Have you heard about the total solar eclipse?
You know. The one that comes around every couple of hundred years that takes place on August 21.
My little corner of the world in Kentucky is almost right in the “path of totality.” That means people are renting out their houses and planning solar eclipse watching parties and selling glasses and shutting down business—all to see the moon go across the sun.
There are big solar eclipse plans around here for next week.
But me?
I’m not eclipsing it.
I’m getting my house ready for fall.
Here are seven tips to get your house ready for fall (that do not involve the moon or the sun).
1. Sort through your fall bins
I think I have at least 14 bins of fall stuff upstairs in the attic.
Most of them are full of nonsense.
Here’s what I do every year. I walk upstairs to the attic. Go to the area where the fall bins are located. Open up the first bin and peer inside and see some nonsense. I roll my eyes and close the lid and go to the next bin.
WHY?
Why do I leave bins of nonsense in my attic? Why do I close the lid and turn away? Why am I letting nonsense rent space in my house?
Every. Single. Year.
This year, I’m pulling them down and sorting through them and donating the nonsense to someone who will appreciate it.
Take it from a nonsense-binner.
Sort your fall decor into three piles: donate, decorate or throw away.
(total aside: you may or may not have noticed that I’m actually writing this list for myself)
2. Find a cozy throw
Fall is all about cozy.
It’s all about short days and books and tea and throws that make you feel like you are in a cocoon.
This year—treat yourself to a throw.
I’ve seen tons of amazing throws at Hobby Lobby and Home Goods.
Or you could buy an inexpensive throw and make it your own.
Like this no sew pompom throw I made last year.
3. Paint your front door
Or your back door. Or your side door. Or whatever door your guests really use.
Winter is coming and it’s never a good idea to paint your door in the middle of winter.
So why not rethink your door in fall.
Freshen it up with a coat of gray or black or soft blue or you might go bold with red.
It’s an easy fix that takes an afternoon and gets your porch or entrance ready for fall.
Just make sure that when you paint your door—you avoid doing something like this.
4. Replace your welcome mat
Your welcome mat has seen some good times this summer.
Sand and muddy feet and water and sun.
It may be time to get a new one to welcome fall in the door.
Everyone needs a cute place to wipe their feet.
Purchase a new one or make your own.
Here’s the DIY for a monogrammed mat like this or this creative welcome mat DIY.
5. Create a fall pin board
Every year right about this time I start pinning fall inspiration to get my house ready for fall.
One year I didn’t even decorate for fall.
I just pinned and sat back with apple cider and looked at it instead of decorating my own home.
Most of the time, I use it for inspiration.
Pinterest is full of the beautiful that is fall.
If you need some ideas, I’ve pinned tons of fun fall inspiration to this board.
6. Add a wreath
Start thinking about your wreath now.
You could always buy one at the store or you could make your own.
Sometimes I do both.
I buy a wreath and then make it my own.
Just like these wood slice wreath options.
7. Add texture with pillows
Texture and fall are best friends.
When I think fall decorating, I think wood and galvanized metal and fall leaves and pinecones and pumpkins.
And texture with extra texture layered on top.
Pillows are one of the easiest ways to add texture to your fall decor. Here’s an example of a little fall texture on my sofa right now. I got this fun textured throw at IKEA and then I layered in a pom pom pillow on top.
Here’s one last tip.
When you’re getting your house ready for fall enjoy the season ahead.
Don’t stress.
Don’t overthink it.
Don’t overfall your house if it all seems a little too much.
If those 14 boxes up in the attic and falling your house up is too overwhelming, just find a new pillow at Home Goods and call it a day.
That kind of decorating leaves plenty of time for the important things in life….
….like the Hallmark Channel or a really good book. 🙂
We store things in our basement. A few months ago we bought 17 racks that my husband put together. I separated all my decorations 4 shelves on each rack equals a lot of "stuff". I labeled each box - Nutcrackers, Santas, Ornaments, Shamrocks, Easter Eggs, etc. etc. etc. Now when I buy something during the year I know exactly where they go. I used to buy things and then forget where I put them, now I know. This Christmas I will keep an extra large container to put stuff in that I no longer want or need. Hopefully if I get rid of enough "stuff" I can get more!
