39 Fall Aesthetic Ideas: Best Autumn Ideas

These fall aesthetic ideas will get you in the mood for the coziness of autumn!

The fall season is almost upon us! We wanted to inspire you with some of our favorite images + activities that evoke the magic of autumn.

A lot of these ideas include natural elements: Fall flowers, seed saving, and the warmth of leaves changing colors. Because when it comes down to it, autumn is really here because of the change in nature.

Historically noted as a time of harvesting, fall is the time to embrace changing seasons and celebrate the accomplishments of the garden.  And, it’s a time to have fun with friends and get cozy with family!

Here are 33 cozy fall aesthetic ideas to get you in the mood for the autumn season!

Fall Aesthetics For The Home

These fall aesthetics for the home will up the autumn cozy in your cottage:

Decorate Your Porch With Pumpkins

One of the easiest way to instantly achieve a fall aesthetic is to add pumpkins to your porch or walkway.

Pumpkins are available in large and small sizes, and you can choose from traditional bright orange or earthy tones.  

Line your pumpkins up your porch for a dramatic fall scene.  Make sure to accent with gourds, corn stalks, chrysanthemums and pansies!

Get ideas for fall annuals here.

Make DIY Pumpkin Planters

These DIY pumpkin planters are a charming way to feature fall annuals like pansies and ornamental peppers. Grab a medium carving pumpkin, 8 inch pot and some soil. In a few minutes you can create an eye catching fall container for your front porch.

Copper Leaf Pumpkins

This copper leaf pumpkin design from Rambling Rose Farmhouse is both gorgeous + clever!

In just a few simple steps you can have gorgeous copper pumpkins to display. Use miniature pumpkins and pair them with other white pumpkins and gourds for an elegant effect!

Add A Fall Aesthetic To Your Interior With Tones + Texture

Embrace the festive feel of autumn by decorating your home with warm autumn tones!

While there’s no strict color code for fall decorating, both neutral tones and jewel tones work well.

You can even pair the two- embrace neutral tan and white for your throws and pillows, then add color with orange pumpkins and bouquets of vibrant purple dahlias!

Fall is about the textures: crisp leaves, colorful harvests and layers of clothing. Be sure to reflect that texture in your decor!

Pumpkins, gourds, throws, wreaths and pillows all make a cozy fall ambience.

Change Your Color Palette

Update your home interior with a few slight autumn touches.  Paint the front door a deep crimson red for the autumn and holiday season, or add a peel able wallpaper featuring leaves as a small feature. 

You can also change up rugs, lamps and bedding for an autumnal look if the mood strikes. These simple decor changes can easily last for six months-and come spring you can change it up again!

Add cozy vibes with blankets + pillows

Nothing says fall like cozy blankets and comfy pillows. The more the merrier: switch out your pillow covers, grab a few throws and cozy your living rooms and bedrooms with an inviting autumn vibe!

Embrace Pumpkin Aesthetics

Pumpkins aren’t just for the porch… bring them inside!

Pumpkins come in shades of white, olive green, grey and orange and you can never have too many of them!  They are the perfect decorative element for fall, and they are inexpensive and biodegradable.

(If all you do is decorate with pumpkins… you’re winning!). 

Use small pumpkins throughout your home as centerpieces, on the mantle and even on the bedside table! Add gourds and corn stalks for extra texture.

Gardener’s tip: you can easily grow miniature pumpkins in your own backyard!

Print Out Autumn Aesthetic Photos + Frame Them

Add your own personal touch to your autumn decor: simply photograph leaves, apples, pumpkins or gourds and frame them!

This inexpensive decor hack can make a big impact. Choose an 8×10 close up of apples, for example, and find a frame at a thrift shop. This personalized art is the perfect touch for fall decor.

Burn Fall-Scented Candles (Or Essential Oils)

Choose a fall-scented candle to burn or a lovely essential oil combination to diffuse.  The scents will bring the aura of autumn into your home.  We prefer essential oils because they lack the toxic chemicals of many fall-scented candles.

Press Leaves + Dry Flowers

Autumn is the perfect time to collect leaves and press them.  While you’re at it, preserve some cosmos, zinnias or wildflowers before the cold snaps take away their last flowers. 

