Fall is my favorite time of year – pumpkin everything, cool weather, autumn foliage, and fun Fall activities. So, obviously, I LOVE decorating for Fall. Over the years, I’ve learned how to decorate for fall without spending much money and I want to share my money saving fall decor ideas with you.

If you want to have great fall/ halloween decor and save money, make your own decor. It’s not as hard or as time-consuming as you think it would be. In fact, most of these projects take less than 15 minutes! Not only does it save you money, but it gets you into the spirit of the season and it’s a fun project to do with your kids. Play some spooky music and sip a pumpkin latte while you work!

About the only crafting materials you will need for these projects are:

• Hot glue gun (my favorite one is this one from Amazon, it’s a mini so it’s great for small projects like these and it comes with the glue sticks). You can also find them for a similar price at Walmart.
• Mod Podge
• Scissors
• Small paint or sponge brush. You can get them for $0.50-$1 at Walmart (I recommend a variety pack if you are doing more than one project like this one from Amazon so you’ll have the right brush for each project)
• Wire cutters for the florals. You can also get wire cutters at Dollar Tree.
• Acrylic paint or spray paint. You can get small bottles of acrylic paint for $0.50 at Walmart, but you will probably need a bigger $1 bottle if you are doing multiple projects.

The following articles will show you how to preserve pumpkins, leaves, acorns, etc for decorating:

• 7 Ways to Prevent Your Carved & Un-carved Pumpkins from Rotting
• Decorating and Preserving Acorns for Fall Decor
• How to Preserve Leaves – 3 Methods
• How to Preserve Decorative Gourds

Candle Cheap Fall Decor Ideas

Maple Candle Jar
Mason Jar (Walmart) + Maple Leaves Pack (Dollar Tree) + Twine (optional – to tie around the neck of the jar).
Adhering the leaves to the jar is done easier with Mod Podge, but a glue gun worked fine for me when I made this.

Cinnamon Stick Candle
Cinnamon Sticks ($1.50 per pack at Walmart) + Twine (Dollar Tree) + Small Vanilla Pillar Candle (Dollar Tree)

Apple Tea Light Candles
lemon juice (preservation) + tea light candles + apples + melon baller

Fall Candle Wreath
Glass Pillar Candleholder (Dollar Tree) + Grapevine Wreath ($2 – Walmart or Craft Store) + Maple Leaf Pack (Dollar Tree) + Natural Raffia (Dollar Tree) + Large Orange Pillar Candle ($8 on Amazon)

Mason Jar Fall Luminary
mason jar + adhesive vinyl + orange paint + twine + tea light candle

Leaf Tray Candles
3 Maple Leaf Dishes (Dollar Tree or thrift store) + Pack of White or Harvest Tealight Candles (Dollar Tree) + Fall Berries

Cranberry Filler Candleholder
Glass Bowl Candleholder ($0.97 – Walmart) + Small 2″ Vanilla Pillar Candle (Dollar Tree) + Cranberry Vase Filler (Craft Store) + Jute or Hemp Twine ($1-$1.50)

Gourd Candles
Decorative Gourds (Walmart – $3 per pack) + Tealight Candles (Dollar Tree). You will need to carve a hole for the candles to fit into.

Acorn Mason Jar Candleholder
Mason Jar – with metal handle (Dollar Tree)  + White Tealight Candle (Dollar Tree) + Acorn Pack (Dollar Tree)

Pottery Barn Candle
seamless wine glass + grapevine wreath + tea light candleholder + pillar candle + acorns and baby pinecones

Popcorn Kernel Filled Candleholder
Popcorn Kernels + Natural Raffia + 6” Glass Hurricane Vase ( $0.97 – Walmart) + Small White Pillar Candle (Dollar Tree)

Fall Wreath Candleholder
Brown Willow Wreaths (Dollar Tree) + Maple Leaf Garland (use wire cutters to cut it to fit around the wreath) + Glass Pillar Candle Holder(Dollar Tree) + Small Pillar Candle (Dollar Tree)

Mossy Autumn Candleholder
Orange Pillar Candle ($8 – Amazon) + Floral Moss (Dollar Tree) + Mini Pumpkin Pack (Dollar Tree) + Fall Berry Bushes (Dollar Tree) + Glass Cake Stand (Goodwill – $3-4)

Candy Corn Candles
Candy Corn (Dollar Tree) + Candleholder  (Dollar Tree) + Tea Light Candle  (Dollar Tree) + Candle Tray ($5 at a Craft Store or Walmart)

Candy Corn Spray Painted Jar Candle
Glass Jar Candles, 8″ (Dollar Tree) + Orange and Yellow Spray Paint ($2 each at Amazon or Walmart)

Burlap Maple Leaf Candleholder
Burlap Ribbon (Dollar Tree) + Glass Candle Holder “4 (Dollar Tree)  + Maple Leaves Pack  (Dollar Tree) + 2” Candle (Dollar Tree)

Maple Leaf Twine Wrapped Candle
Pillar Candle (Amazon for $4) + Twine (Dollar Tree) + Maple Leaf

Decorative Pumpkin Cheap Fall Decor Ideas

Mercury Pumpkin
Ceramic, Glass or even Foam Pumpkins (Dollar Tree or Thrift Store) + White Paint ($1 on Amazon or Walmart) + Krylon or Rust-Oleum Glass Mirror-Like Spray Paint ($9 at Amazon). Paint white first and then spray on the mirror paint.

