easy and inexpensive fall decorations

Happy Fall! I finished decorating the front door this week, and the seasonal look makes it feel so festive! I thought it might be helpful to share some quick, easy, and cheap decorating tips I’ve learned over the years.

1. Spray paint plastic plant pots

I bought the mums from Home Depot and painted some of the plastic grow pots with black spray paint I found in our garage. It creates a more unified look, and it’s very fast and easy. I’ve read that mums last a lot longer if you transplant them into better, bigger pots, but I’ve never done that. Which leads to my next tip . . .

2. Try to use mums as perennials.

When the mums have finished blooming, I often move the grow pots to an inconspicuous, sunny part of the backyard and leave them during the spring and summer. I don’t water them or really pay any attention to them at all. And, often, they live through the cold winter and bloom again the following September. (We’re in gardening zone 7A.)

If you do this, it’s best to cut them back in early spring so they don’t get too leggy. And remember that terracotta pots will crack if left outside in very cold weather – I usually leave the mums in the plastic grow pots from the store.

3. Combine several grow pots in a large planter.

We had a big plastic planter in the backyard that was a garish color. I spray painted it black, filled it with styrofoam, and tucked a few plastic grow pots inside it. If you look closely at the picture above, you can see the grow pots, but you can’t see them when you’re standing up straight and look down at the planter. Easiest hack ever!

4. Add height and lights.

I bought this log rack in nickel (the only color available at the time) and stacked firewood in it. And I added some of these beautiful battery-operated candles (affiliate link). Such a pretty glow, plus I don’t have to worry about safety, and I can turn them off with a remote control! I tucked one of the candles inside a metal jack-o-lantern from Pottery Barn.

*I get commissions from purchases made through some links in this post.*

Enjoy decorating for the season! We’re getting out the fog machine and the life-size skeleton pretty soon.