DIY fall decor that’s ridiculously easy (and cheap)

A tableau featuring DIY fall decor pieces in autumnal shades of brown, orange and beige.

You know that thing where the season changes and you want to tweak your decorations a little—just so you feel it? These two DIY fall decor pieces just take a few craft supplies and a little time, and the artwork and garland you create will add a touch of autumn to any corner of your home.

Inspired? Create and share by tagging @HallmarkStores.

A quick hint before we start: Yes, this is DIY “fall decor.” But you can change up the color palette and the decorations work for any season or setting at all.

How to make the painted stripes art  

Supplies needed for the painted stripes DIY Fall Decor piece, including paints, paper, and a paint brush.

What you’ll need:

•  Sheet of watercolor paper
•  Index cards
•  4-6 colors of acrylic paint in complementary or contrasting colors (get inspiration from a favorite piece of art, fabric, an outfit, a poster or the colors in your room)
•  Paintbrush (optional)
•  Display option 1: Sheet of plywood about 1″ longer and 1″ wider than the watercolor paper and a bulldog or binder clip
•  Display option 2: Clipboard larger than the watercolor paper
•  Display option 3: Wooden clamp pant hanger

A hand dotting paint in a vertical line onto a piece of white paper.

Squeeze some dots of paint down one side of the watercolor paper, about an inch from the edges and an inch apart.

Pro tip: It’s not a bad idea to test this one out on some less fancy paper first—just to get the size of the dots and the distance right.

A hand dragging an index card across the paint dots from left to right to create a striped effect.

Hold an index card perpendicular to the watercolor paper, just outside of the paint. (Make sure the dots are completely inside the index card—you may have to tape two cards together to cover them all.)

Grab the edge of the watercolor paper and drag the index card—and the paint with it—all the way across the page.

A woman placing the striped art piece—which is displayed on a stylized clipboard—into a fall tableau.

Touch up the stripes with a paintbrush if you’d like. Once the paint is dry, display the piece using one of the options listed above.

How to make the bead garland  

Supplies needed for the painted stripes DIY Fall Decor piece, including paints, paper, and a paint brush.

What you’ll need:

•  Unfinished wooden beads in a few different sizes
•  Jute twine that fits through the beads
•  Acrylic paint (use the same colors as you use for the painted stripes)
•  Thin masking tape
•  Jar
•  Paintbrushes
•  Scissors

Decide how long you want your garland to be and cut a piece of jute twine about 3 inches longer than that.

Lay the twine on a table and line up beads next to it to get the arrangement you’d like.

A woman's hands painting wooden beads with fall colors.

Paint some or all the beads. For a little variation, you can try any of the following: 

•  Paint beads with solid colors.
•  Mask parts of the beads to add stripes or color blocking.
•  Add dots with the tip of a paintbrush.

Pro tip: Fit the bead on the handle of a paintbrush while you’re painting to keep your fingers tidy, then rest the paintbrush in a jar to dry.

Hands threading wooden beads onto a piece of twine.

Make an overhand loop knot in one end of the twine and begin stringing the beads.

When you get to the end, make another overhand loop knot.

The finished Striped Art DIY Fall Decor piece.

If want to add another finishing touch, make an oversize tassel for each end using more of the twine.

This video will show you how: Just wrap the neck with much more jute and for far longer than feels reasonable to get this lovely chunky effect.

Now it’s time to make your vignette: Stage your DIY Fall Decor somewhere you can admire them every day.

Pro tip: Pampas grass is a trendy fall accessory for your vases. With its rise in popularity, it’s become super easy to find online or in craft stores.

Looking for more festive fall ideas? We’ve got you covered: