50+ Tips for Romanticizing Fall
Recently, I got a message on Instagram saying:
“I’ve been wanting to start ‘romanticizing autumn’. Which is probably the adult way of saying “making the holidays magical.” Do you have a post about romanticizing autumn?”
Well, I didn’t then but I do now!
I asked people for their best suggestions and there were so many fun ideas!
I hope these help make autumn feel extra special this year!
10+ Tips for Romanticizing Fall
- Make a homemade simmer pot. It’s an easy way to make the whole house smell cozy (try this recipe!)
- Start dimming lights earlier in the evening. Turn on lamps, light a candle or crank up the fireplace!
- Watch Over the Garden Wall. A reader said this is “a short episode show that my kids and I rewatch together every fall.” I’ve never heard of it but I’m checking it out immediately!
- Eat by candlelight. Bonus points if you have a cozy dinner like soup!
- Read a seasonal book. I have a whole list of cozy fall reads here (plus a list of favorite autumn picture books!). This year, I’m so into this fall romance series!
- Watch Ichabod Crane. One mom said “bonus points for watching with fall treats and apple cider.”
- Start drinking tea (or another hot beverage of your choice) in the evenings.
- Check out Jessica Garvin’s Cozy Girl’s Guide to Fall.
- Create a fall playlist on Amazon Music or Spotify and play it in the background of your home. Or here’s an existing playlist to start you out!
- Watch an old black and white movie. And, of course, wear your coziest pajamas and grab a blanket.
- Make an autumn themed fairy garden. Need some inspiration? Start here!
- Open the windows and let the cooler air in.
- Take a warm bath in the evening. And light a candle and turn on that fall playlist.
- Toast s’mores over a backyard fire pit. Psst. . . this is such an easy event to host and invite neighbors over for a casual fall hangout! More ideas for having people over without making dinner is here!
- Hang some moody porch lighting and listen to an audiobook outside.
- Burn a fall scented candle (or use a candle warmer!). This is the candle I’m loving this fall!
- If you don’t have a fireplace, use the YouTube fire on your TV!
- Bake all the fall treats. I love these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins or these pumpkin chocolate cookies.
- Put battery operated candles all over the house! I have these and love them.
- Do an autumn backyard campout as a family or as a couple. How fun is this?
- Load up your porch or table with real pumpkins. The grocery store usually sells them for cheap and if they’re not carved, they’ll last all fall long!
- Move your family read-aloud outside. In the fall, we turn on the string lights and grab blankets and I read aloud on our back deck. My kids love it (and so do I!)
- Choose a cozy fall show. Favorites include The Other Bennet Sister, All Creatures Great and Small and Gilmore Girls.
- Go to Trader Joe’s and get all the fall themed items! One reader said “We are obsessed with the vanilla pumpkin candle and making French toast with the pumpkin challah bread.”
- Have an opening ceremony for fall. Kick it off in style with friends or as a family!
- Take a drive to see the fall colors. True magic!
- Join the Proper Mountain Woman Club. I started doing it this year and I’m obsessed. It’s so fun and a great way to make your life a little more magical by earning merit badges and patches. One mom told me “I’m so glad I tried this out when you first started mentioning it, I have two little kids without a ton of free time and this has been so fun and easy to fit into our days. And fun to do some things with the kids as well!” My affiliate code is FALLEVERYDAYREADING.
- Make your own wreath. One reader told me “I get a grape vine wreath from a craft store and then I don’t permanently attach anything so I can keep reusing it each year, and l add all kinds of ribbon and faux foliage along with real seasonal foliage from my yard.
- Add glass and mirrors to your decor to reflect the candlelight. I love this!
- Make a list of new fall recipes to try. From soups to harvest salads to baked goods, this is the moment to make the most of your kitchen.
- Add cinnamon sticks to hot apple cider. This is one of those things that’s so easy and inexpensive but makes it feel more romantic!
- Collect leaves on a walk! This is fun on your own or with kids.
- Make the Pumpkin Roll pancakes from Our Best Bites. Delish!
- Go for a walk every day to savor the season. One woman said “fall is my favorite season and it always goes too fast so now I try to go for a walk every day!” Another said “go on walk when the light feels so soft and glowy.”
- Do something whimsical. One reader said “Every year I make sure I catch a leaf AS IT FALLS. It is so fun and often hilarious (you can imagine a 30 yaer old woman running around trying to catch a leaf!)”
- Hang string lights. Inside or outside, it’s hard to beat the magic of crisp weather with some twinkly lights.
- Go apple picking. And then bake something amazing with them.
- Rake the leaves. And then jump in the pile!
- Go for a fall hike. Is there anything better than a hike when the leaves are changing colors? I think not!
- Visit a corn maze. Good luck getting out!
- Look for a local fall festival. Or a pumpkin patch!
- Put mums on your front porch. Welcome fall! So easy and so festive.
- Add seasonal essential oils to your diffuser. One reader said “pumpkin pie is delicious smelling!”
- Check out Darling Desi on YouTube. Talk about FallMaxxing!
- Learn to knit or crochet or embroider. If you’ve always wanted to pick up a hobby like this, now is the time!
- Make your kitchen extra cozy with decor and cozy lighting. One mom said “It makes me want to spend more time in the kitchen and I end up baking more for my house of boys!”
- Make a fall tradition. One reader said “Every fall we put soup in a crockpot and go up to a lake in the mountains on a Sunday afternoon just to enjoy.” I love this!
- Follow Kendall Ferrari. I’d never heard of her until someone recommended her, but now I’m obsessed!
- Make fall colored bracelets. Wear them as a set all fall long (or buy a set here!)
- Choose a fall nail polish color for the season. This polish is one of my favorites for autumn!
- Watch You’ve Got Mail. Classic fall movie! “I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.”
- Wear fall colors. Pull all your rusts, navys, olive greens, burgandys and other fall colors to the front of the closet so you don’t forget to wear them while the season is perfect for them.
- Switch out your hand soaps for seasonal scents. This hand soap is the best! (And I love the counter cleaner too!)
- Do a seasonal puzzle. I loved this sweater weather puzzle this fall (my affiliate code is EVERYDAYREADING15). This puzzle is up next for me – it’s so cute!
Other favorite ways to romanticize fall? Please share in the comments!
