Fall’s arrival brings a special kind of magic, and believe me, you don’t need to spend a fortune to capture it! The key to creating a cozy, festive home is easier than you think, and isn’t about what you buy, but what you can find outside your front door. From fallen leaves to pinecones and everything in between, the beauty of nature provides an endless, free supply of home decor. Grab your gathering basket and get ready to embrace the fall season and forage your fall with my no-cost guide to autumn decor.
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” – Albert Camus
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I’m Kim, and I believe every home can look beautiful and stylish without a hefty price tag! With 30+ years of decorating experience, I love showing you how to create a stunning, pulled-together home using what you already have and budget-friendly finds.
Your What to Forage Guide
Foraging is a fun process. It’s like a treasure hunt, really. The goal is to gather a variety of textures, shapes and colors, bringing the outdoors in. Flowers from your garden, pinecones, acorns and many other items are free for the taking. Who doesn’t love free home decor?!
Before you head out, grab some gardening gloves and grab a gathering basket or bag to collect all your goodies! Below I’ve put together a list of items you can forage.
A few helpful tips
Photo by Cottage on Bunker Hill
Forage with Integrity: Your Guide to Ethical Gathering
Whether you gather foraged items alone or with someone, it’s a fun and relaxing past-time. When foraging, it’s important to be responsible to the environment and to others. To forage with integrity always follow this simple code of conduct.
Foraging Code of Conduct
How to Clean Pinecones for Decor
Before using your foraged pinecones, it’s a good idea to make sure they are bug-free. The easiest way to do this is to bake them on a foil lined baking sheet at a low temperature (around 200°F) for about 30 minutes. This gentle heat will make sure your pinecone decor is beautiful and bug free!
Transform Your Fall Finds: DIY Project Ideas
Once you’ve foraged all your fall goodies, the fun really begins! I’ve been creating foraged projects and centerpieces for years and would like to share a few of my favorites with you. After all, there’s nothing better than projects created with free decor!
Pinecone Projects
Living in Michigan, there’s always an abundance of pinecones. I always have a bag of large and small ones to use for projects.
In this first DIY project, I transformed small pinecones into beautiful, rustic decor for a fall or Christmas table setting. With jute twine, toilet paper rolls and small pinecones, I show you how to use pinecones as a creative and natural way to make napkin rings. You can see from the photo below that I used larger pinecones for place setting nametags, too!
How to Make Napkin Rings with Jute Twine and Pinecones
Next, is this cute an easy-to-make pinecone wreath that will dress up any dining room chair. I share the process of how you can create these charming mini pinecone wreaths to hang on the back of your dining chairs. By adding a festive ribbon, this project is the perfect way to add a beautiful, custom look.
DIY Mini Pinecone Wreaths for Dining Chairs: A Step-by-Step Guide
To see more inspiration, check out some of my friends’ favorite pinecone projects in my post, DIY Pinecone Home Decor: Easy and Affordable Ideas.
Acorn Display
Nothing says fall like acorns. They have been a reminder and symbol for autumn as long as I can remember. A few years ago, Big Al and his golf partner gathered a bunch of acorns for me, while golfing. There’s nothing fancy about them, just the right addition to a fall vignette. You can see how I displayed them in my fall home tour below.
Easy Fall Home Tour: A Celebration of the Changing Seasons
Hydrangeas
Oh, how I love hydrangeas! In the summer, they’re a beautiful addition to your outdoor landscape and also the perfect cut flower to display in your home. After my hydrangeas bloom, I always dry some to use in the other Mitten seasons. Since there are many varieties of hydrangeas, different colors emerge after they dry.
If you would like to dry your own hydrangeas, you can see my step-by-step guide on How to Dry Hydrangeas for Beginners.
Below I’m sharing how to create a foraged rustic centerpiece. I’ll walk you through how to create it and share where to look for hydrangeas and what to look for when you’re foraging them. Then, I’ll guide you on how to arrange them in a vessel, using a simple trick with Scotch tape to hold them in place. Finally, I’ll show you how to add extra decorative elements like pheasant feathers to complete the look. If you’re lucky, you may even be able to find some feathers laying around, while out foraging.
Rustic Charm: A Foraged Thanksgiving Centerpiece
I have a little secret. After using my dried hydrangeas, I store them in a container or kitchen garbage bag to use again for another time. They are fragile, so you will need to be gentle when handling and storing them.
Decorating with Foraged Goldenrod
Goldenrod is a pretty, vibrant and a common wildflower known for it’s brilliant yellow plumes. In Michigan, you see it everywhere on the side of the roads, in fields and parks. You can plant goldenrod in your landscape, but it isn’t a common way to see it here in the Mitten.
Transforming your home decor with the beauty of goldenrod is a simple way to create a stunning arrangement, bringing a touch of the outdoors in.
It’s Your Turn to Forage Your Fall
Now that you have all the tips and inspiration you need, it’s time to get out there and start foraging your fall! Remember, some of the most beautiful decor isn’t bought in a store. It’s found right outside your door! With all the beauty fall has to offer, I hope you take the opportunity to bring some of that into your home.
Happy foraging!
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Beautiful! Not as cool here…but flowers are definitely ending their season.
Even though I love the fall in Michigan, it is sad to see the flowers go. Have a great week, Leslie!