Once your leaves or flowers are completely dry you can frame and display them in your home. This simple art hack is an easy and inexpensive way to add charm to your fall aesthetic.

Add Twinkle Lights For an Extra Glow

Nothing warms up the spooky season like fairy lights! Add them to your porch, bedroom or living space for an extra touch of cozy glow.

Bonus points for lights shaped like pumpkins.

Light A Fire-Inside Or Out

Lighting a fire or hosting a bonfire is a cozy and celebratory fall activity.  Get cozy next to the fireplace with a cup of tea or apple cider.  

Host an autumn bonfire for friends and family and celebrate the fall aesthetic with roasted marshmallow and ghost stories.

Add Pansies And Mums To Your Porch

An autumn porch is not complete without pansies and mums.   Both of these cool season flowers can withstand light frost, and they can add SO much color and vibrancy to your fall decor! 

Choose jewel toned flowers for a bold impact: mums and pansies come in gorgeous hues of velvet, purple, ruby and dark blue.  

Make A Gratitude List + Display It

With Thanksgiving right around the corner it’s the perfect time to practice the healing habit of gratitude.  Writing out your blessings is one of the best ways to ward off looming winter blues.

Being thankful has proven health benefits an it will make you a happier person!

A great place to put your gratitude list is on your fridge!  You’ll see it every day and be reminded of all God has provided.

Or, make it extra fancy and use a beautiful chalk board to write out your family’s blessings each day.

Spending time with friends and family, the simplicity of a fall leaf, the delectable variety of fall food- fall bounty is all around.  Make sure write down at least one thing you are thankful for this fall!

Create A Neutral Fall Wreath To Display

This gorgeous neutral fall wreath is so easy to make and adds a charming fall feel!

This wreath is so easy to make and will last a long time. Change the ribbon out for a cozy Christmas vibe.

Head over to the Rooted Farmhouse for all the details!

Make Terracotta Pumpkins

This inexpensive pumpkin project will add a rustic charm to your autumn decor. We love how Cassie breaks this terracotta project down into easy steps.

Once completed, your faux gourds can shine as a centerpiece or be scattered throughout the home as a nod to outdoor autumnal hues.

The end result is a Pottery Barn knockoff that is perfect for fall farmhouse design.

Fall Aesthetics From The Garden

These next ideas will help you embrace the season of fall and add a fall aesthetic to your garden tasks!

Save Your Flower Seeds

Seed saving is a fun and economical fall activity. If you do it correctly, you’ll have hundreds of flower seeds to plant next spring- for free! Let me show you how to save zinnia, marigold and sunflower seeds.

Harvest Your Garden + Display Your Bounty

As the temperatures dip, don’t forget about your garden!  Harvest your vegetables before harsh frosts set in.

Mini pumpkins, squash, tomatoes and potatoes will all be ready to harvest in fall.  As well as any spinach, lettuce and radishes that you planted mid summer!

There are many flowers that will produce blooms up until the first frost, so be sure to harvest some for bouquets as well!

Get traditional and display your bounty in a cornucopia like this one!

Sow Seeds For Spring

Autumn is the perfect time to plant certain flower seeds.  From Black-Eyed Susan to Poppies, these seeds can be planted in autumn.  Once the soil warms in spring, your garden will be filled with gorgeous flowers. 

Digging in the soil and breathing in the fresh crisp air will allow you to experience all Autumn has to offer.

Rake Leaves

Raking leaves is a traditional fall activity. The vibrant leaves will inspire a fall aesthetic. Make sure to save some to press + enjoy in your home!

To cut down on the feeling of work, turn on some tunes and involve your children. Use leaves in your compost and as a mulch around the flower beds.

Have fun with the process, and use your leaves as mulch whenever you can!

Plan Your Spring Garden

This cozy fall activity will give dividends come spring!

Did you know you can start dreaming about your spring garden right now?  Fall is the best time to take stock of what grew well and to start dreaming of the following spring.  

Simply take a stroll through your vegetable garden and around your flower beds.  Take note of of what plants you may want to add or alter.  Use your phone for lots of photos. 

