Ideas for Decorating and Planning Fun Activities for Fall

Summer’s over. But we don’t have to be sad it’s over…let’s be glad it happened! 

Plus, on a positive note, the end of summer means the start of fall...and who doesn’t love fall and all its wonderful sights and smells? The crisp air, the falling leaves, pumpkins, cider, donuts, bringing sweaters out of the closet…and so on. It's no wonder most people love this time of year.

And of course, decorating and planning activities for the fall is fun and easy too.

Here are a few ideas that are affordable as well as festive:

The Fall Standard: Pumpkins (and other gourds)

Nothing says fall like a bunch of pumpkins. Mix up shapes and sizes, draw on them, paint them, or decorate them in creative ways! Place pumpkins around the front door the porch. You can also use them to add a seasonal touch to your home's interior by placing pumpkins of all sides on tables or around the fireplace. The options are endless!

Go natural

Take a walk around the neighborhood woods and collect branches, colorful leaves, acorns, pine cones… You get the idea. Arrange them on the coffee table or the mantle or hearth or use them to create beautiful wreaths for your front door.

Involve the kids

Take an afternoon and have fun doing fall decorating with the family! Gather up colorful construction paper, crayons, and glue. A run to the dollar store won’t set you back if you’re short on materials in the house. Also, remember that fall decorating includes at least two holidays (Halloween and Thanksgiving).

Lights, sounds, and smells

Use brown lunch bags with fall cutouts and votives to line the walkway or steps up to the door (but use caution when you have small children). Frame the porch with strings of soft white lights. Fill the house with your favorite autumn music. Remember “Monster Mash”? Add your favorite scents of autumn with apple and/or pumpkin spice scented candles.

Food

Fall is the harvest season and the kitchen is nearly always the center of activity at home. Harvest-themed place settings and centerpieces are fun and festive! Use apples, nuts and leaves on the dining table for decorating. For the tastes of the season, make caramel apples, get cider and donuts, and try making pumpkin pie from scratch!

Party

Fall and football go hand-in-hand, right? Make gamedays even more fun by inviting friends and neighbors to a party! Arrange outdoor games and activities for the kids. Bobbing for apples is a lot of fun or start a touch football game at halftime. For the adults, combine your football fun and food with Oktoberfest beers!

Fall is so much fun, and it doesn’t take a big budget to get in the spirit. What are some of your favorite things about fall?

Related Resources

sheknows  7 Fall decoration ideas on a budget

The Domestic Heart How to Decorate for Fall on a Budget