When to Decorate for Fall

Do you love changing your home’s style to suit the seasons? If so, you may wonder when to start decorating for fall. Of course, you don’t want to take down the cheerful summer décor too early, but you also don’t want to have your fall décor out for just a couple of weeks before taking it down to put up the next holiday’s decorations. What follows are suggestions for when to put out fall decorations and also some time-saving tips to decorate for fall and Halloween.

When Should I Decorate for Fall?

Technically speaking, you can decorate for any holiday any time you like! But if you want to use the changing seasons as your decor guideline, put out your fall décor at the start of the back-to-school season. By September, the chill is creeping back into the air, and there is a natural transition as we hang up the beach towels for backpacks. Summer holidays are done, tans are fading, and Halloween candy is on the shelves. So leverage the transition and use the time to put up fall décor.

Do You Decorate for Fall or Halloween First?

Decorate for fall first – but with a strategy! Choose the right pieces so you can easily upgrade them for Halloween with less time and less expense. Here are some time-saving tips for decorating for fall and Halloween.

• Choose fall wreaths that can be quickly augmented for Halloween. A lovely wreath of branches and leaves easily goes from fall to Halloween with the addition of plastic skulls, bats, or bones.
• Table centerpieces can go from spectacular to spooky by simply adding dark feathers to a vase.
• Choose art you can frame yourself so you can easily change out images for the seasons. Store a sturdy folder or art box in a cool, dry place. For fall, display your beautiful art and then for Halloween, open the frames and swap out the art for something spooky. Store your off-season prints in a climate-controlled space to keep them from fading or curling.

Here are some more easy DIY Halloween décor tips from Good Housekeeping.

Is it Too Early to Decorate for Fall?

If you love the look of wheat sheaves, branch wreaths, piles of red apples, and falling leaves, then, by all means, decorate for fall as early as you like! Consider the Halloween tips above and integrate your summer and fall décor, slowly stripping out the summer and adding more fall as the season progresses.

In Summary – When DO you decorate for fall? 

Whenever you, please! But, a good rule of thumb is to use the back-to-school transition to put up fall decorations. Save time and money by choosing items that can be easily upgraded for Halloween. Have a safe storage space for art prints so you can reuse the frames for spooky art. Most of all, enjoy the season. Make your home fall ready but be sure to head outside for even more fall inspiration. Have a hayride with friends, go apple picking with your family, take photos of the falling leaves, and throw on something cozy for a walk in the crisp fall air.

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