Then go inside, grab your tea and a garden planner, an get busy dreaming!

Clean Up the Garden Beds

Fall is the most beautiful time of year to be out in the yard.  With the leaves changing color and the air crisp and beautiful, you’ll be motivated to clean up the garden beds.  The cooler weather is perfect for cleaning up the yard and garden. 

Many leaves can be used as a natural compost and mulch around your plants.  

This is the right time to harvest root vegetables, clean up plants and make your last bouquets of dahlias and zinnias.  

You’ll also want to plant tulips, daffodils and other bulbs in the fall! Autumn gardening is bittersweet, but beautiful and bountiful!  

Forage For A Gorgeous Fall Bouquet Or Centerpiece

Adorn your coffee table with a foraged work of art. Harvest colorful red leaves on small branches and offset them in a vase with gorgeous dahlias and other faded foliage.

This free bouquet of fall flowers will delight your senses and refresh your home!

Press Leaves + Dry Flowers

Autumn is the perfect time to collect leaves and press them.  While you’re at it, preserve some cosmos, zinnias or wildflowers before the cold snaps take away their last flowers. 

Once your leaves or flowers are completely dry you can frame and display them in your home. This simple art hack is an easy and inexpensive way to add charm to your fall aesthetic.

Activities For Fall Aesthetics

These autumn embracing activities will put you in the mood for fall! The crisp months of Autumn are the perfect time to explore outdoors-or invite others in for a cozy gathering!

Visit A Pumpkin Patch

A classic fall event, the pumpkin patch is the perfect place to embrace fall. Many locations open in late September to early October, and pumpkin patches have evolved into complete fall festivals.

Find a farm that features a corn maze, corn hole, hay rides and a pumpkin patch in order to get the full fall experience!

After you carve your pumpkin be sure to dry and save the seeds for eating.

Schedule A Family Photo Shoot

Fall family photos are a tradition many families embrace. The crisp colors of fall are the perfect backdrop for a photo session, and the images can be used for Christmas cards!

If you’re on a budget, watch for mini sessions. You can get quick photos on a designated day for a fraction of the price.

Go For A Walk In The Leaves

One of my favorite memories of growing up in the Northwest is shuffling through endless piles of leaves every Autumn morning. They glittered in the crisp Autumn air like seasonal jewels.

I can still remember the “swish swish” sound of the leaves on the way to school.

Keep the child in you happy by going on a fall walk (maybe even every day?). Better yet, bring your own children with you and teach them the satisfaction of walking through leaves on a crisp October morning.

Bake A Pumpkin Pie + Other Traditional Dishes

Embrace traditional baking with pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes and home made bread. There is something about traditional classics like green bean casseroles and turkey sandwiches that comfort and delight.

The familiar tastes and aroma harken to fall and are a practical + easy way to get in an autumn mood.

Snuggle Up With A Good Book

A good book, a soft cozy blanket, and a cup of tea. These simple elements are restorative and cozy, exactly what we are looking for in a fall aesthetic.

Keep the fall vibes alive by using your book, blanket and mug as decor when they aren’t in use. Toss your blanket over the back of the chair, display your autumn mugs on the counter, and keep caddies of tea at the ready.

Recommended Cozy Read: The Mitford Series

Bake Up A Storm

Kick on your cozy socks and don your autumn apron! One of the best ways to add in a cozy fall vibe is through baking!
Pumpkin pie might be the traditional fare, but we encourage you to explore new pumpkin recipes.

From pumpkin bread to pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, the options are limitless. We think this pumpkin bundt recipe looks especially festive + delicious!

Make Homemade Hot Chocolate and Watch Movies

Watching autumn inspired movies is a sure way to up your autumn aesthetic.  Snuggle under a plaid blanket and make some yummy hot chocolate-sprinkle with a bit of pumpkin spice!

Then choose from one of the following cozy movies:

• Hocus Pocus
• A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
• The Princess Bride
• Garfield’s Thanksgiving
• When Harry Met Sally
• And of course if all else fails, football games are usually on…

Make Apple Cider and Read Vintage Books

Cozy up with a cup of apple cider and a vintage read. Snuggling on the couch with your littles is one of the best and most memorable fall activities!

