14 Ways to Add a Little Fall to Your Home
Discover great buys and simple DIYs from HGTV Magazine to fire up the warmth (and fun!) in every room.
Rainbow of Pumpkins
Play with the full spectrum of colors instead of just browns and oranges. Austin, TX, blogger Kara Whitten of A Kailo Chic Life spray-painted artificial pumpkins (picked up at crafts stores) nine different shades of Montana Gold paint. “Using an assortment of sizes makes the display even more eye-catching,” she says. Some greenery—a faux–magnolia leaf garland—completes the look.
Art
Fall Botanical unframed print
DIY IT: Pom-Pom Lampshade
Supplies: Vintage Drum 16"-diameter linen lampshade in tangerine (Shades of Light, $89); Big Yarn 35-millimeter cotton pom-poms in hot pink (Etsy: Top Trimming for a similar look, $5 for 20)
Here's How:
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Decide how many evenly spaced vertical rows of pom-poms will fit on your shade. Ours fit 16, each spaced about 3 inches apart.
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With a pencil and a ruler, mark the top and bottom of the shade where each vertical row should go.
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Hot-glue the pom-poms to the shade as shown, one vertical row at a time.
Pillow
Cusco 16" x 16" wool-blend pillow
Buy It: CB2, $50
Pillow
Mali Kuba 18" x 18" cotton pillow
Buy It: Land of Pillows, $41
Cool Place Setting
Bring in unexpected elements, like chalkboard paper (available at crafts stores) as a place mat, topped with a buffalo-check plate (this one’s from Pottery Barn) and rose gold flatware (from West Elm). Modern Glam blogger Ashley Luengo of Lafayette, CA, wrote guests’ names with a chalk pencil: “It’s easier to use than regular chalk.”
Open Shelves
A few details can fall-ify any space. Designer Michael Wurm Jr., who blogs at Inspired by Charm, made this banner for the dining room in his Pittsburgh, PA, home out of black gift tags, stick-on foil letters, and mini clothespins. Then he added pumpkins—a glass one with a rose gold finish from HomeGoods, and an itty-bitty real one.
Tray
Alligator 14" x 19" polypropylene and metal tray in rust
Buy It: Bed Bath and Beyond, $26
DIY IT: Leather Wrapped Vases
Supplies: Raw Edge 1"-wide leather trim in mustard yellow, red and orange (Leather Impact for buying info, $6 per yard); Cut birch sticks (Natures All LLC, $13 for a mixed set of 18)
Here's How:
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Cut a piece of 1-inch-wide leather trim long enough to wrap around a glass vase, with the ends meeting perfectly flush. Place a piece of clear tape on the inside seam to hold it together.
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With embroidery floss in a contrasting color and an embroidery needle, stitch four X’s over the seam.
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Slide the cuff onto the vase and fill with cut branches.
Wreath
Autumn 18"-diameter wool felt and wire wreath
Buy It: Etsy: Curious Bloom, $65
DIY IT: Paper Napkin Pumpkins
Supplies: Unikko paper luncheon napkins in various colors (Marimekko, $6 for a set of 20); Martha Stewart Wedding Cake paint (Available at Michaels, currently sold out)
Here's How:
- Tape off the stems of artificial pumpkins (try funkins.com)
with painter’s tape and paint
the pumpkins with white crafts paint. Let dry. - Open a napkin pattern-side up and cut out each flower or yellow squiggly line.
- As you cut, the layers will separate. Keep only the top printed one.
- Attach the shapes to the pumpkins with decoupage glue with a matte finish; let dry. If they’ll be outdoors, spray on acrylic sealer.
DIY IT: Wood Grain Coasters
Supplies: 3 1/2"W x 3 1/2"D x 1/2"H unfinished poplar squares (Etsy: Action Craftworks, $6.50 each); Arts rubber stamp in woodgrain (Joann, $3); Martha Stewart Scottish Highlands paint (Amazon, $5); Martha Stewart Blue Calico paints (Amazon, $17 for 2)
Here's How:
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Use a pouncer to apply crafts paint to a stamp with a wood-grain pattern. Stamp a wood square. Let dry.
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Clean the stamp and repeat for each color.
Bookends
Hearth & Hand With Magnolia Pinecone 5 1/2"-tall metal bookends
BUY IT: Target, $35
Pitcher
Kilroot Dipped 34-ounce earthenware pitcher in blue
BUY IT: Joss and Main, $35
