Cozy sweaters, pumpkin spice, and vivid color palettes abound--it must be fall! Exciting DIY autumn themes give you some great home decorating ideas that are fun and easy. From iconic pumpkins to brilliant fall-colored leaves, these autumn themes and tips show you how to personalize your fall decorations that everyone will enjoy.
Pumpkin Autumn Theme
You can add touches of a pumpkin theme throughout your home decor with pillows, throws, and various artistic representations of the pumpkin in art, posters, and objects.
Decorate With Pumpkin Colors
Most people think orange is the only pumpkin color, but there are some varieties found in gardens that are white, brown, white with orange stripes, or green and orange. Accent with other fall tones, like yellow, burgundy, or deep plum.
Decorate With Actual Pumpkins
In addition, there are also miniature pumpkins that can be placed in a basket centerpiece or cornucopia decoration. Buy large, medium, and miniature pumpkins from a local farmers' market, grocery store, or online, plant your own pumpkin patch, or buy artificial pumpkins to use year-after-year, from places such as:
- Burpee: Plant a small pumpkin patch using seeds for your favorite varieties.
- Factory Direct Craft: Pick up faux miniature pumpkins in a variety of materials, from burlap to glazed to wood.
Add Pumpkins in Your Yard, Porch, or Front Entrance
You can use the pumpkin theme to decorate your home for autumn by incorporating it in various areas of your home for a continuity that flows from the front door to the den and kitchen. Make a statement about the fall to all who visit or ride by your home, starting with the front entrance or porch area.
- Set one or three straw bales and place different sizes of pumpkins all around and on top of the bales.
- Pumpkin banners and flags in a variety of styles are available at Amazon that are perfect for your entrance. Some can be monogrammed.
- Pick up a set of wood and metal harvest pumpkin decorations from Decorator's Warehouse to add a festive flair to your door.
- A three-stack pumpkin topiary from Grandinroad can be placed in an urn or large flowerpot. Set one on each side of your front door or porch steps.
Create Fun Table and Mantel Decorations
Opt for a less than traditional fall centerpiece for your dining table, buffet, or entryway console table with one of these finds:
- Plow & Hearth's decorative wagon gives you a versatile choice that allows you to add miniature pumpkins, leaves, vines, or other arrangements to the center before placing it where you desire.
- Artful Home's Sunrise Pumpkins are beautiful hand-blown glass pumpkins. Consider placing this set of three pumpkins on a table or mantel.
- Birch Lane sells an orange pumpkin luminary that is a unique artistic addition to your autumn decorations.
- Heritage lace offers an orange pumpkin and vine lace mantel scarf to grace your fireplace mantel.
Decorate Your Mailbox
It's very easy to change your metal mailbox appearance. Select the perfect magnetic pumpkin themed mailbox cover to dress up your mailbox for the fall season. There are plenty of designs available.
Make Pumpkin Candle Holders
It's easy to make pumpkin candle holders. Just scoop out the centers of miniature pumpkins and set an LED tea light inside. If you prefer a jack-o'-lantern look, carve a face in each. Keep in mind that these will only last a few days before they will need to be thrown away.
Create Flowerpot Pumpkins
Creating flowerpot pumpkins is a lot of fun. Use at least three different sizes of clay flowerpots. Paint a pumpkin face on each using black pain. You can use a simple pumpkin triangle design for eyes, nose and mouth or a more stylish face. Add fall plants or faux foliage.
Greet Visitors With a Pumpkin Welcome Plaque
You can create a pumpkin shaped welcome plaque for outside or inside your home. You need a wood cutout in the shape of a pumpkin. Decide on the color(s) you want to paint your pumpkin. Get creative and paint a designer pumpkin or go simple with an orange pumpkin. The choice is yours. Select the font for the letter stencil and stencil the word, "Welcome." Attach a picture hanger and greet your guests with your creation on the door, beside the door, on the porch, or inside your home.
Add Pumpkin Branch Lights
Transform a ceramic pumpkin-shaped flower pot into a beautiful pumpkin decoration for the console table in your foyer or buffet server in your dining room. Fill the pot with a florist block for dry use. Center one or more battery-operated lighted willow branches. Add florist moss or a faux spiller plant positioned around the base to hide the florist block. You can arrange the spiller plant the way you want it to cascade over the rim of the pot for an attractive touch.
