Fall even more in love with this autumnal season by sprucing up your space with artisanal home decor. It’s not just about pumpkins and dried leaves. There are a whole lot of choices when it comes to decorating your place. Read on and see how you can use earth-friendly options pleasing to the eyes and Mother Nature.
Artisanal Autumn
As fall continues to descend upon us, it’s not too late to dress up your space with what reminds you of warm fireplaces, cozy throws, and festive family gatherings. Fall is usually associated with Halloween or Thanksgiving. Decorating for these activities may be daunting for some. It could entail hours of planning, mobilization, and wrangling with ghosts, ghouls, or gourds.
While others enjoy replacing their home decor at every turn of the event calendar, some may prefer a more general approach. Some are pressed for time (hello, free shipping!) and may only be free to decorate once a season. If this is you, then we have good news. Here’s a blog to help you create an autumnal look for your home. Even better, you can use this as a springboard towards the wintry looks of winter.
We’ve added a little plus, too. Springing for fall decors should not be as hard for your wallet and the planet. It’s fun to decorate. However, many traditional decorations are made of single-use plastic. According to a Standford University study, the U.S. throws out 25% more waste during the holidays than the rest of the year. These plastic decorations end up in landfills and pollute the environment.
To address these climate-harming holiday practices, here are some eco-friendly ways to adorn your abode this autumn:
1. Declutter First, Decorate After
One helpful trick in sustainable decorating is to start with a clean slate. It’s always better to have a blank canvas as much as possible. Doing so makes it easier to visualize what you want without being distracted. Too much visual noise can make it harder to see where you want things to be.
Additionally, now that it’s becoming chilly outside, it’s a good time to stay warm indoors. While at it, why not take this time to review your boxful of goods and see what can be donated, reused, or recycled? You can also organize a yard sale to raise extra funds while ensuring that other homes enjoy your pre-loved items.
After weeding out your deco bins, you can start working with what you have. You may even unearth priceless heirlooms that you can place on your mantel. Copper is still in, so check if you have copper tins, buckets, pots, or pans that may be reused. It’s a versatile and sustainable material that can store dried corn, hay bales, and real pumpkins.
2. Switch to Sustainable
As mentioned, there are many traditional decorations, such as plastic, tinsel, or faux spider webs. Even jack-o-lanterns made of real pumpkins can cause an ecological imbalance if not disposed of properly. Did you know that over 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins in the U.S. will be tossed into landfills after the holidays? That’s billions of pumpkins releasing a harmful greenhouse gas called methane into the air and contributing to climate change.
Ditch the disposable decor and choose earth-friendly alternatives. For example, handwoven baskets can be a multipurpose item. It comes in different colors, shapes, sizes, textures, and materials. There are those made from natural fibers like abaca, coco coir, rattan, and seagrass.
Their versatility allows you to use them around the house. They can be as catch-alls for your little items or containers for (hopefully healthy) candies you’d be giving away to trick-or-treaters like this coral tabletop catch-all. These floor baskets can store throws, pillows, magazines, or other decorative items. They can be placed anywhere from the porch to the kitchen and just about anywhere.
Another idea is to use wall baskets to dress up vertical spaces. They’re primarily neutral colors, so you can thread ribbons in autumnal colors through them if you want a more specific fall vibe. Aside from the usual browns and oranges, 2024 also sees turquoise, yellow, and other bold pops of color as part of the fall palette.
3. Let Nature Lead
If you’re unsure how to decorate for fall, look outside. Nature’s beauty is even more vibrant when bathed in an autumnal glow. Take cues from the natural scenery and bring it in. Fall is also the best time to bring in your plants, especially the ones that cannot survive the coming winter months.
Are golden leaves falling on your lawn? You could get some to decorate your mantel with a few pinecones, fallen twigs, and dried flowers. You can also preserve the beauty of your garden blooms by creating a wreath. Place your organic treasures in an artfully handcrafted fruit basket or acacia plates and bowls. Want to prepare a warm welcome for your guests? Pen a handwritten note on parchment and paste it on an acacia chopping board. Let it stand on an easel or lean on the wall in your hallway.
Fall Makes Way for Spring
Whether you go all out on the decorations or go subtle with simple tweaks and touches, fall is a lovely time to make your home extra warm and cozy. You need not reinvent the wheel or break the bank to do so. All you need is a dose of creativity, a dash of determination (perhaps a peck of patience), and a sprinkle of optimism. You can do anything that you set your mind and heart to.
Decorating must also come from a place of positivity. When you truly want a fresh look for a warm hearth, let rotting leaves fall off your heart. Start to make space for what’s new and good, and look forward to spring.