I don’t know about you, but I am definitely short on time.  As in, I have maybe an hour to devote to fall decor in my home.  I don’t have time to pull out plastic bins to sort through endless quantities of decor items nor do I have time to go shopping to find the perfect fall decor items. 

Heck these days, I am lucky if I have time to brush my teeth or finish a cup of coffee.  

With that said, I am likely not alone with being short on time.  I suspect some of you can relate. So, here are 5 EASY things to do to bring fall into your home.  These are things that are not expensive and – obviously – don’t take a lot of time.

Photo: Sky Lark House

First: Bring in Nature

Nature is my best friend.  She offers so much for free. Dried grasses, feathers, antler sheds, apples, nuts, even a colorful branch of leaves .  All of which can all be brought inside.  These items instantly reflect the season outside and best of all – as previously noted- they are free. So I encourage you to go forth  and forage.  See what you can find to bring inside. 

I will occasionally buy dried florals for use in my home and in my booth.  However, when I do- I save them and reuse them the following year.  (And some times even the year after that)  

If you are interested in buying some dried florals for the fall, I wrote a post about sources HERE.

Estimated time required for using nature to bring fall into your home: 30 minutes.  In reality it’s probably less but I like to be conservative in my time estimates.

Photo: Sky Lark House

Second: Light a Candle

It’s getting darker earlier.  It’s also getting a bit chilly in the evenings.  So what better thing to do than to light a candle.  Now I realize there are a ton of “fall scented” candles on the market. Apple pie, pumpkin spice, oak and pear,  – you name it.  While it is nice to have a fall scented candle, it is not necessary.  I usually use what I have on hand and sometimes that’s the remnant of a summer candle.  It’s all about the ambience and cozy feeling.  Also tapered candles, the type used in candle sticks, are great to use in the fall.  Estimated time required to find and light a candle(s): 5 minutes.  

Photo: Sky Lark House

Third: Introduce Wood Tones

I love a basket or two or three.  Splint weave baskets always remind me of fall.  A perfect example is the photo above of an antique oak splint potato basket that I found in Maine.  Using baskets is an easy way to warm up a room and introduce warm fall tones.  You can put baskets on your book shelves, in your entryway, next to your couch – you get the idea.

Photo: Sky Lark House

It’s also a great time to display cutting boards.  A stack of cutting boards leaning against the wall also reminds me of fall.  Perhaps this is because we start to cook more indoors as the weather gets cooler. 

Photo: Sky Lark House

The photo above shows how baskets were integrated into a shelf.  Estimated time to use splint baskets and highlight wood tones in your home: 15 minutes.  If you decide to rearrange a bookcase so you can integrate baskets into the shelves give yourself 30 minutes.   The photo above is also a great segue to our “fourth” way to bring in fall to your home.

Photo: Sky Lark House

Fourth: Highlight metal objects

This is the time of year I use metal vessels to hold items from nature (feathers, antlers, dried gourds, dried grasses).  You can put a collection of these vessels together on the dining room table, entry way,  book shelf or even on your desk. 

Photo: Sky Lark House

I prefer the metals that aren’t shiny.  My favorite metal to use in the fall is pewter. I love the deep warm hues of an unpolished pewter pitcher.  The photo above shows an old galvanized florist bucket filled with Staghorn sumac.  Just a little public service announcement – please wear gloves if you harvest any type of Sumac.  It can and likely will cause a skin reaction. No need to ask me how I know that. 

Estimated amount of time to gather metal vessels and display them throughout the house: 20 minutes.

Photo: Sky Lark House

Fifth: Bring out the wool blankets 

Simply putting away the light weight cotton blankets used during summer and switching them out for a wool blanket seems to bring a sense of change to a room.  Wool looks warmer and cozier and often the colors of these blankets used in the fall have deeper hues and warmer tones. 

I always have one draped over the back of the couch or folded up in a basket near a chair.  (Yes, it is an oak splint basket)

Estimated time needed to put away summer blankets and bring out the warmer wool blankets: 15 minutes. 

Photo: Sky Lark House

There you have it!  Each activity should take less than 30 minutes. Even if you implement only a couple of these ideas – then you are well on your way to decorating for fall.  The good news is that you should still have time to brush your teeth and maybe – just maybe- finish your cup of coffee.