42 DIY Fall Decor Ideas for a Festive Autumn Home

hello fall etched pumpkin gourds planters steps
Photo: Adam Albright

Cold nights, warm drinks, and pumpkin spice everything means fall is finally here! Usher in this cozy season and give your home an autumn refresh with our ideas for DIY fall decor.

These easy fall decor projects include wreaths, wall decor, pumpkins, fall centerpieces, and more, so you can add a festive touch to your spaces, both indoors and outdoors. Whether you copy each detail or use these fall crafts as inspiration for your next creation, these DIY fall decor ideas are guaranteed to bring comfort and joy to your home.

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Woodland Wonderland

fall decor tree stumps branches
David A. Land

Create a charming woodland display for a front entry focal point. Arrange a few logs in various sizes on a table. Construct and attach mushrooms made out of paper or clay. Finish the fall decoration by adding some tree branches with colorful leaves.

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Carve a Fall Phrase

hello fall etched pumpkin gourds planters steps
Adam Albright

Pumpkins are an autumn staple. Decorate your front porch with classic orange pumpkins etched with a message to welcome guests. For extra impact, add an array of pumpkins and gourds in various sizes and colors.

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Bring Fall into Your Home

fall leaves on canvases mantel decoration
Victor Schrager

Take a little of the outside world and bring it indoors. This easy fall DIY project only requires a canvas and a handful of fall leaves. Arrange the leaves randomly, in a pattern, or in a gradient, then pin them to the canvas for an elegant fall addition to any room.

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Fresh DIY Fall Decor

squash vases with flowers
Kritsada Panichgul

The season's best produce can serve as supplies for fresh DIY fall crafts. Try carving out squash and gourds to turn them into vessels for beautiful fall blooms. Place the planters on a galvanized metal cake stand to complete the farmhouse-style fall display.

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Make Nature-Inspired Art

fall wall decor pumpkin stick art
Courtesy of Sara Albers and Melissa Fenlon

Borrow from nature to create custom fall artwork. On a canvas or piece of wood, glue trimmed twigs from longest to shortest to resemble a pumpkin. Use a thick twig as a stem. Add a small twine bow to finish your project.

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DIY Fall Wreath with Mums

twine fall wreath with seasonal flowers
Carson Downing

Inexpensive and versatile, a grapevine gives DIY fall decor a rustic touch. Use it in this cozy fall craft for a gorgeous wreath with seasonal color. Hot-glue dried or faux mum flowers to the wreath using your favorite fall colors. Finish the wreath by attaching mini faux white pumpkins with florist's wire.

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Forage for Fall Decor

Directly above shot of triangle twig wreath with scissors on table
Carson Downing

Take a trip to your backyard to find three similarly sized twigs. Tie them together with a string in the shape of a triangle. Decorate with ribbon and fall foliage. When finished, use ribbon or string to hang your fall accent from a door or window.

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Recycle Fabric Scraps

fall wall decor embroidery circles
Kathryn Gamble Lozier

Recycle discarded fabric scraps with this unique embroidery hoop gallery wall. Select swatches with warm colors or fall prints. For an unexpected twist, layer smaller hoops on top of a larger one or add buttons or other embellishments.

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DIY Fall Wall Decor

Hello Autumn Fabric Sign
Jacob Fox

Hang this DIY fall decoration above a console table in your entryway for a festive touch as soon as you walk in the door. Purchase a piece of fabric with an autumn-inspired pattern, then stitch around all four sides to create clean edges (press on fusible interfacing first for crisper lines). Along the top and bottom, create a rod pocket and push a wood dowel through the opening. Use iron-on letters to spell out a seasonal phrase. Thread a cord through the top pocket and tie off to hang the fall wall decor.

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Cozy Sweater Vases

vases with knit sweater fabric
Kritsada Panichgul

Use old cable-knit sweaters to turn plain vases into DIY fall decor. Start by cutting off the sleeves of thrifted or no-longer-worn sweaters. Stretch them over cylindrical vases, folding the edge over the rim and securing with double-sided tape if needed. Fill the vases with gathered branches that showcase colorful fall foliage.

