10 Best DIY Fall Decorations to Welcome Cozy Season in Style

Apr 16, 2024

They're better than store-bought.

When you're getting your home ready for fall, you've probably got images of carved pumpkins and plaid throw blankets dancing in your head. We love all those things, but we also love the idea of lightening up fall decorations a little bit. You know, using softer, prettier color palette. Make your own DIY fall decorations, and you can use any colors you want. We think the best fall crafts take a seasonal element, like pumpkins or leaves, and let you put your own personal spin on it. So paint an ear of corn hot pink or carve a faux pumpkin into a hanging planter. There are no rules in crafting!

What we love best about these DIY fall decorations is that they look so cheerful amid the darker evenings and colder weather. It doesn't hurt that they make it affordable and easy to decorate the inside or outside of your house, either. While you do need to be a little crafty, we're talking about using a glue gun and cutting paper in a straight line here. The rest of the skills are minimal—and we'll walk you through them in detail, step by step. In fact, many of these fall decoration projects are even little one friendly, so they make a great quality-time activity for your next family night.

Whether you're more minimalist, more maximalist, or somewhere in between, we've found a cute fall craft idea that you'll actually want to show off. Think tabletop accessories, a chic front door wreath, and decorations for your next fall party. So read on, pick one to try, and get ready to hear all the compliments.

Whether you're throwing a party, setting up for a formal dinner, or just wanting to add some color to the gloomy fall days, these cheerful paper garlands do the trick. The templates make them a cinch.

Get the tutorial from The House That Lars Built.

Fall is harvest time, and the best way to celebrate is by eating all of the fall produce you've been looking forward to. If corn is your particular favorite, take that love one step further by making this vibrant wreath out of crepe paper (an unsung craft supply that's so fun to use). It'd look adorable on a door or over a fireplace mantel.

Get the tutorial from The House That Lars Built.

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Fall wreaths don't have to be all twigs and dead leaves. In fact, you can use any type of material you have lying around, even maps. To make your wreath extra meaningful, cut out favorite vacation spots or loved ones' hometowns.

Get the tutorial from Piller Box Blue.

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A simple project for crafters of any age, these paper pumpkins look sweet displayed in a bowl on your coffee table or sprinkled throughout your house. You could even make a very cute tabletop display with a bunch in different sizes and complementary colors. Try different textures and types of paper too.

Get the tutorial from It's Always Autumn.

Put those pantry dry goods to use by creating an adorable fall village to display as part of a tablescape or along windowsills. Paint a whole bunch of beans at once, then glue them onto premade houses when they're dry. The brighter the colors, the better.

Get the tutorial from Handmade Charlotte.

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While we wouldn't recommend using a real pumpkin to make this cute planter craft (hello, mold), a foam or faux gourd does the trick perfectly. Drill holes in the bottom and you could use it on the porch as a planter for seasonal blooms like mums.

Get the tutorial from Club Crafted.

Turning acorn squash into oversize acorns—why not? Just look at how cute they are. Grab some rope and hot glue and you could have a whole bushel.

Get the tutorial from Inspired by Charm.

For the more advanced DIYer out there, this quilted pumpkin pillow is a great way to use of leftover fabric scraps—and an adorable way to spruce up any worn out throw pillows. Win-win!

Get the tutorial from Polka Dot Chair.

An ideal craft for the lead-up to Thanksgiving, this gratitude tree reminds us that we have so much to be thankful for! Encourage visitors to write messages on the paper leaves to complete your day-of decor.

Get the tutorial from The House That Lars Built.

Whether you use tissue paper, real leaves, or construction paper, this cheerful leaf garland is great way to add fall festiveness to any room.

Get the tutorial from Handmade Charlotte.

Kate McGregor is House Beautiful’s SEO Editor. She has covered everything from curated decor round-ups and shopping guides, to glimpses into the home lives of inspiring creatives, for publications such as ELLE Decor, Domino, and Architectural Digest’s Clever.

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