40 Fall Décor Ideas

Martha with pumpkins — Photo:
John Dolan

When summer fades, many of us are more than ready to welcome the fall season. The heat is cut with a nice chill and the scenery is flooded with a stunning color palette of foliage in burnt oranges, deep maroons, and olive greens. While this beautiful mirage of autumn shades occurs naturally outdoors, you can easily replicate it inside with the right décor.

Welcome guests to your home this fall with rustic gourd garlands, decorated pumpkins, wreaths, and centerpieces made from foraged materials. The following fall décor ideas and projects are guaranteed to make the perfect first impression when family and friends come calling on Thanksgiving and Halloween—or any day during the harvest season.

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Wheat Wreath With Wooden Beads

A wreath is a lovely and festive way to welcome guests into your home. This wild wonder owes its elegant good looks to the natural materials that embellish its standard straw base. We added wheat stalks laced with wooden beads and sculptural bleached seedpods for more texture.

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Golden Arrangement

Pluck a few transitional branches at their golden peak—just before they turn brown—and incorporate them into your autumnal arrangements. Paired with dahlias, the floral jewels of the season, they bring one of the most exciting parts of fall (foliage!) right into your home.

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Corn Husk Garlands

At the front door, visitors to your home will marvel at this outdoor display. Decorative corn is a farm stand staple at this time of year and can be used in all manner of home décor projects: dye them, batch style, in a rainbow of colors or braid the husks to create a seasonal garland that drapes around your doorway. For the latter, space cobs 6 to 8 inches apart on a length of raffia (available at craft stores), tying it around each piece where the husk meets the kernels.

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Ombré Leaves

Beyond a few dried grass elements, harvest-time branches are all you need to put this dramatic display, composed of green and burgundy leaves, together. Textural add-ons, like a fluted emerald vase and a nearby plate of seasonal fruit—try apples draped with wheat—polish off the vignette.

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Pear "Welcome" Display

Once inside, guests will be treated to a friendly, fragrant greeting using the season's abundant Forelles and Anjous pears. Simply arrange seven pears on a mantel. Then, with a fine-tipped washable marker, write letters on the front of each pear. Press whole cloves into the flesh along the lines and the sweet aroma will be as welcoming as the message itself.

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Lamp Chimney and Candle Centerpiece

table decorated with candles in glass lamp chimneys and fruit — Alpha Smoot

Feel thankful well before you load your plate with turkey, casseroles, cranberry sauce, and other Thanksgiving day delights by prepping the table with this easy yet eye-catching centerpiece. Incorporate the lamp chimneys at varying heights for a high-low look and better ease for guests to converse across the table.

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Wheat Centerpiece

Summer flowers may have wilted with the changing of seasons, but wheat stalks—with their delicate, golden form—are long-lasting. Arrange an armful of tall stalks into a vase, cropping the ends and fluffing the tops, and display your glorious autumnal bouquet.

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Lined Cornucopia

harvest cornucopia on wooden table — Johnny Miller

For the pièce de résistance of your fall harvest decor, why not consider the universal symbol of bounty? The cornucopia, that is. Give the season's most recognizable motif an upgrade by lining the inside with velvet and filling the center with gold-painted nuts and pomegranates.

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Squash-and-Pumpkin Flower Arrangements

squash pumpkin fall floral arrangement near window — Johnny Miller

Use the fall's harvest to make one-of-a-kind vases. Squashes and pumpkins come in all shapes and sizes, and when paired with seasonal blooms, they add character to your table. Pictured here, we used a mix of varieties, including a large greenish Hubbard squash paired with bittersweet branches and a white "Baby Boo" pumpkin with bright orange mums—placed in glass jars and votives.

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Fruitful Wreath

autumnal wreath on wooden door — Johnny Miller

Transform a plain grapevine wreath—which you can find at any craft store during fall—into a stunning display that welcomes guests with a festive greeting. Dried bunny tails, gold-painted sora pods, and velvet sewn to look like autumn flowers are glued onto the wreath, making it emblematic of the woodsy natural scene outdoors.

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Turnip Votives

In a season of abundance, make full use of those richly colored vegetables that flourish in the transition from autumn into winter. Amid a set of gray-washed baskets on the table, turnips—in varying sizes—can be scooped out to hold votive candles to provide a soft glow.

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Velvet Pomegranates

Despite their deep red color and October seasonality, pomegranates are an often-overlooked fall fruit. Here, they're earning their due by serving as the inspiration for these chic table decorations. Made of pumpkin-and-rose-colored velvet that's lined with brown linen and stuffed with fiberfill, these faux fruits will lend texture to your Thanksgiving tablescape.

