Budget DIY Fall Flair
Updated: Sep 8, 2022
I was feeling really bummed out because I didn't think I was going to be able to do any decorating for Fall or Thanksgiving. I got hit with a really high electric bill which left nothing to buy new decor or craft items and all I had was one single scarecrow someone had given me. That's when I decided to get creative.
By spending less than $5.00, I created what I think is a nice little DIY Fall display I can carry into Thanksgiving.
Get crafty
This Fall decor solution will require just a little bit of craftiness on your part, but it's well worth the minimal effort. I started out by seeing if I already had anything I could use to add to my sad little scarecrow and was coming up dry, until I spied a few empty glass jars I hadn't gotten around to throwing away yet. The basis for this display is empty glass jars in various sizes. I used an empty relish, pickle and mayo jar.
I thoroughly washed the jars and removed the labels and let them dry completely. Then, I painted them orange with acrylic paint from I already had from Dollar Tree. You'll need a little patience because painting glass with acrylics takes several coats with adequate drying time between each.
I originally considered just painting faces in black on the orange jars to make faux jack-o-lanterns but decided that would be too boring and wouldn't really transition into Thanksgiving all that well. So, I decided to start my first jar with a Fall leaf design. I simply went online and looked up Fall leaf paintings to choose a reference point.
I chose a simple maple leaf design in shades of red and yellow outlined with dark brown. As a cheat, I drew the leaf on with a black sharpie first. I then mixed the same orange I used to paint the entire jar with dark brown to add a shadow effect for more of 3-D look. I finished it off by simply tying a small piece of raffia I repurposed from an old floral arrangement around the neck of the jar.
On the tallest jar, I simply painted the word "Fall" vertically on the jar, once again cheating with my sharpie since lettering isn't my strong suit, then painting over it in dark brown. You could use any wording you like such as harvest, blessed, gather, or even your family name.
On the smallest jar I just went with three simple acorns to carry on with the Fall theme.
The only items I purchased new and specifically for this project were a 2-pack of electric tea light candles and this gorgeous glass bottle with a leaf top from Dollar Tree and one single Fall leaf floral bush from Walmart that I took apart to separate between the three jars.
I already had the two clear glass candle holders I used for the tea light candles.
I used plain old styrofoam from something I had ordered online, which I always keep, instead of buying floral foam to shove into the jars and hold the leaf stems in place.
I was lucky enough to have small pumpkins growing in my yard which I added to the display. If you don't have access to real ones, you can pick up pretty mini ceramic, fabric or foam pumpkins at Dollar Tree.
I recently replaced my living room curtains, so I had a rust-colored sheer panel perfect for my Fall display. I laid out a short strand of white Christmas tree lights I already had behind the display and draped the sheer panel over it. I put the little scarecrow into the tallest jar. You can even pick one of those up at Dollar Tree.
Then I turned on the Christmas lights and the little tea lights and enjoyed the warm glow of my new Fall/Thanksgiving decor, all for about $5.00 plus things I already had.
One final tip: you will need some sort of clear coat over your finished jars to protect the delicate acrylic paint and keep it from getting scraped off. If you decide to try this out, please share pictures of your finished project! I would love to see your own personal touches and creative variations. Happy Fall, ya'll!