Dry Brushed Chalk Painted Pumpkins
Assorted Fake Pumpkins + Chalk Paint + Acrylic Paint

Thrift Store Pumpkin Makeover
Glass or Ceramic Pumpkins +  Silver and White Spray Paint

Pumpkin Basket
Black Fruit Basket (Thrift Store – Goodwill – $3) + Polyfoam Pumpkin and Gourds (Dollar Tree or Walmart)

Burlap Pumpkin
Burlap Pumpkin  (Dollar Tree) + Twine  (Dollar Tree). For the swirly tendrils effect you coat those strands of twine with Mod Podge and wrap them around a pencil. Allow it to set for about 10 minutes and then remove the pencil

Twine Pumpkin
Green Burlap Ribbon (Dollar Tree) + Small Styrofoam Cone (Craft Store – $2) + Styrofoam Pumpkin (Dollar Tree) + Sisal Rope + Brown Twine (for stem)

Mason Jar Lid Pumpkin
Cinnamon Sticks ($1.50 per pack at Walmart)  + Mason Jar Lids with Bands ($3 a pack on Amazon)+ Orange Spray Paint ($2 on Amazon)+ Orange Yarn ($1 on Amazon)

Duct Hose Pumpkin
Ducting Hose (Walmart $6) + Orange Spray Paint (Walmart – $1-2) + Floral Moss  (Dollar Tree)  + Cinnamon Sticks (Walmart- $2)

Glittery Gold Pumpkin
Foam Pumpkin (Dollar Tree) + Gold Glitter ($2 Walmart) + Metallic Rust-oleum Spray Paint ($5 Amazon) + Silver Candle Holder ($2 at Goodwill)

Confetti Pumpkin
Pumpkin + White Spray Saint + Confetti + Glue

Paper Roll Pumpkins
Paper Toll Roll + Decorating Material + Twine + Cinnamon Sticks + Burlap Scraps

Doily Pumpkin
Medium Sized Pumpkin ($6) + Doilies (Dollar Tree or thrift store)

Book Page Pumpkin 
book + spray paint + stick forested + ribbon

Home Accent Cheap Fall Decor Ideas

Burlap Table Cloth
White Table Cloth ($9 to $15, depending on size) + Burlap Cloth ($1.99/yd at Jo Ann) + Twine (Dollar Tree)

DIY Leaf Stamped Napkins
Leaves + Napkins + Craft Paint + Rolling Pin

Fall Leaves Garland
It goes great down stair cases, across fireplace mantels or around the frame of your door. You can add orange lights in it for a more festive look. $1 for 20 orange lights at Dollar Tree.

Fall Leaf Canvas Art
fall leaves + stick + hot glue gun + wood board + dark walnut wood stain

Burlap Fall Banner
burlap banner + stencils (letters and maple leaf) + black and red acrylic paint

Fall Leaves Banner
fall leaves + twine + book page leaves + clothespins

Fall Leaf Tree
poster board + fall leaves + brown spray paint + hot glue gun

Pumpkin Lantern
Black Lantern (Thrift Store – Goodwill – $4) + Polyfoam Pumpkin and Gourds (Dollar Tree) + Pinecones

Twigs & Fall Leaves Bucket
Milk Bucket (Dollar Tree) + Sticks  + Maple Leaves Pack  (Dollar Tree)

Stacked Pumpkin Topiary
2 Mini Pumpkins ($1 each at Walmart) + 2 Maple Leaf Garland + Glass Taper Candleholders (Dollar Tree) + Glass Plate Candleholder (Dollar Tree) + Brown Spray Paint or Bronze Rustoleum Spray Paint.
The base won’t look exactly the same as in the picture.

Framed Fall Art
Free Fall Printables + Paper + Picture Frame (Dollar Tree or Thrift Store for $1).
Printables are a easy and great way to accent your decorations. There are plenty of blogs that offer free fall printable such as http://lollyjane.com/fall-free-printables/ or  http://www.onsuttonplace.com/2014/08/10-free-fall-printables/ or http://www.thedatingdivas.com/free-printables/printables/65-fall-printables/ 

Fall Leaf Bowl
4 Maple Leaf Packs (Dollar Tree) + Plastic Serving Bowl (Clear) (Dollar Tree) + Mod Podge (and sponge brush).

