My Inexpensive, Minimalist FALL Decorating Method

I used to not decorate for any season or occasion at all (with the exception of a few Christmas adornments and birthday balloons). I was actually much more minimalistic in that sense than I am now (though I have become more minimalistic overall). But that changed after a while. I got bored with things always looking the same, and I realized something important: I want to help my family form special memories together, and as part of appreciating the different marker-events in our lives it makes sense to include special decorations (and foods) set aside just for those times.

My husband and I agreed that we would celebrate — in an inexpensive, simple way — the Fall season (including Reformation Day), Christmas, the Spring Season (including Resurrection Day), and of course birthdays and several other smaller holidays. We don’t want to be trapped by either a materialistic approach or by a pagan one. In other words, we want to be simple in the way we decorate by not spending a lot of money or accumulating a lot of stuff, but also simple in the way we celebrate by focusing on the meaning of the celebration — at least, what it means to us.

Here’s a photo of my “decoration boxes” — the red one at the bottom, and the one with the blue lid near the top.

I have chosen to limit myself to what I’m able to fit into those two boxes (I had wanted to use only one, but there were a few delicate decorations that needed their very own space).

The other day, my husband and I were at a store, and we saw some very cute Fall pillows. He offered to bring me back another day to buy them. I thought about it. Then I realized that I don’t have anywhere to store extra pillows! But, what if I bought some cheap fabric and made some pillowcases which I could use in place of my regular ones temporarily? When the Fall season is over, I could put the regular pillowcases back on the pillows and store the seasonal ones away. A few pillowcases folded up wouldn’t hardly take up any space!

This idea was immediatedly applied to the decorations on our shelf, though not quite yet to the pillowcase idea. I looked at our one set of living room shelves and thought, What can I do with what I have to make things look more Fall-like? I already had a few things that I had gotten as gifts or had bought on sale for only a few dollars.

Then I knew: We could design a few illustrations to put in place of the pictures already there! That way, we wouldn’t be buying anything new, nor taking up extra space in the decorations box. My oldest daughter helped me prepare a few lovely pictures to display:

Through this experience, and others, I think I’ve found a cost-effective way to decorate for the seasons.

1. Use items you already have on hand, if possible. I used picture frames I already had and simply replaced the picture in the frame (temporarily). I can take my regular pillowcases off their pillows for a little while, and replace them with seasonal pillowcases, which will hardly take up any space in storage after the season is over.
2. Make things yourself. It barely costs anything to write a quaint saying or Bible phrase on a piece of paper, poster board, or chunk of wood, and add a few drawings or cut-outs to adorn it.
3. Get things on sale. This is usually possible only after the season has passed; but, think about how you can save that item for next time.

You all, I love the Fall! If I had a big closet to store lots of decorations — and enough money to splurge on them — I suspect I might take advantage of it and go a little nuts! Thankfully, God has held me in check and kept me from going Fall-crazy (or Christmas-crazy, or anything-crazy). It’s a blessing to have little, yet still have what you need. I’ve learned that (or perhaps more accurately, am learning that) with riches comes a snare (we’re not “rich” but sometimes I wish we were, which I realize is a foolish desire):

“But those who would be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.” 1 Tim. 6:9

Have you ever thought that maybe instead of prosperity being a “blessing” that it might actually sometimes be the opposite, and that non-prosperity might actually be a blessing in disguise? It’s beautiful to learn how to live simply, to not have stuff clutter up our lives, nor greed poison our celebrations and relationships. It’s beautiful to just focus in on what that time of year means to us.

For me, Fall is about so much:

• A change of season. It’s so nice to be done with the summer heat. I love the changing colors of the leaves, the crisp breeze, the chilly morning air. I love steaming cups of hot drinks, flaky warm pies, sweaters, tall boots, and pumpkin spice!
• Trust in our Maker and Provider. Fall isn’t death — it’s hibernation. The trees only appear dead, but life is under the surface. Think about the spiritual lesson, here! When things in our personal experience appear boring or even hopeless, they may really only represent a temporary time of resting or testing, leading up eventually to the new life of “Spring”!
• A time to focus on Thankfullness. Of course; we all know about Thanksgiving. I cherish this holiday! Were the Pilgrims perfect? No, they weren’t. However, I think that this holiday demonstrates something important. The Pilgrims took this opportunity to thank God for His care even after half their number had died the winter before, and in doing so set the example for us, too. Will we thank God for the good despite the bad?

We have also recently (starting a couple years ago) begun to celebrate Reformation Day, as well. I could say the same thing about Luther as I did about the Pilgrims: Was he perfect? No; he was just as human as any of the rest of us. However, he was very brave in confronting the problems he saw in the church, wanting to change things for the better. I think that however flawed the man was, that noble ideal of standing firm for what we believe to be the truth is very inspirational and applicable for our day, as well. Will we bow to the voices that tell us to submit to a lie (whatever that lie may be)? Or will we stand with the Bible and our conscience for the truth? Besides, I would much rather celebrate Reformation Day than Halloween. I hate Halloween.

But I don’t want to end this on a negative note.

For additional Autumn homemaking ideas, you may be interested in reading:

Bringing the Tastes and Scents of FALL to Our Home

-In what ways have you begun to prepare for Fall?

–Could you share some decorating tips?

–Even more importantly, could you give us some ideas for how to reach out with God’s love and truth during the holidays in a way that is gentle and most likely to be well-received?

~Jessica