7 Ways to Make Your Fall Flowers Amazing

Robyn Huff
by Robyn Huff


Check out some of my favorite ways to create fall flower and non-flower arrangements that you can enjoy all season long! Easy DIY arrangements for every budget!


Spring and summer lend themselves to pretty bouquets of flowers and fresh arrangements that keep our homes smelling and feeling special for the whole season. I love to continue using fresh flowers and arrangements throughout the fall season too!


Fall flowers are a perfect way to add organic color and texture to your decor.


I also love how a simple jar of fall flowers and a few real pumpkins can make my whole room feel decorated for fall…and neither have to be stored away!


Let’s chat for a couple minutes, though, about how we can get the look and feel of fresh fall flower arrangements on a budget! And how we can style them in unique ways to make a statement in decor. After all, if you’re going to buy fresh flowers, let’s get the most bang for your buck!


I also have a few favorites for non-flower fall arrangements…and they may just be my favorites!


Let’s get started!

Tip #1 for Fall Flowers


Put them in a bucket!


Too simple? I’d beg to argue that there is no such thing as too simple, and yet, sometimes the simplest ideas are the ones I forget about!


Mums are a super cost-friendly way to bring fall flowers in and around your home and enjoy them for the whole season.


(As long as you remember to keep them watered and out of the direct sun. 🙈 I totally failed my mums after a few weeks last year!)


If you have a sunny spot indoors (or time to take your mums out to get a little sun), they can be a great option for decorating inside. Most commonly, mums make great additions to porch and patio decor for the fall season!


My favorite way to style them is to set them in a beat-up, galvanized bucket. I love the casual look it gives them and the bucket makes a great piece for creating a farmhouse-style fall vignette too!


Like I said, it’s super simple, but it’s a fail-proof way to create an inviting look to your fall entry or table, as well as adding some color with the fall flowers. Next time you’re near your favorite grocery or nursery, grab a few mums in your favorite fall colors.


Take it from the non-pro…just remember to water them. 😂

Tip #2 for Fall Flowers:


Add eucalyptus.


Another simple tip, but it’s one of my favorite cost-saving ideas for fall flowers. Particularly in the fall, I love the look of dried eucalyptus. I have found that the silver dollar eucalyptus seems to dry the prettiest, so when I find it at my Trader Joe’s, I stock up on several bunches.


I style the eucalyptus with my fresh fall flowers and enjoy. Then, when the flowers have wilted, I very gently pull out the flowers. Without messing with the arrangement, I add fresh water and replace the wilted flowers with fresh ones.

I can usually get 2 or 3 arrangements out of that bunch of eucalyptus, saving myself several dollars each time and that just means more flowers! It’s a win-win!


You’re sure to have a crumbled leaf here and there, but as long as you’re careful when you replace the flowers, you should be able to reuse the eucalyptus at least once!


I love how the dried look of the leaves adds to the beauty of the fall flowers…and adds a few dollars to my wallet too!


There are some great options available for faux eucalyptus too. This garland is my absolute favorite, especially for fall tablescapes. The smaller, matching eucalyptus stems are ones that I use year round and they mix beautifully with fall flowers too!


For some extra fall color, there are beautiful options available with colored eucalyptus too. I especially love the color of these and the style of these. I absolutely love how thick and pretty these dried stems are too.


And for some fall color on your table or mantel, this eucalyptus garland is gorgeous and budget-friendly. I’ve seen it in person and love it!


The key to remember with colored fall stems is that you don’t need a huge amount of them to really make a pretty statement! Pick up a few favorites and enjoy all season long!


Tip #3 for Fall Flowers:


Cut a cornstalk.

Or a dead banana tree branch. Haha!


True story: I was doing some fall decorating and clipped a few pieces off of a banana tree branch from our yard (thank goodness my husband doesn’t clear those out too often!). I tucked a few pieces into a big basket with some gourds. Afterward, I asked Harrison if he knew what those were.


“It’s those things off of corn, you know, from a field.”

WINNING!


If my 7-year-old thought my dead banana branch passed as a cornstalk, that’s enough for me!


But maybe you’re lucky and have real cornstalks available! Use them!

They make great filler in any arrangement and add a ton of texture too. My favorite way to use them is to clip small pieces and tuck around pumpkins or gourds.


It would even be worth asking for free clippings at the pumpkin patch.

All those little pieces that break off? They will look great in your fall arrangements! You can mix them with fall flowers, berries, or just leave them as is.


