Autumnal decorations for embracing the season
Just like that, there are crisp leaves underfoot. While the weather cools down outside, bring some warmth into your home with these autumnal decorations.
Autumn is arguably a season for cosiness. The woolly jumpers are on, and so is the kettle. And although part of us mourns the long, warm evenings of summer, a few autumnal decorations around the house with a warm colour palette can really help ease you into the season.
Food-wise, there's a lot to look forward to – feasts of stews, soups and pies that are the culinary equivalent of a hug in a bowl. Our collection of autumn recipes is a great place to start if you’re looking to bring the season into your kitchen.
For the rest of your home, we’ve picked our favourite autumn table decorations and decor ideas that are reusable and specially selected to add a glow and natural feel to your home.
From dried flower wreaths that make great plastic-free decorations, to scorched ash chopping boards and hand-drawn screenprints, celebrate the season of falling leaves with a little help from the BBC Good Food team.
Best autumnal decorations
Castle Farm decorative corn cobs
Castle Farm’s dried flowers have won gold medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, but we’re particularly enamoured with this bunch of five corn cobs. Made from maize harvested on the farm in September, the cobs are dried in a hot air kiln and strung together using jute string. A nod to the harvest, this autumn decoration wouldn’t look out of place any time of year.
Available from: Castle Farm, Kent (£17.95)
Clemantina vase
The boldness of this ceramic vase’s bright reactive glaze is offset perfectly by the floral white designs that climb its sides. Filled with a bundle of dried wheat, you’d have an autumnal decoration that draws the eye.
Available from: Oliver Bonas (£22)
Dried wheat ears
Talking of dried wheat, bundles can be decorative with or without a vase. This bunch contains wheat ears that are 60cm in length, and if crafting is your cup of tea, try soaking them for an hour before plating or knitting them into a new shape – a simple way of breathing new life into a dried autumnal decoration.
Available from: Amazon (£4.99)
Folky Dokey changing seasons dried flower wreath
For a joy-inducing autumnal decoration that can be shared as well as reused, add this to your front door on a dry day, or hang it around your home. This bohemian-style wreath is ethically made on a willow ring using autumnal beech leaves, winter pampas and a selection of delicate spring flowers.
Available from: Not on the High Street (£100)
Peastyle dried winter wreath-making kit
Why not try making your own autumnal wreath? Dried flowers are a relatively pliable and forgiving material to persuade into a wreath shape. This kit contains dried eucalyptus, dried oats and dried bunny tail, plus wire string for connecting all to the metal ring.
Available from: Not on the High Street (£23)
Rowen & Wren Oskar candle dish
It’s not the cheapest, but Rowen & Wren’s candle dish will reflect and amplify the glow of your candles with a brassy warmth, as well as provide a safe surface on which to burn them. Two curled handles either-side act as a heatproof way to safely transport them from one room to another.
Available from: Not on the High Street (£38)
Autumn Halloween pumpkin wreath
For an autumnal decoration that double-ups well for Halloween, this wreath by Pippa Designs features dried miniature pumpkins with natural moss, twigs and leather leaf. The effect is a richly coloured, reusable wreath you can bring out year after year.
Available from: Not on the High Street (£47)
Pair of amber beeswax candles
Made by hand in Yorkshire by residents at Camphill Village Trust’s Botton Village, this pair of tapered candles has a burn time of around 14 hours and a gentle honey scent, and is made from non-toxic beeswax. They’re also available in an ivory shade.
Available from: Aerende (£8.50)
Gold multi tealight holder
With holders for nine tealights interspersed with multiple decorative cups, this gold-foil candle centrepiece would make an excellent autumn table decoration. Its footprint is quite long, sitting at 56 x 13cm. Add it to your dining table for a warm, light glow.
Available from: Graham and Green (£45)
Autumn equinox print
Be quick – this screenprint is a limited edition of 60, hand-pulled onto 100 per cent recycled paper and made in collaboration with Old Hope Archive. Created in part to mark the autumnal equinox, this 50 x 70cm poster is signed and numbered by the artist. It's a special way to mark a year that’s been particularly full of surprises.
Currently unavailable
Autumn woodland felt coasters
This collection of six coasters is made from a dense wool-blend felt blanket, stitched together around the edge. Each has a woodland creature design on top, which adds an extra layer of heat protection.
Available from: Etsy (£4.50)
Gold leaf fairy lights for table decorations
This classy 2m garland has a subtle battery pack so it can be placed anywhere, from the table to a mantelpiece. The coloured thread running the length of its gold lead adds a pop of colour that nicely contrasts the gold leaves. The packaging is also made from 100 per cent recycled materials.
Available from: Not on the High Street (£24)
Staub pumpkin cocotte
Staub is renowned for its high-quality cast-iron enamelled stoneware, and is a firm favourite of the BBC Good Food team, doing well in our test of the best casserole dishes to buy this year. This cocotte would be perfect for serving pumpkin soup or stews, and would make a great autumnal decoration to have around the kitchen. It’s dishwasher-, microwave- and oven-safe.
Looking for recipes? Try our other autumn showstoppers…
10 new ways with pumpkin
Our best ever apple cake recipes
Our best ever vegetarian autumn recipes
What’s your favourite autumnal dish? Leave a comment below…
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