Fall is rich with natural elements to enjoy indoors and out, bringing in the carefree beauty of the season. Unique seedpods, colorful leaves, dried and fresh florals, and branches become festive foraged fall decor to celebrate the season.

Fresh harvests, gourds, pinecones, and nuts emphasise the autumnal motifs. Natural containers like wood and baskets lend themselves to the transitioning season, and rustic accessories complement a naturalistic, elevated feel.

Foraged fall decor offers easy elegance, where dried materials embellish an existing container, or preserved leaves bring lasting seasonal interest. Fall decor can be as simple or as layered as we make it, big on creativity but short on expense when shopping our own gardens. 

Autumnal Wreath

Use a reusable grapevine or willow wreath form.

Fall’s natural elements are prime for mixing and matching on a wreath frame. Choose (or make) a grapevine or willow wreath form or purchase a wire frame, both of which are reusable. Use twine, hot glue, and floral wire to attach a bundle of materials to fill the frame. 

A simple half moon of dried material on an exposed grapevine form is lovely, as is a robust wreath full of mini gourds. Indoors or out, these welcome the season and visitors in cheery fashion.

Fresh Florals

Get creative with mason jars and coffee tins.

Fall-blooming perennials like chrysanthemum, black-eyed Susan, aster, dahlia, hydrangea, and roses make exceptional cut flowers for autumnal displays. Late-season blooms from amaranth, cosmos, scarlet flax, sweet peas, and zinnias add to a fresh bouquet.

Edible fall flowers are a fun addition in the vase and as a garnish for the platter and desserts. Pansies and violas, calendula, nasturtium, snapdragons, and marigolds brighten the tablescape.

Get creative with using vases and vessels you have on hand, like mason jars, coffee tins, and cans for casual beauty. Carve out the center of a pumpkin, place floral foam or a water-filled jar inside, and build a bouquet in a pumpkin. Use dried materials like hydrangea blooms, twigs, leaves, and interesting seedpods as foraged fall decor.

Dried Material

Dried blooms bring gentle charm into cozy spaces.

As flowers and leaves naturally dry during the autumn transition, the materials are ideal for bridging indoors and out in keeping with the season. Many perennials, herbs, and flowering shrubs produce blooms that dry beautifully for long-lasting florals. Press the blooms with a flower press or dry them for preservation.

Clip fresh blooms early in the day, after the morning dew dries. Once cut, remove leaves and bundle stems in small groups. Tie the stems with soft twine and suspend them upside down in a dry, dim space. Flowers may take a few weeks to dry completely. When they do, they’ll have stiff blooms and crisp stems that snap easily.

Hydrangeas make lovely foraged fall decor in soft, antique shades. By early fall, the blooms become papery and stiff. They’re ready for clipping as their color transitions to dusky pink and green. Use them to fill in containers and tabletop designs.

Gather dry seedpods, grassy plumes, and berries that offer interesting appeal for adding to the composition.

Get Gourdy

Winter squashes have a long shelf life for decorating and eating.

Pumpkins and other winter squashes represent the quintessential fall harvest. Grow extra to use as foraged fall decor in addition to eating and storing. With a long shelf life, they last well into winter. Some store for two months, while others last for up to a year.

Gourds stand alone as festive fare or complement any autumnal composition. Line the front steps, the table, or tuck them in planters for decor that lasts all season. A variation in sizes, shapes, and colors heightens visual interest and brings nutrient-dense fruits for warm dishes on chilly nights.

Winter squashes mature in late summer and fall with a spring planting. They take time to develop their thick skins and weighty fruits. Tasty and decorative winter squashes include acorn, butternut, delicata, spaghetti, and pumpkins. Speckled swan, apple, and birdhouse gourds make exceptional autumnal adornments.

Winter selections are usually sown in spring or early summer for an autumn harvest. Vines, either long and sprawling or compact and bushy, run along the ground, on vertical supports like trellises and arches, and in raised beds and containers.

Pumpkin Planter

Top a flat pumpkin with moss and succulent cuttings.

A pumpkin becomes the perfect foraged fall decor vessel to highlight seasonal specialties. Top them with succulent cuttings or fill them with fresh and dried florals.

The 1880s French heirloom ‘Vif d’Étampes’ is a beautiful classic and the inspiration behind Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage. The red-orange cucurbit is large, round, and squat, beautiful uncarved or as a pot.

