Guide to Budget-Friendly Fall Kitchen Decorations

The fall season is all about the harvest, and the kitchen is all about food. So I suggest that when you decorate your kitchen for the fall, you make food your centerpiece, literally. Using food that you plan on serving anyway will help you keep costs down and keep your décor ever changing. When decorating your kitchen for the fall, your own garden is your best source of material. If you don't have a garden, take advantage of your local farmer's market. Use fresh baked bread as the center piece for your dining room table, garnished with wheat, barley, or other raw grains. The bread will play to multiple senses, smelling as beautiful as it looks, and tasting delicious as part of the meal. Also, baking a loaf of bread is usually cheaper, healthier, and tastier than buying a loaf at the grocery. You could also evoke the bounty of harvest by filling a bowl or dish with fruit from your farmers market. Better Homes and Gardens has pictures of some excellent examples online.

Shorter days and cooler nights also create a perfect atmosphere for candles. Use candles amply when decorating your kitchen for the fall. Try to find aromas that remind you of autumn: pumpkin pie, spice, apple pie, cinnamon, etc. Don't be afraid to combine candles, fruit, and flowers for some creative and exciting new possibilities in fall kitchen decorating.

Pumpkins and gourds are also appropriate, inexpensive decorations for your kitchen that are abundant in the fall season. You can also use corn as a budget-friendly kitchen decoration for the fall. Use sweet or Indian corn, dried so the husks turn brownish-yellow. Tie two ears together with a bit of orange or brown ribbon and use them to frame the doorways or adorn your kitchen island.

Instead of investing in new, expensive table linens, curtains, and towels, buy some plain, earth-toned fabric at the store for a fraction of the price and make your own. Mix and match brown, burnt oranges, dusty yellows. Add in a little Christmas or olive green or creamy white to contrast with the warmer colors. Free patterns for napkins, curtains, hand towels, etc. can be found at About.com: Sewing, under "Home Dec Patterns and Projects."

If you're looking for store bought accents, Piper Classics.com has some very cute pumpkin-themed decorations for a good price, as well as floral pieces for sale that will help you keep your fall kitchen decorating on budget.