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DIY Chalkboard Sign

Chalkboard sign on door that says "Welcome, Fall"
Carson Downing

Welcome guests to your home and create an inviting fall front porch with this handmade chalkboard sign. Instead of a DIY wreath, upcycle a picture frame by painting a sheet of craft wood into this easy message board. This quick fall craft for adults is ready as soon as the chalk paint dries!

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Fall Farmhouse DIY Wreath

fall rustic wreath
Jay Wilde

Celebrate the simple beauty of farmhouse style with this easy piece of DIY fall decor. Transform a plain grapevine wreath into a one-of-a-kind fall wreath with a few faux leaves, wooden flowers, and an oversize burlap bow. Secure the elements with florists wire and hot glue.

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Welcoming Pumpkin Craft

message painted white pumpkin fall decor
Carson Downing

This easy DIY fall craft will transform your front porch into a sweet welcoming space for fall guests. Use a large basket (we love the natural colors in this one!) to hold a pile of mini pumpkins and to showcase this easy DIY project. Choose a white pumpkin with a nice shape, and use a permanent marker to transfer our free "gather" pattern to the front of the pumpkin. We love how easy this farmhouse front porch accent is.

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Fall Welcome Mat

halloween pumpkin outdoor mat
Carson Downing

Creating a beautiful fall front porch starts with a painted welcome mat. Our free fall-themed stencils and some paint are all it takes to transform a plain coir doormat into a stunning piece of DIY fall decor. Plus, you can customize it with any colors you like. It also makes a great handmade gift!

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Fall Corn Decor

Cupboards filled with fall décor and corn on outside door
Helen Norman

Changing leaves and colder nights means harvest is underway. Utilize some of the season's bounty to decorate your home. Use wire to gather a few stalks of ornamental corn, then hang them on a door or cabinet for the perfect fall decoration for a kitchen or dining room.

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Felt Acorn Wreath

Circle of wire wreath with acorns and branch
Carson Downing

Create a stunning fall wreath that combines natural elements with fun felt pom-poms. Craft a trio of felt acorns by gluing colorful felt balls to real, foraged-from-the-ground acorn tops. Display your whimsical acorns on a plain gold wreath hoop ($5, Joann) with a small branch and felt leaves. This DIY wreath is the perfect way to welcome guests all autumn long.

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DIY Thankful Banner

thankful pendent hanging on fireplace
Carson Downing

Create a quick Thanksgiving decoration with our free, printable banner. All you'll need is some brown kraft paper and thick twine to hang it. Use it as part of your fall mantel decor or hang it above your dining room table.

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Give Thanks Corkboard

Give Thanks Corkboard
Marty Baldwin

Get ready to celebrate fall with an acorn-shaped corkboard that inspires you to give thanks. Simply cut an acorn shape from a piece of craft-store corkboard and use punched cardstock circles to create the cap. Hang it in your kitchen, at a party, or save it for Thanksgiving. Bonus: Kids will love helping fill the board with their favorite things.

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DIY Pumpkin Planter

pumpkin planter with fall mums
Jacob Fox

Instead of plain pots, display your fall flowers and plants in a DIY pumpkin planter. Simply cut the top off a real or faux pumpkin, add drainage holes, and you're ready to get planting. Set it on your front stoop for a welcoming fall porch.

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Leather Acorn Garland

home fireplace mantel fall pumpkin acorn decor
Jay Wilde

Looking for a Thanksgiving decoration that lasts all season long? This handmade fall garland fits the bill! Create cut leather acorns in neutral shades and string them up with thick twine or ribbon. Add it to your mantel for a stunning piece of fall decor.

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Temporary Tattoo Pumpkin

small white pumpkin floral painting
Carson Downing

The new trend in pumpkin decorating? Tattoos! This fall Halloween craft idea comes together in a jiffy thanks to a few of your favorite temporary tattoo designs and a little bit of water. Opt for faux pumpkins instead of real for a darling decoration you'll use year after year.

