Create a simple fall mantel with a DIY farmhouse sign! It’s easy to style a mantel full of character without breaking the bank—just a bit of creativity, some DIY elbow grease, and a few faux flowers and pumpkins and you’re finished.
Lately I’ve been focused on creating a single, large statement piece on the mantel for each season. This year I imagined a simple wooden farmhouse sign made from particle board and basic 1 x 2’s. I love the visual impact and the comforting message it brings—this is by far my favorite mantel yet.
I wanted to keep the look big and simple, avoiding unnecessary fuss. If you prefer low-maintenance seasonal decorating, this approach is perfect.
Simple decorating is practical and pretty—who has time for complicated setups? I reused many pieces I already owned and added just a few fresh items to update the space for fall.
How I Decorated My Home for Fall
The first step was choosing my color palette. When I opened my boxes of fall decor, I realized I wanted to move away from the predictable orange tones. Instead I pulled together blues, greens, and neutral shades I already had on hand and built the vignette around those colors.
I reused galvanized metal olive buckets from summer by swapping the lavender for cotton stems. I kept the eucalyptus and lamb’s ear stems and simply rearranged them to create a softer, more neutral fall look.
RELATED: Fall Home Trends that Aren’t Orange!
On the mantel sits a wooden box I built in spring as a centerpiece project. It’s easy to make and looks great filled with seasonal foliage. I’ll share a step-by-step tutorial soon for anyone who wants an easy DIY wooden box for their mantel.
One big change this year was investing in faux pumpkins. I usually use white, blue, and green real pumpkins, but I found realistic faux versions in those colors and decided to buy several. They’re durable, reusable, and make styling simple year after year.
I stocked up on faux pumpkins and foliage—my biggest splurge for fall this season—but it was worth it for the long-term use and low maintenance.
The wheat bundles flanking my wooden box are sturdy stems I picked up at a home decor shop. They came tied with a green grosgrain ribbon, which added a nice rustic touch without extra effort.
I filled the wooden box with faux pumpkin foliage, lamb’s ear, and eucalyptus for texture and muted color. Around the room I scattered more white, blue, and green pumpkins—some on shelves, some stacked on the floor—to tie the spaces together.
These simple, neutral decorations suit our lifestyle well: my two-year-old typically leaves them alone, so I’m able to leave the display up for the whole season without worry.
I also added a few pumpkins to the console table beneath my gallery wall and slipped one of my fall printables into a rustic frame to complete the vignette. A printable is a quick, budget-friendly way to refresh wall art for a season.
You can grab one of the free fall printables if you want a ready-made sign or seasonal art to frame.
Enjoy decorating—simple, reusable pieces and a single bold statement sign make fall styling approachable and cozy.
Sources:
- DIY Wooden Farmhouse Sign – full tutorial
- DIY Wooden Centerpiece Box – full tutorial
- Tall Galvanized Olive Bucket
- Lamb’s Ear Stems
- Cotton Stems
- Eucalyptus Stems
- Faux pumpkin foliage picks
- Faux green, blue & white pumpkins
- Birch logs
- Fiddle Leaf Fig (faux)
- DIY Blanket Ladder – full tutorial
- “Be Grateful” sign
- Faux potted lamb’s ear plant
- Faux floral arrangement
- Slipcovered Sofa
- Leather armchair
- Floral pillows (on the couch) – no longer available
- Buffalo check pillows
- Console table
- Tiered tray
- DIY Abstract Turquoise Art – full tutorial
- Magnolia Wreath
- Oversized Wall Clock – no longer available
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