Natural DIY Decor To Cozy Up Your Home For Fall

Whether you were a little sad about putting away the t-shirts and sandals, or are SO ready for fluffy sweaters and boots, bringing the seasonal transition into your home with some nature-based decorating is a really nice way to feel grounded and in tune with the natural world. It can be a really fun, easy and inexpensive process that involves spending a bit of valuable time outdoors appreciating the plants around you!

One of the very easiest things you can do is pick up a pre-made bouquet of flowers arranged with the oranges, yellows, and reds we associate with fall. Florists will also often incorporate lovely elements like branches of berries in these seasonal arrangements too. And if you have a garden you can of course make your own bouquets, but consider thinking outside the box a little, and working in something as simple as a few of the twigs and sticks you see lying around the yard. It’s surprising how striking a humble stick or two (or even a whole bunch of them!) can look in the right vase—a minimal style vase will often work best and you can create a Scandinavian vibe with the branches you find. The rustic look and beautiful browns they provide are perfect for this time of year.

You can also use beautiful autumn leaves to enhance an arrangement by just tucking them in between whatever other foliage you already have in your bouquet. And the nice thing about fallen sticks and leaves is that even if you don’t have your own yard, you can take a walk around the neighbourhood and retrieve a lot of beauty from the boulevards. Make it a reason to set up a walk date with a friend, add gathering into your daily dog walk, or this can be a fun activity to do with kids. Just keep in mind to be responsible and respectful with your gathering, whether you’re out and about in the city or on a trail—don’t pick or cut growing things, or clean out an area of all its lovely ‘finds’, because even organic stuff that’s already on the ground can be homes for small creatures, and can decompose nutrients back into the soil.

Another quick and effective decorative trick is to show off all the lovely produce you have in your kitchen, by piling into big, beautiful bowls and bringing those out into your main living spaces. Many things like apples, pears, pomegranates, and squash will do fine out of the fridge for a few days, and look beautiful all heaped together on a table in a dish. Adding some dried fruits and nuts in shells into the mix looks lovely too and you can just keep a nut cracker and little bowl for shells nearby. Essentially, you’re creating an edible and interactive centrepiece that can even help reduce food waste because things aren’t getting forgotten about at the back of the fridge or cupboards.

You can also easily enhance a wide glass votive candle holder with hardier (and less flammable!) elements like nuts that are still in their shells, fresh cranberries, or some gathered rosehips. Put your pillar candle into the centre of the holder first, and then add these natural elements around bottom of them. This will create a really warm and comforting lighting detail for any room. (But do make sure to keep an eye on things as the candle burns down.)

The best part about using natural elements to create a seasonal and/or festive atmosphere in your home, is how eco friendly it is. So many of the decorations you buy online or in stores are made of plastic which is never ideal. And if you get into natural decorating as a tradition, it means you get a new set of decorations every year without have to send anything to the landfill, which will make you feel extra good!