Trays are a great way to contain decor to make a space feel more organized and put together, but how do we style them for fall? Here are 20 genius fall tray decor ideas to get your space prepped and ready for the coming autumn!
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1. Fall fruit
The beautiful tans and browns of this tray arrangement already evoke the feeling of fall, but pears provide a subtle element that leans into it even more. Traditionally these are fall fruit and they work very well to help tilt this tray design to autumn side. Pomegranates, apples, and pumpkins are other fall fruit that bring a similar flavor. The dried magnolia leaves are great for year round use, but paired with gingham and pears delivers a great subtle fall feeling.
2. Cotton accent
Pumpkins will always make an appearance in fall decor, and you’ll see plenty of them in this list. The real star is the cotton. It adds softness to contrast with the wooden pumpkin and creates height to fill the space.
3. Stoneware
Stoneware is a fantastic way to add earthiness to your fall tray decor. It’s heavy, grounded, and smooth and contrasts perfectly with the rough weave of this woven tray. Dried flowers and a cloth pumpkin add that fall flair to an otherwise timeless arrangement while the book speaks to your personality.
4. Wicker and wood
Wicker is a great material to stand up to the test of time. Year after year it remains stylish and classy and because of that, we think it’s a great option for your fall tray decor. The wood and wicker play off each other beautifully, the dried grasses deliver elegant softness. Just be mindful to keep your plant material well away from any open flames, for that reason, for some of these it may be worthwhile to invest in fake candles.
5. Evergreen-ery
You’ll notice as you work through this list there are re-emerging patterns. Odd numbers, specifically triads, are a tried and true design hack to keep your design from becoming cluttered or overwhelming. Here, festive evergreens, a candle, and a jar of matches sit atop a woven tray. The three elements are all different sizes, with the greenery being the dominant feature. This particular design is easy to transition to other seasons as you only need to swap your greenery out.
6. Woven tray and crochet
It doesn’t get much cozier than crochet. Here crochet and leather pumpkins play off a cream and brown faux foliage frond. The warm colors and cozy textures are an easy way to bring that festive fall feeling into your apartment.
7. Fall plums
Purple, specifically plum, is a highly underrated fall color. If browns, golds, and tans aren’t your bag, try a moody purple. It is particularly effective in this design as it is echoed by the candles and the vase is reminiscent of a pumpkin. A blend of berries and foliage create a beautiful textural play and add interest to an otherwise simple display.
8. Delicate accents
A candle on a woven placemat is transformed into a fall decor display with the addition of small pumpkins. Are they figurines? We’ll never know. Delicate dried baby’s breath lightens up the arrangement and lends it a quaint feel.
9. Large and small
Here large fronds of dried pampas grass are juxtaposed against small pumpkins and a small candle. This is a great examples of when the design really needs the tray. Otherwise these elements may feel disconnected. This is the beauty of trays.
10. Ceramic pumpkins
Somewhat classic, somewhat farmhouse. Maybe even boho. These ceramic pumpkins are a perfect way to bring the pumpkin motif in without committing to a bright color or the short lifespan. Dried flowers and wooden beads soften them here, but swap them out for anything that would channel your aesthetic better. Think of these pumpkins as a blank canvas.
11. Deep greens
Just as purple is perennially overlooked in the fall, so is green. We often associate green with spring or summer, but a deep, rich green is wonderful to signal the changing seasons. This tray uses a rustic pitcher of wildflowers to tie into the warm green of the pumpkin. White marble dishes lighten the design, particularly when lit by the nearby candle.
12. Lighting element
Speaking of lit, battery powered lights are a great option if you are looking for that fun spark to liven up your apartment. Here they are threaded through pinecones and eucalyptus leaves, both of which work to bring the outdoors in in a soft and charming way.
13. Cutting board
The pumpkin cutting board plays a key role in this fall tray decor as it shows us where the vase ends and the console begins. The brown warms up the design and draws our eye in to see the chic cloth pumpkins it carries. A mix of grasses and eucalyptus sit in a darkly elegant vase. Styled differently, this cutting board could’ve leaned hokey or quaint, but here the cuteness grounds the severity of the accessories and the overall effect is moody and stylish.
14. Gold + purple combo
Purple makes another appearance, this time with its complimentary color companion: gold. Together these two join forces to create a luxe fall vibe perfect for those who aren’t into the pumpkin scene. The beauty of this design is in its subtlety, it’s only the deep purple that hints to the colder weather and shorter days outside. Books and oversized links complete the vignette and reflect the designer’s tastes.
15. Colored glass
If subtlety is NOT your thing, take inspiration from this design. It’s supercharged with fall elements, from pumpkins to leaves, to lights, to dried foliage, this tray has it all. For us the star of the show is the amber glass. Its orangey brown tone encapsulates fall and is versatile. If amber is not your favorite, other colors will still lend your tray personality and can add a lot of character.
16. Urn, anyone?
Go ahead and buy yourself that candle, you’ve urned it. Alright, that was bad. But the beauties of urns cannot be denied, no matter how bad our jokes are! There’s an urn for everyone out there and many of them are suited for fall tray decor. Here a warm brown urn echoes the orange foliage and copper candle nearby. The beautiful staggering of elements cascades down to the candle and the leaves once again work to fill the space (that’s another pattern if you’re keeping track).
17. Monochromatic elements
Category is: brown. The wooden tray, the bronze colored candlesticks, and the papery leaves all create a chocolatey warmth that perfectly delivers the autumn feel without leaning on pumpkins. The design’s elegance hinges on this monochromatic palette and the whites and creams intermixed. Whether with brown or any color of your choice, it’s hard to miss with monochrome.
18. Statement candelabra
This design is the embodiment of “more is more”. With a disco ball, sparkly votives, beads, books, and an elaborate tray all crowned with a statement candelabra, this setup is perfect for all the maximalists out there. Adding personal pieces makes the design feel at home in YOUR home. Despite the variety of elements, the candelabra reigns as the dominant feature and all the other pieces seem to unite under its glow. Having one focal point is great for creating order out of chaos.
19. Blush and stone
From maximalism to minimalism, we have it all here! Fluted blush candles and an antique (or antique-looking) jug perch atop a smooth marble tray. The candles are clean and statuesque, the jug has the perfect level of grit to counter them, and the grass adds a layer of fluidity. The different sizes of candles helps make the arrangement flow, making that signature triangle you see in so many decorations.
20. Bronze and white
When in doubt, go bronze. If gold is too garish, if copper is too flashy, if silver is too cold, bronze is the one for you. Warm, not too bright and not too dark, bronze is perfect for a subtle gleam to add interest to any tray design. The whites, beiges, and tans of this arrangement come to life when gathered together on the bronze tray.
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