpkins nearby. Add in a candle for some extra cozy and elegant-looking vibes!
Final Thoughts
Plot twist: you don’t have to spend ANY money to knock the fall vibes off the charts in your home. It’s the secret that corporations don’t want you to know.
Now, I’m not saying you should never spend any money on fall decorations. If you see something that makes you smile and is within your budget, there’s no harm in purchasing it— in moderation. Heck, as I’m writing this article, I’m thinking about how cute it would be to buy a few fall florals from Dollar Tree to add to the book leaf wreath.
The goal is to utilize what you have to the best of your ability, then decide if you truly want to spend any extra money. But with the tips in this article, you won’t have to spend anything at all. You can decorate for fall with no money, or use these ideas to find the best inexpensive fall decor.
Happy fall, y’all!