For the adults in the home, whip up this amazing Apple Harvest Mule from our friends at The Rooted Farmhouse.

Go For A Drive To Enjoy Fall Colors

With it’s rich natural colors of orange, gold and red, autumn is clearly the most beautiful time of the year! Set aside some time to go for a drive with a love one- or even a solo drive with some relaxing jazz music.

Nothing can put you in a fall mood faster than the sight of gorgeous leaves falling from the trees. Research your area to find the best routes full of deciduous trees that change colors.

Host A Gathering

One of the coziest things about fall is hosting family and friends over to share in the bounty and gratitude.

Consider an autumn charcuterie board and game night, host an early friends giving, or invite a friend from another state to be your guest and experience Autumn in your area for a few days!

Enjoy Apple Picking Season

Apples, apples apples! Though apple season is in autumn these smaller fruits often get overshadowed by pumpkins.

Yet apples are a harbinger of autumn: they bring to mind the return of school and the transformation of leaves.

Natural Decor Tip: Featuring rich hues of amber, gold and red, apples usher in the changing of the seasons. Embrace an apple aesthetic in your home decor, go on apple picking adventures, and feature bold apple hues in your wardrobe. A basket of apples on the front porch ushers in the fall vibes!

Add Pumpkin Spice To Everything

Watch out pumpkin spice lattes, make way for pumpkin milkshakes, pumpkin hot cocoa and pumpkin pancakes!  Adding pumpkin spice to a hot drink or delicious baked good is the perfect way to increase  the cozy vibes of fall. 

Go On A Dazzling Autumn Hike

Soak in the essence of fall with a good hike and a little forest bathing!  

With gorgeous leaves of various colors, the forest is our favorite place to escape in Autumn.  The perfect time to visit is when the trees have changed color but haven’t begun to fall yet- be sure to time it before heavy rains start!

Use a hiking app to seek out a hike appropriate for your level, wear sturdy boots, and always go hiking with a friend of family member for safety!

Make A Gratitude List (Or Journal)

With Thanksgiving right around the corner it’s the perfect time to practice the healing habit of gratitude.  And writing out your blessings is one of the best ways to ward off the looming winter blues.  Being thankful has proven health benefits an it will make you a happier person!

A great place to put your gratitude list is on your fridge!  You’ll see it every day and be reminded of all God has provided.

Spending time with friends and family, the simplicity of a fall leaf, the delectable variety of fall food- fall bounty is all around.  Make sure write down at least one thing you are thankful for this fall!

Fall Aesthetics For Your Wardrobe

Wardrobe planning for fall is probably one of the best ways to get into the fall aesthetic. After all, who can’t resist a cozy knit sweater, jeans, and a pair of boots?

Fall Outfit Ideas

Pull together a fall theme for your wardrobe!  It doesn’t have to be complicated.  Pair the following fall aesthetic outfits to feel refreshed and ready for fall:

• A cozy sweater
• A cute scarf
• Denim jeans
• Basic t-shirts
• Sweaters to layer
• Cute boots
• Trench coats

You can easily create a fall capsule wardrobe with just a few pairs of jeans, t-shirts and cozy sweaters!

Set your Phone To An Autumn Aesthetics Wallpaper

Set your phone backdrop to a gorgeous Autumn scene. Search pinterest for ideas, then choose pumpkins, fallen leaves or a forest scene.

Better yet, learn to take your own nature photos and use your art art.

Fall Aesthetics On A Budget

Is it possible to get into the fall mood on a budget? Yes, absolutely! You don’t have to spend any money to enjoy fall.

Here are a few easy/cheap ideas to celebrate Autumn:

• Collect leaves and display them around your house
• Pick up inexpensive pumpkins for decor at places like Trader Joe’s
• Spend as much time outside as possible, enjoying the changing seasons
• Make a gratitude list to display as home decor
• Harvest and save seeds in the garden for next spring
• Forage beautiful bouquets of greenery and flowers
• Enjoy the simple things like home made apple cider

In many ways, enjoying autumn on a budget will take the stress off and allow to enjoy the simple things in life!