Scarecrow Theme
The scarecrow is a favorite autumn figure. You can select one that fits both the season and Halloween and/or Thanksgiving to use it longer. Use cute scarecrow figures, wreaths, throws or pillows in your home to carry the theme throughout. Place wall art in the half bath or kitchen.
Choose a Scarecrow Color Scheme
Center the color scheme around the colors of the scarecrow. It's a given that beiges and tans will be prominent hues because they replicate straw colors. You can repeat the clothing and patterns used in your main one or two scarecrows' clothing in your theme design. For example, if your scarecrow has blue and red clothing, then you can repeat these colors in your room to draw attention to the central scarecrow figure.
Add Scarecrows to Your Yard
You can choose to go with a scary, neutral, or cute scarecrow for the centerpiece of your design(s). Think about what you wish to see whenever looking at the scarecrow selection of your yard, porch or front entrance.
- Design Toscano adds the macabre to the season, especially Halloween with this spooky evil scarecrow that can be set right in with your landscaping or on a porch step.
- Hang a large scarecrow from PartyCheap on your front door to greet friends and neighbors, especially if you don't want a full-sized one in your yard.
- Hayneedle lets you welcome the fall with this scarecrow flag complete with a sunflower on his hat and his very own crow.
Bring Scarecrows Into Your House
Some decorations can work for either a table or mantel centerpiece, while others are created for a specific use.
- This scarecrow harvest candle holder set from Luxury Lifeway is ideal for a home with country or Americana décor. Add a plaid table runner and a few more candles to complete the look.
- If a fresh floral arrangement is your ideal table centerpiece, opt for one with fall colors and a scarecrow figurine from Teleflora.
Create Adorable Scarecrow Vignettes
Make one scarecrow vignette for a dining room sideboard or for a foyer console table. Create the first vignette by using a container, like a box or wooden crate. Fill the container with straw, packing shredded paper, or raffia paper. If the container is deep, fill it with newspaper and cover this with shredded paper and raffia paper so it's hidden. You'll need at least one large cloth scarecrow and two smaller sized ones. Place the largest scarecrow in the center of the container and put the other beside it or sitting on the sideboard or console table leaning against the container. Fluff up the paper around the scarecrow in the container. You can add florist fillers around the scarecrows. Depending on the space available, you can add a couple of cloth-covered home-canned foods and a basket of red apples.
For the second scarecrow Vignette, you'll need a cute scarecrow figurine, a tall vase, a wheat bundle, apples, acorns, small assorted gourds, and a large tray (optional). Place the scarecrow figurine in the center of the tray. Set the vase to one side and slightly behind the figurine. Arrange the bundle of wheat so the shafts fan out from the vase. Set the apples, gourds, acorns, and any other filler you wish to use around the scarecrow. For a finishing touch, space three flameless candles around the scarecrow.
Welcome Guests With a Scarecrow Greeter
A tall wood or metal scarecrow cutout makes a cute front door greeter. Place this welcoming decoration beside your front door, but don't stop there. Add a corn stock or two behind the scarecrow and a few pumpkins on the floor around the cutout to make him feel right at home. If your scarecrow doesn't have a Welcome sign as part of his design, either make one or buy one to let him hold or hang it around his neck. You may decide that a blackboard sign allows you to change your message during the fall season and holidays by writing with colored chalk.
Your welcome sign options are endless. Make your own sign out of a discarded piece of plywood, pressboard, or chipboard. Decorate the sign to create a framed effect. Punch a hole near the top, one on each end and use orange and black ribbon to create a hanger, or go rustic with a length of twine. Another option is to hot glue the board to the scarecrow. He won't mind!
Make a DIY Scarecrow
Try your hand at creating your own brand of scarecrow theme décor. People who sew might enjoy making the Topsy Turvy Scarecrow Runner using the kit from Happy Hollow Designs. You can also make your own whimsical fall wreath following simple instructions - just replace the owl decoration with a scarecrow. Of course, the ultimate DIY project would be to make your own scarecrow.
