How I Decorated Our Place for Fall for under $20!!
Fall is here (yay!!), and even though sunny California feels far from cozy and cold, I still wanted our home to have that warm autumn glow to it! Now, David and I are still newlyweds (well, maybe not technically...but still!) and we are pretty much on a perpetual budget. I wanted to make our home Fall-y (it's a word, look it up), but I could only justify spending $20 on decorations for our place. So there Andrew Jackson and I went, off to the dollar store and Michaels.
I went to the dollar store first, because I wanted to get as many of my supplies there as possible. I hit on these really hideous pumpkins that came in large individuals and packs of 4 tiny pumpkins. When I say ugly (sorry to whoever manufactured these), I mean... really ugly. Im pretty sure they are made from styrofoam, and painted by a blind guy. But hey, we aren't picky here in budget land!
So, feeling pretty accomplished, I headed over to Michael's. I wasn't 100% sure what I was looking for, but I knew it had to be cheap.
After walking around for 30 mins, I decided on some fall leaves, which I scored for 50% off, and some teeny tiny clothes pins. ADORABLE.
And with that, I hit my budget. Here's the breakdown:
Fall Maple Leaves (1 bush) $9.99
Mini Clothespins $4 > $2 with 50% off coupon from the Michael's App
5 Large Pumpkins @$1 ea. $5
2 Packs of Mini Pumpkins @$1 ea. $2
That's a total of $18.99!
I was happy, and ready to get my DIY on!
So... here's the part where I am cheating a little bit. I'm assuming that you are a craft supplies hoarder like I am, which might not be the case. If it is, welcome sister! If it isn't... you might be spending an extra $5 or so. But the investment will be a great one! Because generally, craft supplies last FOREVER. So long, that you end up with a whole closet full of them. So long, that they go out of style, but you still feel a connection to them so you just keep them forever.
I whipped out my drawer of craft paint, and paint pens, chose the most fall-ish colors and got cracking. If you don't have a drawer like this, you will need a couple fall colored craft paint tubes, a white paint pen, and some string! Don't worry, they are all dirt cheap.
The first thing I wanted to do was prime those ugly pumpkins of mine! I knew I wanted more muted, warm tones. Don't get me wrong, the neon colors that the dollar store was rocking were cool too... but not for my home, and not for fall.
Don't forget the little guys!
Next came the pretty colors! Note that you will need something to paint on top of. I chose these useless plates we bought (in bulk of course) that actually melt into your food if microwaved. You know, in case you want your lunch with a side of styrofoam.
I picked 3 colors and painted away. Some I even topped with gold glitter (also a craft supply that lasts years and years... It will also show up in every crevice of your home for years and years).
Don't forget to paint the stems as well! Green stems weren't cutting it for me, so I used brown paint to cover it.
I let them dry for several hours. I think they came out pretty cute for only costing $7!
On to the next project!
Gather up your leaves and a paint pen. I chose white to POP. Oh yeah, cut the leaves off of the bush. We are making a banner here so, that's kind of an important step.
Write pretty letters on each leaf! I chose to write out the phrase "Falling for Fall." Do you hate your own handwriting and can't find a friend or family member willing to do it for you? I'm thinking you could get some heavy duty stickers or stencils to do the trick for you!
After you have written out your message, and the paint has had time to dry, gather up some string (I used jute) and your tiny clothespins and assemble that banner like a pro!
And just to make sure we aren't wasting here, I put the extra leaves and pinecones from the mini pumpkin packs in a vase...
And finito! There you have it! 3 DIY fall decor crafts for under $20! Scatter those pumpkins around your house like confetti and wait (forever if you live in Southern California) for the temp to break under 70 degrees so you can justify a hot cup of cocoa, lay on the couch, and bask in your cute Fall inspired home.