How long did it take you to get your house together and the way you wanted it when you first moved in? We have been in our new home for 3 months and it's still not together! It's a lake house, not directly on the water but across the street. And I'm struggling. You'd think you move into a new house and get it together righty away. Not me. So how long did you take?
I moved 2 years ago, to what will probably be my last house. It took months, and I still have some walls that need pictures. Because it takes money and time, it has taken longer than I expected. Also, my daughter and son-in-law did a lot to help us--daughter is good at decorating and son-in-law is great at hanging things and making things work. The guy who was supposed to wire for TV said it could not work over the mantle, but son-in-law made it work (not really where I wanted it but because we needed 2 couches, it had to go there).
Yes. We spent so much on the down payment and we had to buy new living room furniture that we are tight for now. Friends tell me not to worry about it that we have plenty of time to get it together. Still makes me crazy. Lol. And this is our forever home too.
Love, love that dining room floor! Did I miss that post? Got to go back and search! And the brown wood tones look so beautiful with the wall color. I was afraid I had to convince my husband to get rid of our antique hand me downs, but once again, you have inspired me as to how I can make it work!
I am with you! It's funny you posted this today, as this is exactly what I did on Sunday. I spent hours going through buckets in bins. I seem to have more pumpkins and fall / Halloween stuff than I do Christmas! I'm a big kid at heart and just truly love what fall brings. Cooler temperatures, warm crackling fires, hot Toddy's and scary movies. I love the whimsical spooky Halloween mixed in, BUT... The older I get, the less and less ambitious I feel to drag all that nonsense out. This fall, I think I'm going to scale it back a bit. Love the ideas! thanks as always your friend in Atlanta
I loved this! I don't have bins for fall (unless you cont the one where I keep the gourds), though maybe I should gather all fall into one or two, but I do have bins for and I too am allowing unused stuff live in my house. Maybe this is th year I'll ditch some of it! Have a great day!
I love Love your Pom Pom throw & cushion. There's certainly a nip in the air here in England& it's getting darker earlier. Have not heard the solar eclipse mentioned apart from on your & another American blog. Maybe we don't get to see it over here??
I agree, fall is about comfort - snuggling down, getting ready for the flurry of activity that comes right around mid-November. About your bins... I'm a professional organizer. The thought of 14 bins is a bit overwhelming. Why not tackle 2 or 3 a day until you've opened them all? Keep what you use and love, even if you don't use it this year and donate or toss the rest. No need to take up valuable real estate in your attic with things you don't love, use or believe to be beautiful!
I usually loooove Fall but this year...well, it just seems I'm not over Summer yet. Don't know why. It just does. But, ready or not, here comes Fall. So decorating and preparing for what is usually my favorite time of year -- the smells, the tastes, the warm pallet -- I'm hoping will help ease me into the season and encourage me to embrace it again. Hoping... That said, thanks for all the great tips and kudos for purging what you don't want/need anymore! Purging is good -- it's a freeing feeling.
I love Fall too. Not ready to give up summer yet, but looking forward to Fall for sure. It is one of my favorite seasons. www.busylifestylegal.com
We are living in a small apartment while having a house built. When faced with paying storage on 90% of our household items, pruning holiday décor became really easy. I kept only the items that truly meant something to the family or worked with who we are now. We had people that came to the garage sale just because we mentioned holiday items in the ad.
I have two orange and black bins that hold everything connected to fall. Costumes and decorations. I either 1) don't have enough decorations or 2) have way too many wigs and costumes. Maybe, just maybe I'll be motivated to separate the two and have one bin for decor and one for costumes. Hey, at least I started with color coding according to season. I have pastel green and lilac bins for my Easter and Spring decor....Red and Green and (good old recycled boxes) for Christmas decor....and yes, those are a mismatch of things, too!! HA....
Love, love, love your deeper colors in your dining room. And the wood tones. It lends itself well to autumn.
So pretty, KariAnne! You've inspired me to go through my bins, too!
I love fall! Returning to cooler weather here in Texas is always a huge relief! Can you please tell me how much yarn to purchase for the pom pom throw? Love your ideas!
