My niece is learning to talk. Her vocabulary is constantly expanding, but at the moment she is an expert at getting her point across with just a word or two.
For example, when I saw her the other day she cautioned me, in her sweet little voice, “Careful. Heavy.” I knew immediately that she was talking about fall decor.
She was trying to remind me that many things we use in fall decor can look heavy to the eye. Pumpkins, sunflowers, hay bales, mums, hydrangeas: They can all look bulky. So I needed to be careful or I could cross that fine line between festive and foolish.
Then she gave me a look that said “And get a move on, Auntie, it’s already October!”
Our little chat helped me choose this month’s theme:
Elegant Fall Decor
This year, I’m in the mood for something fun yet elegant. This is what I found for inspiration.
Corn Stalk Wreath
Here corn stalks have been deconstructed and made into a whimsical wreath that would look good on any door.

French Country Dining Room
Oui merci. White pumpkins, candles, and hydrangeas give a relaxed, rustic vibe to this French-inspired dining room. The simple linen tablecloth keeps the look balanced.

Pumpkin Vignette
If the pumpkins below had been placed on a heavier table, the look might be clunky. But by using a skinny metal table that blends with the wall behind it, we have a vignette that is airy yet still sets a fall mood.

Fall Porches
I found two gorgeous porches that offer endless inspiration. I’m sharing one photo of each, but I encourage you to click through the links to see so much more.
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Balanced Entry
White mums? What a great idea. Symmetry and a muted color palette keep this entrance tasteful.

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Rustic Lighting and Natural Materials
With the days getting shorter, its a fun idea to add a little extra lighting to a covered porch. Swap the white pumpkins for other seasonal ornaments and this look will work for months.

Grassy Centerpiece
This gorgeous centerpiece uses grasses, fall wildflowers, and long-lasting greens.
I love how the grasses capture the natural light and add a soft texture to the arrangement.

Little Details
It’s fun to combine tried-and-true pieces of fall decor with new items – or to put a new spin on the tried and true.
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Faux Olive Branches
Kathy at A Delightsome Life has two tutorials for making these beautiful faux olive branches. They are an airy complement to heavier fall decor.

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Gleaming Mini-Pumpkins
Seems I always have to go off in a different direction. White pumpkins have been so popular, but last year I painted mini-pumpkins for a warm, metallic look that would last through Thanksgiving. These were fun to scatter around my living room and use in table decor.
My Crocosmia Crush
Disclosure: Affiliate links are used below.
And I found inspiration from my most reliable source: Mom. Her crocosmia plants had multiplied over the past summer so she had to remove some.
Crocosmia seed heads are a nice accent in floral arrangements. She offered me a handful of the plants she’d pulled out of the ground so I could use the seed heads. The bulbs were still attached.
The bulbs and roots looked so interesting that I decided to use the whole plant as decor.
It was simple: I filled a shallow clay pot with floral foam and then covered the foam with forest moss. I inserted a small bamboo garden stake in the middle and then secured the crocosmia stalks to it with garden twine.
I love the look of the bulbs and winding roots.
I used some seed heads elsewhere.
Featured Etsy Artist
Fabric pumpkins are everywhere this year. Some are better than others.
To me, these needle-felted pumpkins by ForestFindsbyCassidy look like tiny works of art.
Posts on this website are for entertainment only.
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Haha Heidi, your niece is very smart! 🙂 Beautiful post.
Jane, I joke about it but actually she really IS smart and waaaay too observant. Nothing gets past her 🙂 Glad you liked the post!
This is a feast for the eyes. All so simple and elegant.
Thanks Debra, there are some talented people out there. I’m feel so fortunate that they let me share their work.
Heidi those olive branches sure fooled me! Lots of great things to inspire here.
Yes, Mary, and those olive branches look fun to make! Thanks for stopping by today.