LEMME TELL YA HOW LITTLE I PAID FOR THIS
Underconsumtion Core— a social media trend I can get behind + thoughts on natural fall decor
Look, I’m a midwest-gal. A Minnesotan, to be exact. And if there’s one thing we love to do, it’s to brag about how little we paid for something. Compliment my sweater? You betcha I’m gonna proudly proclaim that I found it at Goodwill or Savers. You like my little ceramic planters? Of course they’re reused candle jars! If there is one social media trend that I can get behind, it’s the #underconsumptioncore trend. We midwesterners having been training for this trend our whole lives, and I really hope that it’s here to stay.
As we move into fall, my absolute favorite time of the year, I get even more excited about underconsumption. As I see the big box store aisles begin to line with plastic pumpkins, fake grasses, and *gasp* disposable leaf bags (please, for the love of all that is holy, stop putting your leaves in plastic bags!)— I get giddy over the idea of creating natural and simple home decor from items I already have on hand, or that nature provides right outside my back door.
One of my favorite and first things to do each September, is to gather some of my garden and forage harvests to hang inside the house. I love to use twine or yarn (you guessed it, from Goodwill) to wrap each bundle of leaves and flowers and then hang them across the top of a window or from the exposed electrical conduit (yes, on purpose— think, modern industrial farmhouse) we have in our house. This simple, and virtually free, decor adds a pop of earthy color and fall coziness that I love. It also serves a dual purpose as the herbs, flowers, and bulbs that I hang, have the time they need to dry for preserving. Some of my favorite items to hang are goldenrod, pearly everlasting, red raspberry branches, oregano, mullein, and garlic! Each of these will have another purpose after I take them down from their time as decor— cooking, tinctures, tea, and salves are all on the docket.
This fall, I’m making a personal pledge to not purchase any new fall decor (including thrifted!)— will you join me?! Comment, “I’m IN!” and tell me your favorite natural #underconsumptioncore fall decor below! And, be sure to subscribe (for free) so you don’t miss any of my upcoming natural and diy fall decor ideas that I’ll be sharing!
I'm in!
We have mint and flowers hanging throughout the house. My 8-year old daughter has gotten really into helping with this. Later on we'll enjoy free pumpkins (there's always someone giving them away I tell my kids. We will wait for that free sign) and I always love stacks of old books for decor.
My favorite decor: purple aster stems, native grass seed heads (little bluestem are a favorite), a few goldenrod, a dry mullein seed head or two, orange coneflower, maybe a few oxeye sunflower. With an abundance of Boneset along my shoreline, I might add a few heads of those for a nice pop of white. And I know I shouldn't, but I love the Purple Loosestrife. One long purple stem in the center of yellow and white and those burnished grass heads is so striking.