I took several clippings (from a dead banana branch, of course) and stuck them down into a big ironstone chamber pot. I added some berries and dried branches for a unique (and completely FREE) fall arrangement. Best part? All of it was already “dead” so I enjoyed it for a few weeks before it got too crumbly from getting moved around!

Tip #4 for Fall Flowers:


Add dried seed pods.


No matter the season or style of arrangement, I always look for ways to add a little extra texture. Especially with fall flowers, dried seed pods are a great way to get texture, unique size and shape, as well as the earthy fall colors.


I found several bunches of dried seed pods at Trader Joe’s and will used them all season long! I tried storing them with my fall decor and just pulled them out…they still look amazing!


I am excited that those few dollars I spent will be something that I can use in my fall flowers all season, once again.


To style dried pods in an arrangement, I first arrange my greenery and flowers. I use the dried seed pods to fill in all the gaps, with some shorter stems at the base of my arrangement and a couple of taller ones in the middle.


This is another great way to save money on your fall flowers! It doesn’t take as many flowers to create a pretty arrangement when you have the added seed pods for filler, color, and shape.

Tip #5 for Fall Arrangements:


Add dried gourds to your centerpiece.


You’ve probably been seeing the dried gourds appearing around my home. Partly because I live in South Florida, and, let’s be honest, there aren’t really pumpkin farms down here. Haha! I love using real pumpkins and they just don’t start arriving down here until much later.

Gourds are my way to start bringing in that fall color and seasonal element.


Plus, they can be used year after year! I store mine…wait for it….

in a trash bag in the attic. The first year I did that, I was crossing my fingers that they would survive the heat. But they did great and I love pulling them out each year.


Whether large or small, gourds are a great way to add texture, shape, and color to your fall arrangements. One of my favorite ways to use them is in centerpiece arrangements, like this DIY centerpiece.


Gourds are a great alternative to flowers because you can mix them with real or faux greenery. I have used this garland down the middle of the table, layered with dried gourds, and it looks so pretty! For my DIY centerpiece, I used branches from my yard, which makes a great free option!

I think these preserved stems would be gorgeous tucked around gourds in a basket or dough bowl too!


Dried gourds can be found at vintage shops, flea markets, and some antique malls. I also found some great ones online and will link them for you:


  • Dipper gourds: Add a lot of unique shape and texture.
  • Mini gourds are great for place settings or laying in an ironstone bowl.
  • Cheese gourds have a “pumpkin” look to them and are perfect for adding extra texture. Get one or two to mix with your other dried gourds for a really organic look.
  • Medium gourds like these are perfect for styling a dough bowl or sitting on a shelf. They can add some height and interest to your styling, while still having a simple fall look.

Tip #6 for Fall Flowers:


Grab a simple jar.


One of my favorite ways to decorate is to spend $10 at the grocery store for some bundles of fall-colored mums. I add them to a few jars and sprinkle them around our home.


A jar of flowers sitting on a night stand, end table, or tucked into a coffee table vignette can make the whole space feel thoughtful and intentional.

I also love that a little dash of fall color here and there can make my space feel fresh for fall without changing everything around it.

Seasonal decorating can be as simple as changing a throw pillow (love this one for fall!), adding a fall-colored throw blanket, and a simple jar of fall flowers!

Tip #7 for Fall Flowers:


Invest in pretty vessels.


I shared some of my favorite kinds of vessels and ways to use them over on THIS POST about arranging grocery store flowers. Investing in unique, pretty vessels is the perfect way to make sure that your arrangements always make a statement.


Whether it is a simple vintage jar or an antique dough bowl or a French lavabo, your flowers and arrangements will take a whole new look!


One of my other favorite vessels to use is a pitcher. I love this French zinc one for a more casual look and my large ironstone pitcher for a really classic look.


While pretty vessels, especially vintage ones, can be an investment, they are well worth it. Most of mine are pieces that I’ve had for a long time and use season after season, year after year!


Even though I tend to purchase mostly vintage items, I absolutely love these vintage-inspired crock pieces. They are new and have a great look to them. Plus, they are budget-friendly too! I love both the large and the medium styled together!

No matter how simple or grand your decor is this fall season, I hope you remember to slow down, enjoy it, and approach home with a new sense of gratitude. We have so much to be thankful for!


I’d love for you to follow me on social media! You can find my home decor inspiration on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!


Blessings,

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Robyn Huff
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  • Mabel Jacobs Mabel Jacobs on Sep 15, 2023

    I love the way you used the natural color of fall to decorate. This is my favorite season to decorate. I enjoy using mustard, golden yellows and deep reds like cranberry. Thank you for ideas.

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