I store all my bins the the basement and it's completely jamed packed, my hubby is threatening to throw everything out if I don't start decluttering (I know I have a problem). My goal it to try and do a bin everyday, wish me luck lol
Have you been peeking in my attic? I totally need to have three piles and donate/throw away but fall is my fave and it's hard to get rid of it. I keep thinking one day I'll redo that squished pumpkin and hose off that dusty vine and add it to my it-looks-like-hobby-lobby-threw-up-in-here-decor. ;)
I was just going through some nonsense this morning! It's amazing what we collect over time. I do try to go through the holiday bins each year and decide what to keep and what to get rid of, but sometimes it just doesn't happen! Thanks for the reminder!
Fall is on the horizon, but I'm not ready to give up my summer just yet!! Living in New England, it's such a short season...I wish I could press pause!! I do adore all of your ideas and tips though, especially the last one!! xoxo
Lots of good tips! I think I'll grab a good book!
Excellent advice. I think I will start an inspiration board and get rid of some of my nonsense. And...relax and enjoy. Thank you for the permission to do so. I am grateful. *Smiles*
Those DINING ROOM CHAIRS AND TABLE! STOP!! BE STILL MY HEART!!! Are they new???? My oh my!!!!
I love the "little" circles of wood used on one of your wreaths. Can you tell me where to purchase those "little" circles of wood? Thanks.
Once again, thanks for sharing your no nonsense, have some fun, don't over think-it philosophy of decorating. I need to get out all my fall bins and do as you intend to do: donate, decorate, and throw away. I like some of your unique suggestions for fall materials. The wood slabs are very interesting.
Do you have online yard sale groups near you? We do here and that is a great way to get rid of stuff. We just moved after 25 years and I had tons of stuff to get rid of. You could do a Fall lot where you put 5 items in a group and sell them for a designated price. Its a great way to recycle what you don't want and find other things for a great price! I bet lots of people would love your "junk"!
Can you explain how the nonsense always ends up in those totes? Me either!!! Thanks for the helpful hints-can not believe it is time for autumn decor already-but noticed acorns dropping and leaves starting to change! Gasp....
I don't do throws...I do quilts! My mom is a quilter, my grandmother was a quilter, I've picked up used quilts, I've even made a couple and I always showcase them more during fall and winter. And thanks for making me finish painting my back door! :)
Paintin' my back/front door naval by Sherwin Williams!!!
It's going to be near 100 degrees here today, and those fall colors make me feel hot and itchy right now. But I did get the jump on Fall already. I bought my Pumpkin pillow at Pier One, in neutrals, and already have it on my bed. I smile every time I walk by. The nonsense in my shed will have to wait a few weeks, until it cools down to 90 degrees.
Good tips! I don't really have to sort my bins though, because I don't have that many. I'm still adding stuff, ha! Blue pumpkins this year! My throws are out on the arms of the living room sofa, along with my Fall pillows, etc. I don't have to change my black, curlicue, door mat because it's one of those made from old tires and it's indestructible. I do have plans to paint our front door, just as soon as it cools off. (It's still mid-nineties here.) Last year, I had a basket of hydrangeas on my front door, but it left some scratches behind, so this year I bought a big wooden monogram and I'm going to ask my husband to screw it onto the door. No wreath until Christmas. I wish I had room for some pretty lanterns like yours...ah, but envy is the enemy of joy, right?! Thanks for sharing!
No matter the season things always look so nice and inviting at your place. Eclipse? Haha we are north of the full swath but it's interesting to hear about all the traffic problems that people are predicting and the price gouging going on! My hubby has a couple welding helmets we might throw on to take a peek of whatever we get to see of the eclipse here.
So beautifully done. I love all your ideas and fall decor. Really inspiring! Thanks for sharing!
Don't forget the warm tones of brass. Very pretty with natural wood.
I love those wood slice decor elements! Just may need to implement the inspiration! ;-)
I am so ready for fall this year! I've already started to pull the cozy throws out even though our temperatures are still in the 80s. Thank you for sharing your tips with our Merry Monday party this week. I'll be featuring them at our upcoming party. I hope you'll be able to stop by and link up again!
Thanks for the inspiration! I'm sure you've mentioned your dining room curtains before. They are so unique. Could you share where you got them?