Metallic Leaves
Krylon Premium Metallic Finish ($5 – Amazon) + Maple Leaves +  Liquid Gilding ($4 on Amazon)

Gold Acorns
hot glue gun + metallic gold paint
great for vase fillers, in a bowl or as a table decoration

Glittery Fall Leaves Garland
Pack of Fall Leaves (Dollar Tree) + ribbon + glitter + glue

Cinnamon-Scented Pinecones
pinecones + essential oil

Hanging Leaves Garland
Fishing Line + Fall Leaves

Fabric Leaf Garland
Fabric Scraps + Fusible Interfacing + Embroidery Needle

Candy Corn Button Art
Buttons + Burlap + Frame (Dollar Tree) + Acrylic Paint + Mod Podge

Wreath Cheap Fall Decor Ideas

Fall Leaves Wreath
Grapevine Wreath ($2 – Walmart or Craft Store) + Maple Leaf Garlands (Dollar Tree)

Fall Hydrangea Wreath
Faux Fall Hydrangea Bushes (Dollar Tree) + Grapevine Wreath ($2 – Walmart or Craft Store) + Black and White Ribbon (Dollar Tree)

Mesh Pumpkin Wreath
Wire Wreath (Dollar Tree) + Orange Mesh (Dollar Tree) + Green Deco Mesh (Dollar Tree) + Orange Chenille Stem (Dollar Tree). It only cost $5 to make this pumpkin wreath.

Monogramed Fall Letter
Large Wood Letter ($5 at Michael’s) + Maple Leaves Pack (Dollar Tree)+ Ribbon (Dollar Tree)+ Wreath Hanger (Dollar Tree)

Acorn Wreath
Grapevine Wreath ($2 – Walmart or Craft Store)+ Lots of Acorns (Dollar Tree or free if you have them in your yard) + Burlap Ribbon  (Dollar Tree) + Wreath Hanger  (Dollar Tree)

Neutral Fall Wreath
Wire Wreath + Drop Cloth + Scissors

Candy Corn Wreath
4 Bags of Candy Corn (Dollar Tree) + Foam Wreath (Dollar Tree) + Orange Mesh Ribbon (Dollar Tree).

Centerpiece Cheap Fall Decor Ideas

Fall Mason Jar Centerpiece
4 Mason Jars ($1 or less each)+ Twine (Dollar Tree) + Burlap Ribbon (Dollar Tree)
+ Acrylic paints in fall colors + Fall Florals (Dollar Tree).
This one would cost about $15 to make so it costs a bit more than the others, but it would look really great on top of a fireplace mantel.

Rustic Fall Mason Jars Centerpiece
mason jars +  acrylic paint (brown & white) + twine + vinyl stickers or stencils for letters + wheat stalk

Candy Corn Bottle Centerpiece
Empty Wine Bottles (free or a dollar at thrift store) + Orange, Yellow and White Spray Paint ($1 each at Walmart or Amazon). + Candy Corn (Dollar Tree) + Silver Serving Tray (Dollar Tree) Optional: sticks with orange / yellow maple leafs inside the vase.

Pumpkin and Fall Berry Tray Centerpiece
Foam Pumpkins and Gourds (Dollar Tree) + Fall Berries (Dollar Tree) + Maple Leaf Pack (Dollar Tree) + Candle Tray ($3 at Goodwill or $10 on Amazon)

Mini Pumpkins Vase
Mini Pumpkins (Dollar Tree) + Large Glass Vases (Goodwill – $2-3) + Paint (optional  – only if you want to give your pumpkins a specific look. e.g. gold, silver or white)

Candy Corn Mason Jars
3 Mason Jars (Walmart – Less than $1 a piece if you buy a case or $1 each at Dollar Tree) Orange, Yellow and White Spray Paint ($1 each at Walmart)+ Black Ribbon ($1 Dollar Tree with assortment pack)

Fall Leaf Vase
Sticks (Free) + Maple Leaves (Dollar Tree)+ Glass Vase (Dollar Tree)

Hydrangea Burlap Square Vase
Floral Blocks (Dollar Tree) + Burlap Fabric (Walmart – $3) + Twine (Dollar Tree) +  Burlap Hydrangea Bushes (Dollar Tree)

A lot of these ideas have the same supplies (e.g. foam pumpkins, maple leaves, paint, twine), but with different outcomes so you can use the same supplies for a lot of these projects to save even more money. Like you could use the twine for burlap tablecloth, burlap pumpkin, fall mason jars and the maple leaf candle; so that $1 twine will last you for several projects.

If you plan on buying in bulk for more than one project, here are some Amazon products that will save you some money and a trip to the store. Most are eligible for Prime so if you have a membership, you’ll get free shipping.