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Metallic Magnolia Wreath

metallic leaves wreath striped wall
Adam Albright

This DIY wreath is made with painted magnolia leaves and not much else! To make this easy fall craft, spray paint dried magnolia leaves (collect some yourself or purchase them online) in a variety of metallic shades. Attach them to a plain wreath form, and you're done.

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DIY Clay Leaf Dishes

blue clay leaf dishes on leaves
Dana Gallagher

Perfect for holding salt or spices, these small dishes bring a hint of fall to your table decor. To make this DIY fall craft, roll out air-dry clay on linen and use leaf-shape cookie cutters to cut out. Place leaves, pattern side up, on a sheet to dry. When completely dry, paint leaves with a mixture of 2 parts liquid fabric dye to one part water.

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DIY Succulent Pumpkin Planter

white pumpkin succulent planter
Matthew Clark

This quick fall craft will be the star of your Thanksgiving table. We used a white faux pumpkin to create a DIY holiday centerpiece that's filled with a variety of fresh succulents. Pops of decorative moss add color and finish off this fun fall craft for adults.

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Felt Mum Garland

felt mum garland
Carson Downing

Showcase the beauty of mums with this DIY fall garland. Create felt mums in a variety of sizes, and then use a needle to thread them on string with wood beads. Hang them outside in protected areas or on your fall mantel.

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Wax Paper Lanterns

fall lanterns and leaves in vase
Dana Gallagher

Grab the wax paper from your pantry and turn it into adorable lanterns made for autumn. Using ironing cloths and a few leaves leftover from raking your yard, iron the leaves onto 8x8 squares of wax paper. Use washi tape to adhere each square together, then place a flameless tea light in the center to give off an inviting glow.

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Fall Acorn Treats

DIY Acorn Easter eggs
Marty Baldwin

Make adorable acorn treat holders your family will go nuts over this fall. Not only are they great for sending in school lunches, but the easy fall craft is a thoughtful party favor or decoration, too. To make, simply hot-glue twine around the wide end of a plastic Easter egg, then fill with snacks, candy, or other fun treats.

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Shimmering Fall Votives

Slab of wood with candles and succulents
Steven McDonald

Let your lighting set the mood for any fall get-together with this easy craft idea. Start by spraying a light mist of water into a glass holder. Working inside the glass only, spray a light layer of metallic gold paint over the water beads, leaving the glass slightly translucent. Let dry, then add a layer of gold glitter spray to finish.

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Fall Garden Banner

buffet with natural fall elements in vases
Adam Albright

Create an all-natural look with our easy fall garland. This DIY fall craft is decorated with treasures from your outdoor autumn garden. Silvery twine loops form a scalloped garland. Chinese lanterns, fall leaves, nigella pods, and ginkgo leaves make special additions; attach using fine wire.

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Lacy Fall Leaves Craft

leaf place setting
Marty Baldwin

Set the table with these gorgeous metallic place cards. Window screen ($11, The Home Depot) and paint are all it takes to create a flurry of cut-mesh fall leaves. Use real leaves (or a template) to trace your shapes onto the screen with a permanent marker and then cut them out with tin snips or a pair of old scissors. Spray paint with a metallic finish and add veining using metallic puffy paint. Use the finished leaves as part of a DIY fall wreath, garland, or on your Thanksgiving table.

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Leafy Vases

fall leaf vases
Dana Gallagher

Fall vases don't get much cuter than this. Duplicate this DIY fall craft in a snap using leaf-printed decal paper. Soak the designs in a bowl of cold water, then apply the leaf shapes to plain or colored vases to decorate your living room with fall spirit.