Supplies
- Plaid or country-themed shirt
- Old blue jeans
- Pillowcase
- Hat
- Raffia and/or straw
- Markers
- Plastic bags and/or newspapers
- Safety pins
- Rubber boots
Directions
- Button the shirt and zip up the pants, then stuff with plastic bags or newspaper.
- Make the face using a pillowcase, draw a face with markers, and then stuff with newspaper.
- Attach the head, shirt, and pants with safety pins.
- Add raffia and straw around the neck, and arm and leg openings.
- Safety pin hat on head.
- Stuff the bottom of the legs into rubber boots.
- Set the scarecrow in a chair by the front door.
Fall Leaves Theme
Pillows, blankets, banner flags, and rugs can add a touch of fall leaves to your existing design. Incorporate these items throughout your home, adding color to your entire house, entrance, and tables.
Pick a Fall Leaf Color Scheme
Choose at least two leaf colors to use in your fall leaf theme. You can also use varying hues of these colors to add depth to your room. For example, red leaves can be brilliant scarlet hues to deep burgundy hues, depending on the tree species. Yellows can be vivid to dark golden hues. Add some brown to help weight the colors--and don't forget that these can vary from very dark brown to a soft tan.
- The color you choose can also highlight existing color schemes. For example, adding orange will complement a blue room.
- Add some special touches to specific areas of your home using leaves.
Add Fall Leaves to Your Yard, Porch, or Front Entrance
While leaves might grace your yard courtesy of the trees in your landscape, you'll still want to include them in decorations near the entry to your home.
- Collections Etc. helps you style with a faux berry and autumn leaves wreath for your front door.
- You may decide to go with a preserved oak leaf wreath from Pottery Barn for a truly stunning front door look.
- Add a colorful artificial fall leaf garland from LSKYTOP to complete your front door decorations.
- Pottery Barn's rustic Tuscan vases from master potters are hand-thrown terra cotta with a white chipped glaze. Add some faux branches of fall maple leaves from Huaesin, and use these on a porch or inside an entrance area.
Create Fun Leaf Table and Mantel Decorations
Create a picturesque look on your table, mantel, or other area with a leaf display.
- Add a touch of stylish autumn with a gold finished metal leaf wreath from VivaTerra. Use it over the mantel or place it on the table with a large column candle in the middle.
- Add three column candles to a glittering leaf centerpiece to create an elegant look on your table or mantel.
- Place an artificial leaf wreath from Balsam Hill in the center of the table with orange and brown column candles.
Use Faux Trees and Vines With Fall Leaves
You can make a whimsical living room or dining room fall decoration by adding one or two faux maple trees with fall leaves set in a chic and stylish container. You might enjoy a faux tree with LED lights for a fun dining room ambience.
Wrap Columns With Autumn Leaves
Don't ignore those stately columns or the ones inside. Carry out your fall leaves theme with colorful faux maple leaf vines. Wrap the columns with the vines for an unexpected autumn decoration. Be sure to drape the vines onto the floor for a more authentic vine wrap effect.
Make a Fall Leaf Wreath
One way to make sure you have exactly what you want is to make it yourself! Making a fall leaf wreath is as easy as using a glue gun. Purchase die cut fall leaves from Michaels, along with a foam wreath. With a glue gun, hot glue the leaves around the form to create a stylized fall leaf wreath.
Create Fall Leaf Art
Collect leaves and preserve them with silica gel to create an elegant art project.
- Spread one inch of silica gel onto a microwavable dish.
- Place four to eight leaves on top of the gel, depending on their size, leaving space between them.
- Spread another inch of silica over the leaves.
- Microwave on high for two minutes. You may need to use more or less time, depending on moisture, number of leaves, and your microwave's wattage.
- Once finished, mount leaves using white glue or a glue stick onto stock paper or framing mat.
- Purchase frames to display your art on the wall or place in a tabletop easel.
Seasonal Decorating for Your Home
Fall is just one of four seasons that you can enjoy by decorating your home. You can add small subtle touches to your décor or go all out and decorate in the same fashion as Christmas or other holidays.
