10+ Nature-Inspired Free Fall Decor Ideas You Can Easily Make

Hunt and Gather Free Natural Elements

First, I like to see what I can find on my own property, so I get the John Deer Gator rolling, and I search for Free Fall Decorating from Nature Items. A couple of warnings about this type of decor.

One, apply bug repellent before you go hunting. Otherwise, you may bring home some critters that settle into unmentionable places, and you’ll be scratching them for days.

Secondly, you should prepare to debug your gatherings. You can mist larger items with bug spray or repellent, and your smaller items can be placed in the freezer for a few hours until all is clear.

How Can You Decorate with Gum Balls?

They look great piled in a basket or decorative bowl. In addition, they can be made into these cute gumball flowers.

• Wooden Skewers
• Hot Glue Gun or Wood Glue

Add a drop of glue to the end of a skewer and insert it into a gumball.

I like to vary the lengths of the sticks so they are different heights in the vase.

Another way to use these free goodies from nature is to string them for garland. If you prefer another color for your fall decor, you can spray paint gumballs.

Decorating with natural branches is another way to use your free gumballs. Read How to Make Sweet Gum Ball Stems With Foraged Free Materials for all the details.

Sweet gum balls add texture to this faux corn husk wreath made with parchment paper. Foraged greenery, golden rod, and a little spray paint on sweet gum balls create a stunning DIY Fall Floral Arrangement.

#2 – Free Corn Stalks

If you live anywhere near a rural area, you will most likely see a cornfield. My neighbors are friendly and don’t mind if I grab a few for my porch. However, you do want to ask before taking them. There are always some stalks without corn, and they don’t mind if you take those for your fall decor.

Discover how to bring the beauty of outdoor natural elements indoors with these clever DIY projects. Hopefully, you can gather several loads to make your projects this fall. To see the tutorials, click the image description below.

#4 – Acorns Are Great for Fall Decorating with Nature

Acorns are free for the picking. These lovely freebies are great in their natural color but are also fun to paint. Here, they are surrounding a candle for a fun fall look.

In addition, you can fill a basket or a bowl with for an instant cheap fall decorating idea. These can also be spray painted white or gold for a unique bowl filler.

A basket filled with gathered acorns works well with the pumpkins on this Fall Porch Tour.

#5 – Wild Fruit and Autumn Leaves

Wild fruit is beautiful in addition to wildflowers, and the leaves from fruit trees are perfect for adding to your fall floral arrangement. We have an abundance of persimmon trees, and the fruit looks so pretty displayed on a tablescape or kitchen countertop. It’s a budget-minded way to decorate with nature.

Also, gather free leaves from the trees. These look beautiful in arrangements and alone in containers.

Gather naturally falling leaves to create this stunning fall wreath and this entry table arrangement. Both are easy and free ways to bring fall outdoor bounty from nature into your home. See How to Make a Foraged Oak Leaves Wreath for Fall the Easy Way for the full tutorial.

#6 – Natural Pinecones Make Great Fall and Holiday Decor

Pine Cones come in a variety of shapes and sizes. We have a little bit of everything here at The Ponds. I love them plain, painted, broken apart for crafts, etc. There are so many ways to use pine cones: fill a basket, add to a fall wreath with a little hot glue, use them in a floral arrangement, and so on. These are painted with Copper Spray Paint to complement the nature-inspired theme I have planned for my fall decor.

Take decorating with pinecones a step further this fall by creating this stunning Sunflower Wreath. You’ll not believe how easy it is to make. I like to reuse old wreaths, so the project is basically free. In addition, the leftover pinecones were used to create a fun sunflower centerpiece with reclaimed wood.

Although designed as Christmas Trees, this Log Pinecone Tree Centerpiece, with a few adjustments, it could easily be designed for a fall table centerpiece.

#7 – Recycled Tin Can Crafts

If you’ve been following me for any time, you know I save a lot of tin cans because you never know when you might need them. I cover them with napkins, paint them, leave them natural, and let them rust. There are so many uses for these free items.

Foraged Upcycled Tin Cans

Create flower vases by upcycling tin cans with gathered twigs. It only takes a minute to make these DIY Twig Vases for fall decorating.

Rusty Tin Can For Fall Crafts

One of my favorite projects is this Dollar Tree Wreath with Rusty Tin Cans. You can learn how to rust metal quickly with this technique. So start saving those tin cans and recycle them into all the stunning fall decor ideas.

# 8 – Recycle Materials

Although I just shared this tip with you, I thought it was worth repeating. These plate chargers were made from packing or shipping material. You can see how to make them here. However, the point I’d like to make is never to overlook anything and keep your mind open to new possibilities before you dismiss an item as trash.

This fall tablescape began with fun plates and a fall garland down the center. Add the DIY recycled paper plate charger, and no one will guess what it is made of.

# 9 – Fresh Fruit, Nuts, and Dried Beans

Autumn is all about harvest time, and what’s better in the fall than Apples? You can use them in your decor and stay healthy at the same time. Do they still say, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”? Apples are not free, but you can display them until they are eaten. In addition, nuts and dried beans are great for filling in around candles or displaying in a pretty bowl. We have a lot of hickory nuts that fall to the ground and, therefore, are perfect free decor.

# 10 – Free Grapevine – Decorating with Natural Branches

One of my favorite free decor items is grapevine. These natural branches grow in the trees all around the property, and they’re free to take. You decorate with natural branches by making wreaths of any size. I love the rustic, organic feel of just a plain grapevine wreath. I also use it as a garland around the top of my screened porch; with twinkle lights, this free decor looks enchanting.

I love gathering the wild grapevine and previously made these grapevine and moss twig charger plates. See how to make twig plate chargers using grapevine.

I’m sure you have some ideas I didn’t think of. If you do, please share them below in the comments. I look forward to learning some new free decorating tips.

Fill a market basket with roadside florals and a vintage basket with gumballs to create a stunning porch display without spending a penny.

Resources

• Copper Spray Paint
• Market Basket
• Fall Throw Blanket
• Vine Grapevine Wreath