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Painted Wine Glasses

Painted Wine Glasses
Steven McDonald

This pretty wine craft is perfect for a party! Add simple fall romance to party stemware using pearl and glitter glass paints. Coat the underside of the glass base with the pearl paint, swirling a pattern out from the center; let dry. Alternatively, add a coat of glitter glass paint on top of the base and up the stem.

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Marker-Magic Vase

orange flowers in green vase
Greg Schiedemann

The vibrant blooms of fall deserve a striking display. With this easy technique, a plain vase gains autumn style with a few strokes of a pen. Plan a design to coordinate with the flowers, and use a white oil-base marker to draw the design on a plain ceramic vase.

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Fall Gratitude Journal

gratitudes journals
Adam Albright

Gratitude journals are perfect as fall gifts or just to record your own favorite moments of the season. Download the illustrated cards and attach to the fronts of blank journals with photo corners. Keep one for yourself; give one as a gift.

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Painted Vases

gold metallic painted vases
Cameron Sadeghpour

Paint makes it easy to add metallic accents to a variety of containers, turning plain glass vases into DIY fall decor. Pour a small amount of metallic crafts paint inside a vase; tip and twirl the vase to cover as much of the interior as desired. We love gold for fall, but you can pick the paint that matches your home decor.

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Sparkling Wheat Wreath

wheat wreath on blue door
Greg Scheidemann

Simple upgrades can transform even the most ordinary fall crafts into something extraordinary. Start with a purchased wheat wreath. Buy a separate bunch of dried wheat and divide into three groups. Paint each group a different metallic color (such as gold, copper, and brass) and tuck into the purchased wreath. Hang a sweet message off-center to finish and you're ready to hang your DIY fall wreath.

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Metallic Painted Leaves

gold metallic painted leaves on blue plates
Cameron Sadeghpour

A smattering of leaves can make a pretty fall centerpiece when grouped together. You can also place one at each place setting for an unusual accent. Here, we sprayed thick mature sycamore leaves with copper paint.

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Wooden Trivets

wooden coasters and blue teapot
Steven McDonald

Organic in style and easy to design, these stylish natural coasters provide a practical boost to your side tables. Start with a 4x4-inch wood block; make straight cuts of varying widths. Sand the edges and corners, and apply a coat of natural wood stain and sealer; let dry. Apply cabinet bumpers on the four corners of each of the bases to keep surfaces scratch-free.

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Thankful Tree Decoration

white branch in vase with fall leaves
Marty Baldwin

Fall is a natural season to step back and reflect on what you and your family are thankful for. Use this easy autumn craft as a visual reminder. Start by finding an interesting branch; tape off the base and spray-paint the top white. Fill a vase with nuts or rocks and insert the branch. Cut out leaves from construction paper (search online for leaf shapes), punch a hole at the top of each, write a thankful message, and hang with ribbon or twine.

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Pressed Fall Leaf Artwork

Pressed Fall Leaf Artwork
Matthew Mead

Artfully display fall specimens on microscope-slide-inspired frames to brighten a shelf for fall. Place a pressed leaf between two pieces of glass. Secure the pieces of glass together by wrapping colored linen book-cloth tape around all four sides.

Editor's Tip: To create pressed leaves for fall crafts, place leaves between layers of newspapers and press under a stack of books. Let dry for a couple of days, then iron each leaf between two pieces of waxed paper to enhance the color of the leaf, using a pressing cloth to keep wax off the iron.

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No-Sew Fall Leaf Pillow

DIY Felt Leaf Pillow
Steven McDonald

Dress a pillow in cozy fall textures without sewing a stitch in this fun fall crafts project. Assemble a collection of leaves from your yard in various shapes and trace their forms onto felt. Cut out the felt leaves and attach them to the pillow using permanent fabric adhesive.

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Fall Leaf Garland

Fall Leaf Garland
Kritsada Panichgul

Keep your fall decorations natural and simple with this fun crafts project. Gather fresh fallen leaves from the backyard and use a needle to thread them onto a string, securing the ends with knots. Tack the garland onto the edge of a table, along a banister, or across a door frame to add instant fall color.

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