ivy flowers on counter

The Essence of Autumn Captured for your Home

A crisper note hangs in the air, the smell of leaves mingling with earth, and all around, leaves slowly turn from green to a riot of reds, oranges, yellows, and browns. Fall, the season of hot drinks, cozy sweaters, pumpkin chai, comfy scarves, and nature's most beautiful colors, is on display. With such vibrant and gorgeous colors, we adore bringing that essence of autumn into our homes with our Fall Foliage line.

Suppose you've never created a fall arrangement before or feel as if you're unsure where to start and looking for inspiration. In that case, our experts are so excited to share our favorite ideas and inspiration to capture the essence of autumn within your home spaces.

Golden Accents

"Nature's first green is gold" opens the famous and well-known poem by Robert Frost. While the verse explains that what is perfect and beautiful, especially in nature, cannot last forever—with artificial blooms, vines, plants, and dried and preserved flowers or grasses, you can keep the magic of autumn for years.

One of the prevalent colors during the season is different hues and shades of precious gold, from deep yellow to pale. For an alluring touch to any arrangement or centerpiece, consider going golden, such as a distressed gold metal compote bowl paired with antique golden candelabras, candlesticks, or candle holders paired with hand-dipped terra cotta candles or natural beeswax fluted pillar candles.

Ivy leaf branch

Fall Mantle Décor

Few words describe the feeling of curling up in front of or next to a fire on a chilly autumn evening. Bringing the beloved colors and ambiance of fall to your mantel can make everything in the room feel extra cozy and welcoming. Whether you want the classic fall colors or a monochromatic arrangement of autumnal accessories, you'll no doubt find the inspiration and ideas needed for your unique style.

Fall Mantle Decor

Colorful Fall Mantle Décor

Purple Cimicifuga or Bugbane have beautiful variety in nature. Some include deep, jet-black foliage; others, like Actea racemosa, have head-turning, deep, gorgeous plum foliage. This deep plum color inspired our stunning artificial  Plum Cimicifuga seeded garland that is virtually ideal for draping across a fall mantle. There are many different ways you can style this amazing garland.

  • Garland showcase. Should you love a clean, sleek, minimalistic décor approach, consider creating a fuller garland of Plum Cimicifuga by combining several. Weave them loosely together and position the leaves, stems, and garland themselves for a more natural, graceful drape over the fireplace. Place functional and decorative candles in autumn shades such as orange, red, and gold on simplistic candle holders so that your beautiful garland becomes the star and focal point of the room.
    Cimicifuga Garland
  • Full bloom and harvest medley. Whether you're a maximalist, cottage-core, or bohemian chic sort of décor lover, pair the Plum Cimicifuga garland with an autumn arrangement, or arrangements plus a few seasonal botanicals might be ideal for you. Use warm metals for candle holders or vessels, such as antique brass and distressed gold paired with the colors of the leaves. We recommend a gorgeous Orange preserved Eucalyptus bundle arranged with dried yarrow flowers and a few stems of dried Natural Pampas grass or faux pampas grass. Next, consider adding to the mantle assorted natural dried fall gourds or a faux pumpkin. The deep colors of fall within the garland, dried leaves, flowers, and gourds or pumpkins create stunning visual contrast in dark and light rooms.

Simple and Elegant Fall Arrangements

For a monochromatic design that is both simple and yet undeniably elegant, many ideal creations help transition your home from summer to fall with artificial or dried grasses and plants.

    • Wooden accents, especially vases or bowls, add a gorgeous, neutral fall aesthetic to any arrangement, allowing you to play with many different colors or to pick a monochromatic artificial autumn bundle of stems. A bundle of dried, fully bloomed taupe Hydrangeas is a lush, subtle, sophisticated arrangement for any room. Add a stunning autumn color with your wooden vase using a bundle of dried Craspedia Billy Buttons or burnt orange dried amaranthus flowers.
      Oak Mantle
  • For the most straightforward, effortless arrangement that is not monochromatic (all one bloom), you can save yourself the time of arranging by purchasing a pre-made bundle designed by floral experts, such as the bright orange mixed Bouquet of dried flowers.

Elaborate and Lush Autumn Stems

More extensive and elaborate arrangements are ideal for the dining room table, living room, kitchen counters, and islands or anywhere you have more generous space. Detailed artificial floral arrangements look fantastic in larger floor vases as well.

  • Consider tall terra cotta vases or large matte ceramic jar top vases in muted or neutrals so that your fall arrangement's fantastic colors stand forefront and capture the eye.

  • Gather any supplies you might need: artificial stem cutters, wire cutters, flower hairpin frog or Agra wool, and your stems.

What sort of stems make for a stunningly lush autumn centerpiece? Our experts recommend playing with:

  • Large, bouncy blooms like Taupe Preserved Hydrangea flowers, dried King Protea flowers or artificial peonies in golden or sunset hues.

  • Burnt Sienna artificial Ranunculus or orange dried Formosa Banksia flowers.

  • Nothing says fall décor as clearly and cleanly as preserved scarlet oak leaves. These beautiful leaves and stems make for a great autumn replacement to the usual greenery one might choose in an arrangement.

  • A few sprigs of naturally dried bunny tail


How to Arrange:

  • Start by arranging your largest stems first, such as Hydrangeas, Dried King Protea, and Peonies. Don't rush and enjoy placing as you work in a circle, turning the vase or vessel for your centerpiece as you check to see if the blooms are symmetrical.

  • Next, layer in your second variety of flowers, such as the artificial Ranunculus and dried Formosa Banksia flowers.

  • Play with positioning the flowers. Artificial blooms have stems that can be bent and set, unlike dried and preserved or natural plants, allowing you to place and create interesting shapes and heights as you arrange.

  • Once your flowers are in, finish the arrangement by placing the scarlet oak leaves and naturally dried bunny tail along the edges of your arrangement in places that feel right to you. Often, florists lean toward putting grasses and leaves along the edges of a full arrangement for balance—but this is your centerpiece, so do what makes it visually appealing to you.

To spruce up your home consider adding some Fall Home Accents from our new collection. There are so many combinations of artificial florals and dried, perfect for fall, we can't cover them all in one article, but we hope we've been able to set a seasonal flame of inspiration to get you going. When capturing the essence of autumn and recreating the season inside, Afloral is humbled and proud to be your number one source of blooms for all.

Author Bio

Derek Milliman has had a career in the floral industry for over a decade, with his passion for florals, nature and sustainable decor he offers a keen eye for designing home interior spaces that exceeds expectations. His commitment to quality and creativity makes him an asset to Afloral’s botanical community.