Fall Decorating Mistakes That Make Your Home Look Cluttered

Fall is one of the easiest times of year to decorate your home. Pumpkins, candles, blankets, wreaths, and other seasonal decorations can make a room feel warm and welcoming. But it’s also easy to go too far, and your home can start to feel messy instead of cozy.

You don’t have to use all your fall decorations at once, and you don’t have to buy new stuff every year. Consider swapping and rotating items and storing everyday decor to make more room for seasonal pieces. Pick a couple of fall colors to keep things cohesive and simple, and leave some empty space on surfaces to avoid clutter.

Don’t worry; you don’t need to get rid of your fall decorations. All you need to do is make a few simple tweaks. Here are some common fall decorating mistakes that can make your home look cluttered, along with what you can do instead.

Avoid These 11 Fall Decorating Mistakes

The truth is, it’s easy to go overboard when you’re decorating for pretty much any holiday or season. It’s worth keeping these mistakes in mind whenever you decide to bring out the seasonal decor. You don’t want clutter to become part of your design plan.

1. Too Many Decorations

One of the most common mistakes is trying to use every fall decoration you own. It’s understandable. You have so many fun items, you can’t decide which ones to use, which should stay in storage or go. You may have a box filled with pumpkins, signs, fake leaves, candles, pillows, figurines, and scarecrows. It’s tempting to put all of them out at once.

The problem is that too many items can make it hard to notice any of them and the room ends up feeling crowded and busy. Instead, pick a few of your favorite pieces. The rest can stay packed away until next year. Rotate through your favorites each year or during the fall season if you’re up for a round two of decorating.

2. Covering Every Surface

Another no-no is putting decor on every available surface, such as the coffee table, kitchen counters, shelves, dining table, bathroom counters, and even small side tables. This is likely because they’re trying to use all their stuff (see mistake number one). A few decorations can look nice, but covering every surface makes a room feel smaller.

It also leaves less space for everyday things that you actually need, contributing to more clutter. Leave some open areas. If your kitchen counter is already busy with a coffee maker, toaster, and air fryer, you may only need one small fall decoration such as a simple pumpkin or a small bowl of pinecones.

3. Too Many Fall Signs

Cute signs can be fun, but realistically, how many pictures of pumpkins or things that say, “Welcome, Fall” do you really need? Using too many becomes a little too kitschy. You probably don’t need a different fall saying in every room. One in the entryway or living room can have more impact than five or six signs spread throughout the house.

When choosing a sign, think about whether it works with your decorations. If the room already has several patterns and colors, a simple sign may work better than one with large letters and lots of extra details. If you don’t like signs, don’t use them at all. Just because they’re on every home store’s shelves doesn’t mean they have to be a part of your holiday decor.

4. Mixing Many Colors

Fall decorations often come in strong hues such as orange, red, yellow, brown, green, and burgundy. These colors can work well together, but using too many of them at once can make a room look disorganized. Choose two or three main shades that you want for your seasonal palette. Then use only items that feature these colors.

This tip can also help you decide which of your decorations to use and which ones to skip. For example, burgundy, green, and tan in varying tints and shades can work well together. Plus, a smaller color selection can help everything feel more put together.

5. Decorations In Every Room

It can help reduce clutter if you commit to decorating just a few key spaces in your home rather than every room. Adding seasonal decor to every bedroom, bathroom, hallway, and spare room creates extra work and makes your home feel crowded.

Instead, choose a few areas where you want to focus. The front porch and entryway provide the all-important first impression. The living room and dining room are popular, since they’re where family and guests spend a lot of time.

6. Filling The Fireplace Mantel

A fireplace mantel is a great place for fall decorations, but it’s easy to overcrowd it with pumpkins, garlands, candles, signs, vases, and leaves until there’s barely any empty space. A mantel usually looks better when there’s room between some of the items.

Start with one larger decoration, such as a vase of fall flowers or a group of pumpkins. Then add a few smaller pieces around it. If you step back and the space looks crowded, take a few things away. You may be surprised by how much better it looks.

7. A Lot Of Pillows And Blankets

Cozy vibes are what fall decorating is all about, right? But do you need to have every fuzzy blanket and autumn-themed pillow out at once? These elements make a living room feel comfortable, but too many can become a problem. If every chair and couch is buried under pillows and blankets, the furniture might look messy.

It can also be pretty annoying when you need to move everything just to sit down. Pick a few pillows with fall colors or simple patterns. Keep one or two blankets nearby for when you actually want to use them. Your living room can still feel cozy without looking like a pillow factory.

8. Items That Are Too Small

Tiny decorations can be cute, but too many tend to look cluttered. Instead of using ten small pumpkins, consider one larger one. Or try grouping three medium or large pumpkins of varying sizes. Larger decorations can make an impact without taking up as much visual space.

A large basket filled with blankets, a tall vase with branches, or a few larger pumpkins may be all you need. If you have a collection of small decorations that you love, group some of them together on a tray. This organizes them and gives them a clear place, turning them into one large decor piece.

9. Forgetting About Everyday Clutter

Fall decor can’t hide regular clutter. Adding decorations to an already messy room can make the problem worse. Before decorating, take a few minutes to clean up. Put away mail, toys, shoes, dishes, and other items that don’t belong in the room. Clear off surfaces where you plan to add decorations.

Store some of your everyday decor in your fall storage containers. When you put away fall stuff, you can bring your everyday items back out. Once the room is clean, you can see where decorations actually make the most sense. You might even find that you need fewer seasonal items than you thought.

10. Buying New Decorations Every Year

It’s so much fun to buy fall decor, but the reality is, you only have so many places to put it all. Buying more decorations every year can leave you with boxes of things you barely use. If you are going to get something new, be prepared to get rid of something old.

Also, before shopping, look through what you already have. You may find items you forgot about. If you do buy something new, consider getting one item that you really like instead of several items that you may not care about next year. This can save money and keep your storage space under control.

11. Not Leaving Room For The Season To Change

Fall lasts for several weeks, and the decorations you use at the beginning of the season may not be the same ones you want closer to Thanksgiving. Plus, you also have Halloween, too. If your home is packed with decorations from the first day of fall, there may be no space to add anything later.

Keeping your decorating simple gives you more choices as the season continues. You can start with pumpkins, leaves, and warm colors. Later, you can add a few Thanksgiving decorations if you want, or opt for decorations that work for Halloween and Thanksgiving. Swap some pieces out as you make changes instead of layering them and having everything out at once.

Don’t Let Clutter Be Part Of Your Fall Decorating Plan

Fall decorating isn’t complicated, and it definitely doesn’t have to include clutter. Before you start putting out your favorite fall items, clean your space and decide where you want to decorate. You don’t have to fill your home to the brim with pumpkins, pillows, and every kitschy sign there is to feel ready for fall.

Leave a little open space here and there and limit your colors. Choose decorations carefully to get a comfortable, not cluttered, look. Finally, step back and assess the look to decide if it still needs a little something or if you should take something away. Sometimes the best decorating choice is putting one more decoration back in the box.

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