Yay for fall….But wait it’s only August you say! Well once back to school starts, and talk of football and new TV series starting, it feels like it’s time to change seasons. {although the weather in Texas tells me otherwise.} I like to make a slow progress into fall and then give myself opportunities to change it up as the season goes on.

I get excited to decorate for Fall because it’s a long season and we really get to enjoy the decor for a longer period of time. I also don’t feel as guilty buying for this season because it is a long one compared to the other holidays. Purchasing classic colors and items will allow you to use these items year after year.

Here’s how I prepare and decorate for fall:

First, I like to start off with a little “post summer” cleanup. Almost a “Spring cleaning do over”, that way I feel like I have a clean canvas to start with . Next, I like to start out very neutral with the colors. I add just simple white, cream or grey pumpkins with very soft greenery here and there. I incorporate items from the house currently and just add the little touches and hints of fall & keep it very casual. As the season progresses, I will add more color and dress it up a bit more.

 
For the mantel, I took items I already had-The black clock, the wreath and the arch and added soft, neutral pumpkins and picks. If you can’t find white or cream-colored pumpkins, they are very easy to paint with chalk paint using any color you want.
 

 
I created a few vignettes with items I already used in other areas that had texture and character to add a little unique and unexpected visual. The antique fan added a chippy, rusty feel to the display, old books tied with burlap and some old keys. Velvet pumpkins to add softness. The large pumpkin I covered with script paper to add a visual interest and placed it in a bowl of straw. Candlesticks make great stands for pumpkins of various sizes.
 

 
For the coffee table, again I mixed unexpected items together. The large silver pumpkin nestled in fern greenery on a chippy cake stand and married all the items together in a big metal tray to hold the collection.
 

 
For my table, I did an arrangement using a wooden bread bowl. I filled it with straw, nestled various sizes of neutral pumpkins, a few antlers for texture and then some berries and greenery for filler. I layered the place settings using various textures. Then, finished it off with a mini pumpkin on a little cupcake stand. The black buffalo check and black details tied the neutral decor into the decor in the rest of the house.
 

 

 
I styled my entry way shelves by incorporating little neutral pieces of fall with the regular decor. By blending fall items with your other decor, you can have small touches of the season without feeling overwhelmed by it all. Just taking a few things from nature can do the job. Cotton stems, branches and large pine cones are great items to use as well.
 

 
I used some old crates to add another dimension and to create some levels to place a pumpkin vignette. Adding a touch of soft greenery helps with the transition by taking some of the current season into the changing colors of fall
 

 
Then as October approaches. I make a shift towards Halloween. When my kids were little, I would make it very fun and festive and keep all the traditional Halloween decor around. But as they have gotten older and left home, I like to make it kind of more “chic” vintage Halloween. Kind of a dressy, spooky look. Here’s a photo from previous years…(I will be doing a Halloween decor post soon with more photos and ideas.)
 

Once Halloween is over, I get a little more formal with the decor working more Thanksgiving theme into the picture. I do this by adding shiny elements like mercury glass or gold & bronze. (I’ll show those ideas in an upcoming post)
I then use those pretty shiny or dressy pieces to phase into Christmas. Mercury glass pinecones and acorns can work for fall and run all the way through Christmas, so they are items worth investing in. This all works well and is easy to incorporate in your fall decor if you start out keeping it fairly neutral. You can then add almost any color you want as the season changes and transforms into the true crisp, cinnamon/ apple scented season it becomes.

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Happy Decorating