Simple ways to create the ultimate cozy home this Fall - Inside and out!

When the temperatures start to drop outside, we all dream of having the perfectly cozy home where we can snuggle up and watch the leaves change. It's easier and more budget friendly than you'd think. Especially if we let nature inspire us.

-Let's start with lighting. 

Inside....

1. Lamps. Make sure your lightbulbs are warm white. In some cases, I even use amber lightbulbs. This mimics the soft Autumn glow from outside. 

2. Candles. I prefer battery operated candles because there are too many toxins in most real candles. I place at least a few in each room and it instantly makes the spaces feel lived in and comforting.

3. Twinkle lights - instant magical feeling

4. Fireplace - visual and physical warmth

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Outside....

String lights on the patio, lanterns with waterproof battery operated or solar candles.

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Add some cornstalks, pumpkins and mums to the porch and you're good to go!

-Next would be using warm tones, like stained wood furniture, blankets and pillows that coordinate with the outdoors; greens, blues, oranges, etc. 

-Dried florals are definitely the way to go! I do have some faux florals in a few places around the house that look very realistic, but they were pretty pricey, and ultimately if I can cut some flowers out of the yard and dry them, it feels more special. Another easy thing to do is cut branches off some of the trees with colorful leaves and add them to vases for the mantle or dining room table.

-Stacks of chopped wood. Now, this makes most sense if you have a fireplace. But even adding piles of wood outside by a firepit adds oodles of coziness to your home as a whole. 

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-Hot beverage area. Find a little spot in your kitchen for your coffee, tea, cider, etc... and if you don't have built in storage, use cute baskets, tins, or jars that not only make the space look beautiful, but also make it functional. 

This post has some cute ideas!

-Use real pumpkins wherever you can. We have several cute faux pumpkins that we use to decorate the kids bedrooms with...because finding a rotten pumpkin under a kids bed in January is not on my list of favorite things...otherwise, we use real ones. Most of them we grow in our own pumpkin patch (which is VERY easy to do if you want to try it next year!) and others we get from local farm stands or pumpkin patches. 

                                                                      We grew these!

-Display seasonal books and create a cozy reading spot next to them! We love books around here, especially seasonal ones. Over the years we've built up quite a collection and they are the first things we get out when the seasons start changing. So pick your comfiest chair and put a stack of Fall books in a basket next to it. A few years ago we hung some display shelves on the wall and parked an old swivel chair by them and we've had a lot of fun switching out the books we display. I keep a step ladder nearby so we can easily reach the ones on the top row. 

-Add thrifted and homemade decor. Coziness is largely made up of filling rooms with special and unique things. 

-Homemade seasonal decor, especially crafts the kids can do that are heirloom quality. Like hand painted salt dough ornaments to use as a garland, or wax leaves collected from the yard or park. Below I'll share a few on our list for this year. 

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Thrifted items. NOW is the time to hit the thrift and antique shops before all the good stuff is gone!

I hope this has given you some inspiration heading into this new season!