Fall is such an amazing season. The weather cools, the air turns crisp, the sky is a clearer blue, the leaves turn brilliant shades of orange, red, and yellow. The light changes, casting shadows in different places, the smell of drying leaves mixes with the smell of campfires, harvest, fading grass, and the diesel of tractors to create the unique, intoxicating smell of Autumn.
Fall is so refreshing after a long hot summer (I remember those long hot summers even though it’s been a long time since we’ve had a very long hot summer!). I love the years when Autumn stretches on, seemingly endlessly, with cool mornings unfolding into hot afternoons, and plenty of days when you can wear a sweatshirt and flip flops. I remember years when I was a teenager that the Autumn weather lasted through thanksgiving. I’d be delighted for Autumn to last through December and then slide right on into Spring in January, bypassing winter altogether.
Today I am sharing something really fun with you – adding plaid to create fall decor.
I spent a couple days this past week cleaning and fluffing the main living areas of our home. I don’t have a lot of fall decor items to pull out, but this year I used some scraps of plaid fabric and a couple plaid throws to add the feeling of fall to the place.
I love the look my living room is sporting for Fall. A few sticks from the yard and some dried hydrangea created a centerpiece for my ‘mantel’. I bought the cow pillow cover back in the spring, along with Craftberry Bush’s VW Bug pillow. I used the VW Bug pillow all summer and brought the cow pillow cover out for Fall. The colors go so well with the rest of my Fall decor and pull the cowhide rug in nicely too.
Cow hide on the floor and his picture on the couch – works out well for us!
Vintage, wool plaid throw blankets, bits of fabric scrap strips, and a peek at my grandma’s desk fresh from its makeover!
I found this vintage wool throw at an antique mall in Louisiana when I was there last fall. I thought when I bought it I would be adding it to a fall display at the shop. But I liked the look for fall in my house and so it stayed. I’m glad I still have it.
The Boxwood wreath is hung with a strip of plaid fabric instead of the wide, brightly colored ribbon I used for summertime.
A ‘bouquet’ of feathers beside a fun aqua colored scales brings a feeling of Fall to this side of the living room.
In the kitchen I added my new, lighted ampersand from Decor Steals.
The top of this open shelving in the kitchen was completely neglected decorwise since last Christmas. I took the Christmas decor down and then just left it, and it slowly gathered bits and pieces here and there all through winter, spring, and summer. Small Lego creations, a couple decor pieces I didn’t know where to store, a couple fun-shaped wine bottles, and some old photos of the girls my husband brought home from work when he updated them. It’s so nice to have it neat, tidy, and well decorated again.
Do you have spaces in your house that get neglected or gather ‘stuff’ over time? Please tell me I’m not alone!
I made some plaid pennant banners for Urban Farmgirl for her recent Main Street Market and I had some scraps of fabric left over. I was able to cut some medium to long strips of fabric to create ‘ribbons’ of plaid to tie around things. I love this way of adding a seasonal touch. You can bring fall in with plaids and sticks and dried hydrangea – all things I had on hand. You can do the same for Christmas – tuck some evergreen or boxwood clippings here and there and add some Christmas-y ribbon.
Have you seen my garland of wood feathers?
I shared it on IG but I’m not sure it has shown its face on the blog before. I added some plaid fabric ‘ribbon’ to it too and I love how it looks.
Santos statue got a scarf of plaid too, joining the rest of the decor in the Fall season.
I use the antlers year round but they really seem like Fall and Winter to me. I love using them in Fall vignettes.
My entryway shelf got a simple pitcher of dried hydrangea blooms, a metal crown, and a vintage horse figure. The French market basket steals the show anyway so I didn’t need to add a lot here!
And now you can go see even more wonderful Fall decor!
Several of my friends have pulled together their home tours, room tours, or a fall vignette to share with you and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed! Check them out for inspiration!
Jill
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Oh that is so cute, all those little plaid strips popping up here and there. You are right they instantly give a Fall vibe to the space.
Love your home, it looks very inviting.
Everything looks so cute! I really like the plaid ribbons. That is a fun idea.
Where did you get the wooden feathers? They are fun.
The vintage, wool, plaid throw is gorgeous. It fits your space perfectly. I like it with the cow pillow.
The desk looks AwEsOmE!!!! I love what you did with the pulls on it.
I want you to bring me paint when you come out. I need to figure out colors!
I love plaid so much, and hope to find a vintage blanket like yours someday! I pick up plaid shirts at thrift stores, planning for future projects.
Your home looks so cozy and inviting!
