Cheap Fall Decor 🍁 (Hint: You May Not Need To Buy A Thing)

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Use these cheap Fall Decor ideas to create a gorgeous Fall display using things you already have (and a little help from the produce department if you need it.)

Cheap Fall Decor with Items You ALREADY Have

Several years ago, I was been feeling entirely too stuck to my computer  (as were ALREADY looking toward Black Friday deals), and decided that I was just going to take the day off. 

I'd seen a few too many folks posting their (gorgeous!) Christmas and Fall decor over on Instagram, and while I always am ready for Christmas, my family is simply NOT OKAY with a tree coming out quite this soon.

I decided I'd let them win that battle another week. 

But I was determined to spend some time just fluffing my home, and goodness, I am so glad I did!

My dining room is a room that rarely gets used as anything other than a catchall for random “stuff” in our home, but I was determined to make it a wee bit better as we were getting closer to Thanksgiving. 

I thought I needed to go buy a bunch of new stuff to make my dining room “look” the part, but it turns out all I needed to do was dig through what I already had and pull out some cheap fall decor supplies that I already had on hand.

Before . . .

And ….. After.

Success. 

If you're looking to update your home on the cheap this Thanksgiving, here are a few quick (easy!) tips that will help with some cheap Fall decor:

1. Use what you already have.

Go through your home and find your favorite cheap fall decor. I gathered up every thing from leftover Halloween pumpkins to old glass vases, laid it all out in my foyer, and stuck to a natural color scheme to make everything feel pulled together.

2. Consider going all white for dishes, and edit mercilessly.

Several years ago I switched to basic Target white plates for our every day dishes because they match all the holidays, and make it easy to decorate with too.

And goodness, edit mercilessly when you're decorating. 

This is so so hard ~ because it's easy to see everything as “just the right thing” in your new space. But at least for me, life feels a little more cohesive when I choose a few simple colors and patterns and stick to them, so rather than putting out every thing for fall, I pick the things I love most to keep, and let go of the rest.

Tip: When purchasing things, consider setting up “rules” for your purchases.

In our house, I only buy things for my kitchen that are white, wood or stainless steel right now.

I don't follow it 100% of the time, but I'm close to 97% 🙂  and it just keeps me from spending on things I won't truly love long term!

I also have a print in our home that I LOVE, and every time I consider a new purchase, I make sure it will match that print ~ if not, it stays at the store.

It's helped me save a TON of money, time and energy on unnecessary clutter, and makes my home feel a wee bit more pulled together. Consider this method if you haven't tried it before, and goodness, EDIT EDIT EDIT your home if you're feeling overwhelmed in your space!

3. Buy some cheap ribbon

Then tie it around anything that will hold still.

4. Get a roll of gift wrap.

I used a roll of $2 gift wrap from TJMaxx to go under my dishes – if you want to completely go over your table, get two rolls that match (they're prettier than plastic tablecloths, but can be thrown away after you host).

5. Keep it simple.

There are a jillion way fancier folks on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram who spend a lot more money and decorate with so much more style than I'll ever have.

But at the end of the day, I want a pretty space on a penny-pinched-budget, so keeping it simple helps. I spent less than $5 and used what I already had at home ~ and love my happy little space!

Determine what you want to spend, and choose to stick to it while working towards your long term financial goals. I know this one can be tough, but I'm cheering for you!

Looking for more ideas? Here's one more way to create Cheap Fall Decor in your home!

I have a teensy secret to share with you about decorating your home with cheap fall decor today. ❤️

Are you ready?

Um, you don't actually have to buy allllll the fall stuff at Hobby Lobby or the Dollar Tree.

Just sayin'.

I LOVE love love fall decor. And goodness, I love fluffing my home. But early in our marriage when our finances were tight, there just wasn't any wiggle room for a bunch of fall stuff to fluff our home up with.

I mean – we didn't have a COUCH for three whole years as we prioritized other things we needed for our first place. (Like painting everything in sight to give our home a makeover in the cheapest way possible!)

See a peek at our very first home here. Whew! 

Now when it comes to decorating for Fall, I'm so thankful that it's SO EASY to penny pinch.  God just naturally kind of made cheap fall decor easy for us, didn't He? (Don't you just love that?)

DIY Fall Table Decoration

I realized back then that all I really needed was a pumpkin or two (under $5? yes please!), and whatever I could snip from my garden. Add it to a big ole' wooden tray, and I had all the cheap fall fluffin' supplies I needed without spending a penny.

(Bonus? I also wasn't adding a bunch of extra clutter that would eventually have to land in my storage bins!)

P-U-H-L-E-A-S-E, don't feel like you need to race out and spend a bunch of money to make your home look like other folks on Pinterest or Instagram.

I know it hurts a wee bit.

I know you'd love that to run out and buy all the stuff.

And goodness I KNOW what it feels like to see someone else's home and think ohhhhhhh gosh, I'd sure like all that stuff.

But I also know what financial freedom feels like on the other side of those wants, and I'm so so glad that in those early years we chose to skip the extra stuff, snip the stuff we already had, and be patient.

It's not easy.

It's not always fun.

But good gravy, it is so so worth it.

See what you can do with what you have at home today. Skip the trip to Home Goods and Hobby Lobby this weekend.

Bake some yummy bread. Light a candle you already have.

Savor the season and the space God has given you today, and care for your bunch best.

Cheering for you today ~ you, your home, your family and your finances are so worth it, and goodness, I'd sure love to hear what you're fluffing in your home today too. Leave a comment to share!

Looking for more fun and cheap fall decor ideas? Here are a few of my favorites!

• DIY Fall Paper Garland
• DIY Wood Bead Garland
• How to Decorate for Fall on a $3 Budget
• How to Decorate for Fall at the Dollar Tree
• Monogrammed Burlap Table Runner
• Burlap No-Sew Pennant Banner
• Fall Burlap Wreath
• Painting Pumpkins for Fall
• Frugal Thanksgiving Centerpieces