A Little Light for Fall: Simple Ways to Make Home Feel Cozy

One of my favorite seasons is fall and living in New England, Maine specifically, I have to say, New Englanders do have the best seats in the house this time of year.  At least I think so.

Apart from the crisp mornings and cool evenings we long for by mid-July, the fall season brings amazing colors, savory foods, flavorful spiced desserts, and a coziness that is hard to explain.  This is the one time of year up here when we don’t mind a dark, stormy, bone chilling day because that means no raking leaves and just getting comfortable indoors with our favorite foods.

The days are shorter and the lights are turned on earlier, but for me it’s the kind of light that makes a difference.  I love a warmly lit room from a small lamp, candle, or lantern. Pair that with a knitted blanket and you have the makings for a quite a cozy space.

Lanterns are my go to because they are so versatile and can be used just about anywhere; in a garden shed, on a front porch table, on a kitchen counter which gives just enough light to see your way to the cookie jar, and of course camping among other things.

It is also a big part of fall décor whether you prefer a spooky Halloween vibe or traditional falls colors with a bit of a glow,

Either way, the light is the game changer.

The lantern featured in this blog is part of the collections at Evy’s Garden Glow™ and the items are intentionally designed to be used however you want them to be including adding your own embellishments with your favorite splashes of color and creating a personal space that you enjoy.

Whenever I want to decorate for the fall, I look for things around my home to use to create that perfect, restful space.  You do not have to spend a lot of money to create the fall décor you like.

For instance, I found a wooden coaster I had left over from a previous craft project and some stain. I applied the stain and let it dry.  In the meantime, my hunt for fall foliage started and I did end up going to Dollar Tree and picked up some fake leaves and one bunch of flowers.  That was all I needed.

The idea of decorating for me is to be able to remove seasonal décor and replace it with something that goes with the next holiday or season so I rarely permanently attach anything to what I am using as a base.

The leaves, pine cone, yellow berries, and white flower were arranged to sit off center on the coaster, leaving room to place the lantern.  Lay each piece out the way to you want them and then take a hot glue gun and glue them to each other.  Place the finished arrangement on top of the coaster, put your lantern on next and that is all.  You have a cute, inexpensive fall decoration that transforms your space once the lantern is turned on.

Do a scavenger hunt around your house and see what you can find to make your space feel a little more homey and soothing.

My favorite find was a stack of old books I have on my bookcase that made all the difference when I put a larger lantern on top of them.  I tied some leaves together with twine then tied the twine to the lantern which is easily removable once the season has passed and could be replaced with Christmas greenery with splashes of red for example.

The best part is that none of this has to be complicated or expensive. Sometimes it is simply a matter of looking at things you already have a little differently.

An old stack of books, a wooden coaster, a few leaves, or something tucked away in a closet can become part of a space you may never have thought to use it in before.

And then add the light.

That is what makes the biggest difference. As the days get shorter and those cold, rainy fall days start rolling into Maine, there is something about the soft glow from a lantern that makes home feel just a little warmer.

So before heading out to buy more fall décor, take a look around your own home first. You might already have everything you need to create your favorite cozy spot.

And if that spot happens to be within reach of the cookie jar, even better.