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Cabbage Bowls and Cups

cabbage bowls cup vegetable thanksgiving platter — Marcus Nilsson

Use fall produce as table décor this season. Hollow out whole cabbages with a paring knife and spoon and use them to hold appetizer dips. Then, wrap the remaining leaves around glasses to hold crudités, cheeses, and breadsticks.

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Sprout Napkin Ties

vegetable thanksgiving table setting sprout ties — Marcus Nilsson

Small Brussels sprouts and sage leaves combine to make a charming addition to each guest's place setting. For each napkin tie, sandwich one end of a ribbon between a sprout and a pair of sage leaves. Use a sequin pin to secure, pinning through the leaves first, then the ribbon, then into the sprout. Repeat on the opposite end of the ribbon, and tie it around a napkin in a loose knot. The sage leaves aren't just a pretty addition—they're fragrant, too.

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Leaf Candlestick

candles with autumn leaf adornments — Johnny Miller

If you already have taper candles and holders in your fall entertaining arsenal, you're halfway to making this seasonal decoration. Fashioned from copper sheets cut into leaves and twisted around wire, these light-reflecting collars will give your home a warm, autumnal glow.

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Hanging Basket of Fall Flowers

hanging basket fall flowers wicker chair — Linda Pugliese

Assorted pinecones, pods, acorns, and other natural decorations all make for a wilt-proof wall hanging. Treat them with a few coats of golden yellow paint, then hot-glue them to dried twigs gathered from the yard.

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Corn Husk Dolls

For a fall decoration your little ones can help out with, we love these dainty, understated dolls. Soak square-corn husks (the ones used for tamales) in water then wrap twine around the husks to fashion the head, arms, and legs of your figurines. Next, use felt to create their outfits—from dresses and hats to shirts and belts, how you dress the dolls is entirely up to you.

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Glittered Corn Centerpiece

A few organic elements, touched with a bit of gilding, evoke fall's abundance. For an eye-catching centerpiece, turn a glass compote into a horn of plenty with glittering corn and squash.

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Tabletop Baskets

fall decorated table setting baskets apple nuts — Linda Pugliese

Baskets are good for more than displaying fruit—make use of them on the dinner table as centerpieces, salt and pepper cellars, or an added touch to your guests' place settings. For each place card, cinch a napkin with waxed cord and tie the ends around the basket's handle as shown here.

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Bar Cart

Pumpkins, gourds, leaves, and other fall motifs need not be limited to the front porch or dinner table either—try interspersing them throughout your home, as shown on this rolling bar cart. Get the party started with cocktails and a decorative statement.

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Thanksgiving Pie Garland

Pumpkin and apple pie are perhaps one of the most popular desserts of the fall season—and now they're making their way into your décor. This simple garland is made by cutting pieces of cardstock into triangles to resemble slices of pie, while strips of the paper are crinkled and glued on top for the "crust."

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Gourd Door Stopper

gourd placed door stopper on orange stripe carpet — Seth Smoot

Gourds aren't just decorative—they can be practical, too. Fill one with sand and it makes a great doorstop. To do this, hold the gourd steady by clamping it into a vise or to a tabletop. Once it's secure, drill a hole through the bottom of the gourd. Shake out any dried seeds or membrane and discard. Then, using a funnel and scoop, fill the gourd with sand. Plug the hole with the cork. It's lovely as is, but you can also spray on a layer of gold paint as a festive finishing touch.

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Leaf Gift Tags and Place Cards

Here's a grown-up application for a traditional fall kids' activity: Turn leaf rubbings, made with thin colored paper and standard wax crayons, into gift tags or place cards by trimming around the edges of the paper leaf. Write the names of your dinner guests on the napkin adornments in a contrasting color.

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Botanical Clay Pots

terracotta pot centerpieces — Nico Schinco

Bring nature indoors this fall by fashioning decorative leaf molds out of clay and gluing them onto plain terra-cotta pots. Fill the vessels with fall foliage and in-season flowers to create a one-of-a-kind centerpiece.

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Gilded-Leaf Pumpkins

pumpkin decorated with gilded leaves — Kate Mathis

If pumpkin carving isn't in your wheelhouse, don't worry. You can still make a beautiful gourd display for your front porch using a few basic supplies. To make our gilded pumpkins, trace leaves all over a pumpkin and fill in the shapes with metal-leaf adhesive. Wait five minutes for the adhesive to get tacky, then place a gilding sheet over the leaf shapes; brush with a dry brush.

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Wheat Grid Wreath

If you're over round wreaths, opt for this sleeker design. Wheat is secured with floral wire and assembled into a diamond shape while the heads burst out from all points of the geometric configuration. Cover the wire with natural twine and hang with a fall-colored ribbon.