To create a succulent pumpkin pot:

• Start with a flat-topped selection and spray the top with adhesive. Apply dry sphagnum moss.
• Nestle in succulent cuttings and adhere them with clear or hot glue and floral pins.
• Mist the arrangement occasionally to prolong its life and nourish any new roots. Keep it out of direct sunlight.
• When the pumpkin declines, remove the succulents and transplant them to pots for continued growth. You can also cut off the top and nestle the whole thing in a well-draining potting mix. The pumpkin “lid” will naturally break down, and succulents should root.

Leaf Garland

Preserve fresh leaves with glycerin to hold their color.

Fall leaves, in their dynamic shapes and colors, connect the home and garden in autumn decoration. String them for a layered leafy garland using fine string, or glue them or clip them to twine. 

To make fresh fall foliage last longer, use a preservative like glycerin. Give the leaves a soak to hold their form and color.

Bring in Sunshine

Singular stems make cheerful statements in any arrangement.

Sunflowers embody autumnal tones and highlight the harvest in the cheeriest of ways. Their bold blooms, fresh or dried, make a statement whether in a bunch or as a singular stem.

Sunflowers do well with successional sowings during the warm season. For a show of color in early fall, sow a final round with plenty of time to enjoy the blooms before frost. August marks the last time to sow for many of us, allowing about 10 weeks before the first anticipated frost date. Gauge the days to maturity for the variety to ensure color before freezing conditions. Dwarf varieties often mature faster than their grand relatives for seeding in late summer.

‘Autumn Beauty’ and ‘Chocolate’ supply rich, warm tones for the display. ‘Autumn Beauty’ basks in shades of purple, bronze, and yellow. Vigorous plants produce heads that reach up to eight inches across on tall, branching stalks. ‘Chocolate’ is a dark selection with mahogany petals and black-brown centers. Upper petals have yellow highlights on their undersides and lighter tips.

Perennial sunflowers, too, are perfect for establishing in the fall and bring late-season color. Both the annuals and perennials provide valuable seeds for bird and wildlife forage into the cool season.

Enchanted Arch

Sturdy ties secure layers of leafy materials.

A dramatic arch may be the epitome of foraged fall decor. Using a bulk of varied materials in repetition creates a thematic frame to the entrance, gate, or arbor. Get dark and broody or go bright with jewel tones of the season, depending on what’s happening in the garden.

Collect material for heft, like ornamental grasses, cornstalks, and leafy branches. Embellish with dried hydrangeas, pinecones, gourds, pumpkin-on-a-stick, and other fallish finds from the landscape. Use willow or grapevine to create an arch, or scrap wood to form a frame. Secure the materials to the framework using ties, wire, and sturdy staples. Add soft white holiday lights for a nighttime glow.

Pinecone Flowers

Trim pinecone scales into petaled shapes for rustic bouquets.

Pinecones let us get crafty. To create a pinecone bloom, cut them horizontally into two or three sections, depending on size. Using pruners, whittle down the scales to smooth out a petaled look. Trim the base for a flattened bloom. 

Once shaped, use hot glue to adhere a small stick or skewer to create a bouquet, or arrange them amongst other materials. Paint the “flowers” for a whimsical vibe or leave them natural for rustic appeal.

Painted Pumpkins

A fun twist for all ages.

We’ve carved pumpkins for centuries, and that’s fall-themed decor that never goes out of style. Painted pumpkins, too, offer a fun twist for all ages. 

Miniature varieties like ‘Black Kat,’ ‘Casperita,’ and ‘Jack Be Little’ are charming painted, and as-is. In onyx, white, and bright orange, the compact selections make adorable decor. Because of their small stature, they’re good contenders for growing in small spaces, vertically, and in pots.

Harvest Centerpiece

Showcase a mix of autumnal vegetables and fruits together.

Build a modern cornucopia with a bounty fresh from the garden. Any autumnal vegetable or fruit is a fit for tabletop arrangements in fall, and makes for easy enjoyment. The harvest is the garden’s biggest gift, and showcasing the yield highlights it in style.

Pumpkins, gourds, and other squashes complement apples, pears, cranberries, nuts, and even heirloom tomatoes. Add them all to the bunch for a fall theme of abundance and sharing.

Little Painted Acorns

Send kids to collect the best nuts for crafting.

Send the kiddos out foraging to collect the best tree nuts for crafting. Paint or draw on them, give them jute hats, or use their natural caps to complete the look. Use them as placeholders, glue them to twine as napkin rings, or scatter them along the centerpiece for cuteness overload.