The autumn weather in the northeast brings in a brisk chill, but also a wave of festive inspiration. Busting out all the stops for a cute front porch setup doesn’t have to break the bank. Here are some ways you can enjoy that festive fall feeling with just some creativity.

MESSAGE BOARDS

Nothing says “Instagram-able” like a wooden frame and black felt message board. Arrange the letters into something heartwarming and wholesome, or festive and funny. In the end, a message board is a great way to express yourself and your family to your guests and social media followers in a creative way.

Amazon sells a 10″ by 10″ board with 340 letters for under $10.

FALL FLOWERS

Just because the temperature drops (if you live in the north, at least) doesn’t mean we have to put a pause on the floral arrangements around the house. Especially if you live somewhere warmer year-round, jewel-toned flowers can look magnificent on a Thanksgiving table.

We found tons of gorgeous faux flower arrangements with a vase included for $10 or less at Petals.com.

GOURDS GALORE

Pumpkins typically strike us as a precursor to Halloween Jack-o-lanterns, but they can be much more. Aside from being delicious – cucumbers, squash, melons, oh my! – gourds come in tons of gorgeous shapes, sizes, and colors. Your local farmer’s market or grocery store will have some tiny pumpkins and such for your display. If you’re privy to the more permanent, there are plenty of options for you to find some faux options.

Both Target and Amazon sell mini plastic pumpkin arrangements for under $10.

SCRUMPTIOUS SCENTS

Have you ever looked at a photo and just known how amazing it smells? Feast your eyes on this pine cone and hot chocolate setup. You may be thinking: pine cones? What, from like, outside?” Exactly. Instead of angrily raking these into your leaf piles, save some good-looking ones for a DIY spread perfect for a dining room table.

Place your pine cones in a large zip-locking bag with some of your favorite essential oils. This blog recommends 15 drops of cinnamon, 1- drops of clove, and 5 drops of orange. You’ll have to let the bag rest for a few days soak up the oils, but once it is done, you’ll be in fall heaven.

We suggest piling up your pine cones in a wicker basket on a soft table napkin or fun fall scarf for maximum visual appeal and Instagram credibility.

ILLUMINATION NATION

Nothing dampens the festive fall spirit than spending your evenings after work in the cold and dark. Now that daylight savings is over, its dark by 5PM – for us east-coasters at least. Big fancy candles are expensive, so why not opt for the simpler, cheaper option: Tealight candles.

They’re not super bright, but they’re easy to move around and affordable to purchase in bulk. Pair them by hanging or placing some twinkling string lights, and you have yourself a relaxing, low-light paradise.

Cost-effective tealights can be purchased in a 50-count pack from Michaels for less than $10. 

A 100-count mini bulb string light is available online at Romwe for under $5.

Craving more? Check out related blog posts here. If you’re looking for a more specific dive on any of these ideas, sign up for our email list to be notified when we post more to this blog!