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Pirate Treasure Chest

Visitors will feel like they hit the jackpot when they see this loot on your front porch (or entryway). To make the Halloween-friendly treasure chest, we filled a trunk with pillows, then piled it high with chocolate coins and more foil-wrapped treats. Complete the display with beads, a plastic skull, and other pirate-inspired treasures.

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Autumnal Garden

fall garland of magnolia leaves, apples, and berries — Erin Kunkel

Planning to host a few dinner parties this fall? Create a garland from seasonal fruits and dried flowers. To make this one, start by laying down magnolia leaves, then tuck dried flowers underneath. Layer fruit, like apples and pomegranates, on top then finish with garnishes of chestnuts, berries, and foraged autumn foliage.

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Dip-Dyed Candles

Dip-dye candles (we chose blue and orange) to give them a distinctly autumnal feel, then place them on Dutch tiles to prevent melted wax from landing on your tablescape. Display the candles as a centerpiece or throughout your home to cast a warm glow all fall long.

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Feathered Dome Decoration

Making this decoration is as easy as going for a walk around your neighborhood and collecting birds' castoff plumage. Once you've gathered a few visually striking feathers, stand them up in a small vase and display them in a large glass cloche.

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Wheat Cluster

For a decoration you can display both inside and outside your home, try making these dried wheat clusters. All you need to do is bundle three to 10 stalks of wheat together with twine, leaving about 3 feet of twine hanging off the bunch. Cut the stalks to 3 inches in length. Repeat this to make a few bundles. Then push the tail of each twine through a bead, loop its ends, and tie it into a knot.

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Block-Printed Luminaria

Light the way for trick-or-treaters with these luminarias. To make them, start by collecting leaves and arranging them on top of colored-paper treat bags. Put 1 teaspoon of acrylic paint in a misting bottle, fill it halfway with water, and shake to combine. Spray a paper bag with the mixture, let it dry, then remove the leaves. Repeat on the other side. Place faux candles inside the bags to illuminate them.

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Dried Branch Display

Floral arrangements don't have to be displayed inside a vase to be eye-catching. Instead, suspend a cluster of dried florals and branches above your dinner table to make a seasonal piece that is truly unique. Tie a dark velvet ribbon around the foliage to play up the fall aesthetic.

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Leather-Trimmed Lanterns

While orange-hued pillar candles already cast an autumnal glow, you can play up the seasonal element by displaying them inside these leather-trimmed lanterns. The project comes together in minutes—all you need are leather strips, brass fasteners, and glass hurricanes.

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Pumpkin-Spice Scented Candles

Make your own pumpkin spice candles with our easy tutorial. — Alexandra Churchill

While eye-catching decorations, like wreaths and garlands, can certainly give your home that fall feeling, the way your space smells does, too. These pumpkin-spice candles are easy to make and, when poured into orange-tinted mason jars, they pull double duty as décor.

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Pumpkin Tulipière

A tulipiére vase is one of Martha's favorite ways to display florals—and this DIY approach is perfect for fall. To make it, we drilled holes in three "Porcelain Doll" pumpkins and stacked them. You can add any florals of your choosing, but we went with dahlias and chrysanthemums—two autumn garden stunners.

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Shimmery Lined Cornucopia

This cornucopia will be the focal point of your tablescape this fall. The basket is sprayed with metallic spray paint for a welcome shine and then lined with complementary silvered linen fabric. Once it's complete, fill the cornucopia with fruits and vegetables in rich shades of ruby and amethyst.

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Autumnal Dried Caspia Wreath

The colors of fall are captured beautifully in this wreath, which is constructed of bundled dried caspia. To make it, start by cutting 3-inch caspia stems, then bundling about four stems together. Insert the bundles into a grapevine wreath base using floral wire, alternating the red stems with the orange stems. Once the wreath is covered, spray a few miniature pumpkins with copper paint and apply one coat of liquid gliding to a few pinecones. Secure the adornments to your wreath with hot glue.

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Floral Skull and Skeleton Hands Centerpiece

If you prefer Halloween décor that has a spooky vibe, this centerpiece is perfect for you. Display an arrangement of dramatic blooms—we used Black Beauty roses, allium, and carnivorous cobra lilies—inside a glass vase and then set it inside a skull.

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Patterned Pumpkins

patterned Halloween pumpkins — Kirsten Francis

Pumpkins don't have to be spooky! To replicate this sweet display, start by choosing a few colorful pumpkins (we used pink Porcelain Doll, white Casper, and green Crown Prince). Then punch matching shapes with cookie or hole cutters out of the gourds. Swap the cutouts into the holes of contrasting pumpkins for a colorful Halloween setup.

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