As an islander used to summer al year long and only a mild reduction in temperature during December to February, one of the things I looked forward to most about being new in Canada is experiencing all four seasons in their glory. Arriving in Canada last winter means fall is the last season to close out my first 12- month year. Although I’ve never experienced a fall season before this one, I feel like it will be my favourite. Decorating for fall on a budget is exciting. My new apartment is pretty bare since I just got it a few months ago and since my apartment is thus far only decorated with necessities, I don’t have too many surfaces to work with anyway. Going overboard is an option even if I wasn’t on a budget (which I always am) and I figure over time, the accumulation of pieces will make it better each year. Work with me, I’m at the starting line here.
Consequently, I made a plan. My fall decor budget was CAD$150 – $200 and I initially intended to scout Dollar Tree, Dollarama, Walmart, Home Sense and Amazon. I didn’t make end up making it Walmart and Dollarama was a total bust, so I only got pieces from DollarTree, HomeSense and Amazon; however, I figured naming all of them might be helpful when you go shopping yourself. I even found a pretty cute Sweater weather wooden painted pumpkin at my local Save on Foods.
Stores I visited when Decorating for Fall
DollarTree was nice to browse. I went in August but still found a variety of cute little pieces that made a difference when you put them together. I spend CAD$28 on a pumpkin selection and foliage leaved stems. HomeSense of course is set up to take all your money, so I worked hard to get what I went for and leave. (It didn’t work, I wandered over to the Winners side and bought fall cardigans. I needed them anyway, right?). But I got some nice cushions (in pairs even) that came with inserts, so when decorating for other season, I wont have to think about that. I spend four CAD$29.99 so that cam out as CAD$119 plus taxes.
Amazon was well, Amazon. On there I got throw blankets for CAD$28 and planned to get inserts and cushion covers there before I found them at HomeSense. Then I got that one pumpkin at the grocery store and a pumpkin cinnamon candle from Bath and Body Works for CAD$26.95. Ergo, I busted my budget by a few dollars, so nothing too crazy.
My Fall Colour Scheme
There are a few schemes to choose from that speak to personal preference. I wanted all the feels for the first time, so mostly cream, burnt and pumpkin orange and so on with a splash of pumpkin green is what I went for. Then again, even though I wanted the bright colours, I didn’t want too much. I felt the pops of colour would do more to give me that full experience. To pull this off, some items were more important and I felt that if I had those when the budget buck, I’d still be happy. I was most interested in finding the following.
1. Throw Pillows
Throw pillows can make all the difference in changing up a space, so I thought some 18×18 or 20×20 pillow inserts for the couch and three for the bed is a great start, along and one lumbar pillow insert. Then some pillow covers that I can change each season will make it perfect. The ones I got were from HomeSense.
2. Throw Blankets & Sheets
I love white and creams, but on their own, they don’t have enough life for me. I bought a few blankets in those colours last winter., so I thought one burnt orange for the couch and the bed, with maybe pillowcases and the throw pillows, would do the trick.
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3. Scented Candles
I love scented candles! Over the summer, I burnt a lovely White Pumpkin scented candle from White Barn that a friend gifted me. I love the subtle, slightly sweet-scented was gifted another maple-scented one for my birthday. So, I figured sweet, pumpkin and cinnamon scents would be a great way to inspire warm, cozy feelings.
4. Pumpkins
Eek! To complete my list, I get to decorate with pumpkins. I can’t why, I love pumpkin decor. Creams, white and oranges, but I can be persuaded by other colours too. So, naturally, they’ve been included on my list of must-haves.
5. Foliage Stalks
I don’t consider myself a lover of flowers, but I love the foliage stalk arrangement. All the ones I got were from DollarTree and I even stuck some crotchet pumpkins on them.
So that’s all I did this time around decorating for fall for the first time and on a budget. I decorated my apartment and I need to decorate my closet too because it already hitting some way cooler temps here this weekend in Saskatchewan. But what about you?
Do you find decorating for fall exciting? Where do you like to shop and what pieces do you like to use? Let me know in the comments
Xo, Shandean
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