I don’t know about you, but I am SO excited for fall decor this year. Bring on the lower temps and spooky vibes! As a minimalist, there are MANY misconceptions about simple living. One of the biggest is the idea that minimalist decorate their homes with monotone, basic colors and don’t have any fun. If you’ve been here for any amount of time, you know that is simply NOT true. I’m a minimalist and I live intentionally for the purpose of enjoying life to the fullest! Which means that, yes, I decorate my home for the seasons and holidays.

However, I do my best to purchase intentional items that 1. don’t take up too much space, and 2. fit within our budget. Here are a few of my favorite simple, affordable ways to decorate for fall and/or Halloween!

Functional Fall Decor

One of the easiest (and most intentional) ways to decorate is to purchase functional items! A few examples of this in my own home include:

• Kitchen towels
• Door mats
• Blankets
• Candy jar/dish
  
  

Why does it matter? For me, I love that I already have a place for it, so I can simply swap out my “normal” items for festive ones. I also don’t *love* the idea of using the items I purchase. Do I use all of my decor? Nope. But, I do get to actively enjoy and use the majority of the items I decorate with.

Consumable Fall Decor

A general safe guideline with any decor is to go with something consumable! Now, I don’t necessarily mean just food (though, I definitely wouldn’t turn any away 😉). Consumables examples include:

• Festive food (cookies, candy, pizzas, etc.)
• Real pumpkins + gourds
• Candles
• Fresh flowers or wreaths
• Hand soaps
• Paper goods (bats, banners, etc.)
  
  

The best part about consumable goods? You use them for the season, and then they are gone! There’s no storage involved, but you get to enjoy all of the beauty and festive feelings of the items while they’re in-season. Another huge perk of consumables, is that there’s less waste. Pumpkins, gourds, flowers, and paper goods are all easily compostable. Hand soaps, depending on their packing, can be eco-friendly as well.

Just for Fun

Listen, minimalism is about eliminating the excess so that you’re left with what you LOVE. If you absolutely adore fall/Halloween, and you want to decorate with fun items that are truly “just for fun”, then do you boo! I have a few items in my home that are just for fun! They’re worth storing during the other parts of the year, and I’ve selected them to be items that I genuinely love. One example is a set of cute ceramic pumpkins I bought at Target last year. Another is a flower vase, also from Target for $3.

Affordable Decor

The best part of all of my suggestions? They’re all super affordable! Let’s review the prices:

• Kitchen towels – 2 for $3
• Door mats – $10-15
• Blankets – $10-20
• Candy jar/dish – $5-20
• Festive food (cookies, candy, pizzas, etc.)
• Real pumpkins + gourds
• Candles – $5-10
• Fresh flowers or wreaths – $10-25
• Hand soaps – $2-5
• Paper goods (bats, banners, etc.)
• Ceramic pumpkins – $3-15
• Flower vase – $3
  
  

My favorite places to shop for inexpensive decor are: the Target Dollar Spot/ Bullseye’s Playground, Walmart, Dollar Tree, TJMaxx/HomeGoods, and best of all – thrift stores!

Thrift stores are especially awesome for Halloween decor because they often have spooky antique-style items like frames, candle sticks, etc. Never underestimate the value of a good second hand piece. Plus, it’s more fun to be unique!

I hope this post helped spark inspiration for your fall and Halloween decor this year! If you find anything extra fun, be sure to tag me on Instagram. I’d love to see it!