Fall and plaid go hand in hand to me! You have found some great wool throws and they really warm up your space for the season. I so much enjoyed looking at your pictures at all of your decor detail.
Jill your home is stunning dressed in plaid for autumn. My favorite is the empty frames. I love the look of frames but too picky about art to find anything to put inside! So happy you’re on the tour.
Oh my goodness! Your home is just lovely and with the added pieces of plaid is just says Fall. I love this idea. You are so talented. I am completely inspired. Thanks for all of your help with the Ushering in Autumn Tour. It is so fun, isn’t it?
Have a great day!
Thanks so much Meegan! I used some plaid last year for a few Christmas themed pillows but this year plaid is all over the place it seems! Fun trend, but it’s also pretty traditional for fall and winter so I’m using it on tons of pillows now!
Hi Jill, Your home is so darling and I truly enjoyed seeing it and all the great fall touches and plaid throws and that garland on the gate is fabulous. So fun to be on this Autumn Tour together. Have a great day and week, Lisa at Concord Cottage
Very attractive living space, Jill. I haven’t decorated much since moving to our new house here in southern Virginia because I’m worn out from the packing and moving. I’m slowly putting up wall decorations, etc. On the front porch I have several pretty pots of mums and some of my potted flowers are still blooming from last spring along with a giant potted hibiscus bush blooming in front of the garage. We are still in the middle of a hot summer but this morning was chillier than it has been in a long time. I like the way you’ve brought the outdoors inside with the antlers, twigs, feathers and dried hydrangea. Love the boxwood wreath with the plaid fabric.
Now I’m so envious of your cozy wonderful welcoming home. Everything you do to decorate is so charming and soft looking, love it. Took me while to really peruse all the photos so I didn’t miss anything, so wonderful. After all text had been read and photos studied had to go dig for some plaid in my stash. No wool blankets for some really dumb reason but do have some darker green heavy fabric that I can use until I do get some wool or find a plaid blanket. What was I thinking?
Found a big bushel basket type of long deep basket at Goodwill so will use that to put one of my burlap bags and some of plaid in it to put pumpkins, and whatever else can find to fill it. Found some burlap bags for $1 a piece some place last week. IF you saw my sewing room/mess station you’d die, I’d sure be embarrassed, had to move couple things to get into room which is small enuf without so much “stuff” in it.
You have made your home so cozy and Fall looking, but not cluttered, wish I could say the same. Love how white on walls and other pieces makes your home always look so tidy and homey.
So lucky to have your Grama’s waterfall desk, the knobs are so pretty, will have to look for some next time at HL. It looks great in white. Was any of the veneer coming off when you got it? Was going to paint our waterfall chif-a-robe this summer but never got around to it. It’s so hot in our room, not crazy about working in it. Actually painted it in our small room in KY as it was so big and hard to move around. Lately have been seeing several pieces of waterfall furniture at Goodwill and with high prices. They did have a nice waterfall desk but no place to put it in our house.
I was fixing to go hang out a load and it was cloudy and windy, getting ready to rain again. When I had looked few minutes before, it was fairly clear and sun shining. That’s what I for being on here instead of getting it hung out.
Your blog is getting better and better, enjoying your writing and photos even more. Good for you and happy for you. How are things going at your shop?
Boy it got awfully dark all of sudden, better go put some things away outside on deck.We were going to start painting front porch this week but not with rainy days all week. Want to paint our front door same color we painted our small shed this summer. Little lighter green/more like teal and prettier, time for change from white.
Have great week Jill, sorry this is so long.
I love the plaid touches! I want some of those blankets.
Thanks Becky! I found the blanket on the stool at the desk just the weekend before I started the pumpkins and desk projects. It was at an antique/boutique shop and was about $12 I think. I bought it thinking I might put it for sale at the shop I put stuff in but I love it so much I’m keeping it – at least for awhile!
I wish I had brought in a bit of plaid myself this year. I still have time! I actually have a throw that I could bring out, and just might now that I see this. Your home is beautifully and thoughtfully decorated. Thank you for sharing it with us!
Yep you still have time! And the great thing about plaid throws is that they can hang around all through winter!
Love your decorating. I would be interested in tutorial on the wood feathers. Also where do you get you other real feathers?.I would love to find some larger ones that would be good in floral centerpieces. Keep up the good work.
The real feathers I got at a craft store but I don’t remember for sure which one! Try Michaels or JoAnns maybe. The wood feathers are made from old pallet wood. My hubby split the wood lengthwise and we had these few pieces that were really thin. I traced the feathers onto the wrong side of the boards using a pattern I had on hand. Then my hubby cut them out on his band saw.