Home
Move Over, Cottagecore: On TikTok, It’s Decorative Gourd Season
Autumnal vibes only.
The palette is leaf-y and bold. The theme is nostalgic and with a hint of spooky. The vibe is immaculate. Head to Home Goods: TikTok says it’s time to break out your most basic fall decorations.
To participate, gather orange throw pillows and rusty red blankets. Swap out your summer beige for an autumnal brown. Empty out that glass display bowl of lemons and fill it with decorative gourds. Blow out your dainty floral candles and light up the pie-scented ones — yes, the ones that give you a migraine. Queue up some Death Cab for Cutie, or even better, Taylor Swift’s Folklore.
According to TikTok, the fall-core stage has now been set. Videos with these fall decoration ideas are everywhere on the For You Page, despite the fact that temperatures are still balmy. Already, videos tagged #FallTok2021 have over 5 million views. To celebrate the early start of the season, drape a cardigan with Gravity-blanket-weight around your shoulders, wrap your Malbec-painted nails around a seasonally appropriate mug, and sip your chai tea without the slightest bit of irony.
According to Google Trends, fall stans are not just on TikTok. Users across the internet have no moral problem courting fall before even breaking up with summer — people begin searching for fall decor ideas in the middle of July. By the first week of September, searches for fall decorations skyrocket accordingly. The collective desire to lean into the fall aesthetic and put energy into creating a festive space at home is likely inspired by the awareness that a lot of time will be spent there — so why not make it cute?
If you’re new to basic fall, or are looking for some fresh September vibes, be inspired by Gen Z’s take on autumnal hygge. Here are 11 TikTok inspired fall decorating ideas that will give your home some cozy spooky scary vibes.
Use Handmade Ceramics
This video makes drinking from a handmade mug look like a thing only a main character could do. An alternative to of going for the overly obvious fall-themed glass and tableware is to opt for a cottagecore-inspired theme of handmade or secondhand ceramics. If you don’t have a pottery wheel, you can find mugs and candle holders that someone else made at your local thrift store.
Go Halloween Hardcore
Slip on your pumpkin fuzz slides, stir up your pumpkin pancake batter, and groove to the Monster Mash if spooky season is your season. Videos with the hashtag #Halloween2021 already have over 420 million views, so you surely won’t be alone in your efforts. In this video, the poster shows off all of the novelty fall moments on display in their home, ranging from uber-cheesy decorations to subtle touches like thematic candles and dishes.
Throw It In A Jar
Don’t hide your Halloween candy in your pantry; display it in a jar. The video shows the poster filling giant canister-like jars with gallons of candy and it looks both delicious and vibe-y. The bigger the jar, and thus the more candy, the better. Even if you don’t like the taste of candy corn, you can’t deny the value that the tri-colored triangular sweets have on display — instant fall vibes.
Paint On The Vibes
Nothing says “I’m committed to the fall aesthetic” like painting your door orange and decorating it with a garland of plastic pumpkin and leaf decor. If you rent, you might want to opt for a fall-themed stick-on wallpaper instead. In this video, the poster turns her green door orange, and uses it as a backdrop for some very layered and textural Halloween decor.
Make A Doorstep Display
To let the entire neighborhood know you’re going all-in on autumn, get yourself a collection of small pumpkins, squash, and gourds, and display them proudly on your doorstep. In this video, the poster puts different sized and colored pumpkins on various levels to make a pretty full fall scene.
DIY It
If you have the time for crafts and are up to the challenge of a multistep decor endeavor, follow a TikTok DIY fall aesthetic video and save yourself some money on often pricey items like vases and garlands. In this video, the poster gives a plastic container a second life by painting it to make it look like a high-end vase.
Change Your Sheets
If you’re not willing to override your entire interior design game with pumpkin vibes, just switch up your bedding to subtly cozy things up. Swapping in darker sheets and mixing in textured pillows and throws will not only make your bed a warmer place to be, but also much more fall-feeling. In this video, the poster swaps out their summer sheets for some warmer, more textured linens and it transforms the room instantly.
Bake Seasonal Things
Bake things that call for apple, pumpkin, cinnamon, vanilla, or nutmeg to fill your home with the scent of fall. Another tip? Bake these things in excess, so you can eat your cake and have it on display, too. In this video, the poster, goes over every inch of their home adding Halloween-themed updates, ending with a tray of freshly baked fall cookies that you can nearly smell through the screen.
Put Dead Plants On Display
Not great at keeping plants alive? This fall decor trick is for you. This video of a very extravagant home is made very attainable when you realize the thing that makes it so autumnally awesome is free dead plants. Scavenge the yard for dried plants, branches, and twigs with dead leaves and bring them inside and put them in your nicest vases — you know, the ones you usually use for living flowers. This is an easy and free way to bring darker tones into your home that scream “sweater weather.”
Create An Entry Table Moment
Get rid of all of those alumni letters from your college that you were never going to open anyway and give your entry table the fall moment that it deserves. Fill a bowl with mini pumpkins, seasonal fruits, or even fallen leaves from outside, and bring the season inside. In this video, the poster fills a wooden boat-like bowl with an assortment of neutral colored pumpkins and dried seasonal bits for a subtle, but on-theme hint of fall.
This article was originally published on
