Fall dough bowl decor ideas and styling can be so fun! Check out 3 easy ways to easily style different sizes and different shapes of dough bowls for the fall season in under 3 minutes!  These simple tips work with various sizes of dough bowls to decorate each one in a beautiful way.

Are you having fun with your fall decor?  I know sometimes, even when I want to have fun decorating, I’m a little short on time during this time of year.  Since fall dough bowl decor is one of my top requested things to share, I want to show you a few simple ways to style amazing dough bowl decorations.  And guess what?

Each of these styling ideas can happen in 3 minutes or less!

It may take you a few minutes longer to gather your supplies, but if you’re short on those, don’t worry!  I’ll link up everything you need for each style too.

Let’s have some fun styling and enjoy a few minutes together with to create fall dough bowl arrangements!

How do you decorate a fall dough bowl?

I am so glad you asked!  Actually, wooden bowls are one of my favorite things to use in year-round decorating, especially for a table centerpiece.

First of all, I just love old stuff!  (But you already know that, of course!)  There is something unique about the wood patina of antique dough bowls. I  think it is just because of how they have been used so much over the course of time that gives them beautiful color and texture for visual interest.

At the same time, I love that dough bowls can have such great history.  It seems as though you can really imagine someone using this, many, many years ago, and you get to still enjoy it today.

Before we get started on the “how”, I should also add that I use the term “dough bowl” loosely.  While some of my bowls were actually dough bowls, there are some styles of grain bins, troughs, trenchers, cooking bowls, mixing bowls, and a variety of other uses that may be lumped together as “dough bowls.”

No matter it’s actual original use, I just love using large wooden vessels as decor around my home!

Dough bowls don’t have to be antique to be beautiful, either.  There are wonderful reproductions available and I’ll link up some for you in this post too.  In fact, you can find some of my favorite wooden bowls available in a curated shopping list HERE!

Throughout this post, I’m going to show you several easy ways to make a beautiful fall centerpiece with different looks using a wooden dough bowl.  Even if you don’t currently own a beautiful dough bowl, you can use these same ideas in other kinds of bowls or whatever you have easy access to!

Where do I use dough bowls (wooden vessels) in my decor?

Also a great question!  The answer is simple: Everywhere!

First of all, I use dough bowls and wooden vessels throughout our entire home.  In the bathroom, I have a small one on my counter to hold pretty soaps; that’s really my only “decor” in the master bathroom!

My kitchen island almost always has a bowl or basket to hold fruit and seasonal items.  A long dough bowl, like THIS one, can make great table centerpieces and also work beautifully on console and entryway tables.

Actually, a small bowl can be a great plant or candle holder for a side table or night stand too!

An oversized trencher, antique grain bin, or large dough bowl can look great leaning in a corner or resting on the bottom shelf of an entryway table.

Secondly, a vintage dough bowl looks beautiful empty or filled.

Fall is a great season to use your own dough bowl to add texture, warm wood tones, and character to your decor!

Are dough bowls only for farmhouse style?

While you can often find them in farmhouse decor, they are frequently used in vintage decor, country decor, and even modern decor!

Adding some organic wood tones is a popular trend in the more modern farmhouse style and a rustic dough bowl is a perfect way to get that old, vintage look.  Natural fall elements also work with almost any kind of design style.

At the same time, adding some character and old patina goes with almost any style of decor.  I think every room needs at least one old piece!

Does my dough bowl have to be antique to look good?

No, definitely not!  While I am always partial to true vintage pieces, like THIS amazing one, there are great reproductions available.   I especially love the wood color and style of THIS one and THIS one.  You can find them anywhere from big box home stores, such as Hobby Lobby, to flea markets.  One of mine is from an antique store.  The others are from vintage markets and flea markets!

I have a curated shopping list of gorgeous wooden bowls conveniently listed HERE for you!

However, it’s important to remember…if you love it, that’s all that matters!

Beautiful Fall Dough Bowl Decor in 3 Minute Styles

Fall Dough Bowl Decor: Abundance

Materials Needed: Large wooden vessel, mixture of dried gourds, faux fall stems, fall scarf

I have hard this large bowl for many years (similar large one HERE for a good price with free shipping).  My parents purchased it at an antique store for my Christmas gift years ago and it is a staple in my decor.

Where do you place a dough bowl?

Actually, I like to use it in a lot of different places, but you can typically find it on the vintage apothecary cabinet that we use as a console table under our TV.  It is perfect for adding decor that sits low and doesn’t block the view.

This is a very, very important detail for my football-loving family.  Anyone relate?!

I also love to use dough bowls on my dining room table, kitchen island, kitchen table, coffee table, and even small dough bowls on side tables in the living room.

How do you decorate a large dough bowl for fall?

Here are the quick and simple steps you can follow to recreate this look:

• For this simple fall dough bowl centerpiece, choose a larger-sized wooden vessel.  I particularly love the look of this one and this one.
• Place fall scarf, like this one  in the base of your vessel.  Let it drape over the edges in a few places, with enough gathered places to get that casual, “effortless” look.
• Add dried or faux fall stems like this to get some great texture and fall eucalyptus stems for a touch of fall color.  These more traditional faux fall leaves would also be beautiful!

What decor to put in a dough bowl?

• Next, add the main fall element dried gourds or pumpkins.  I love the unique and varying shapes of the dried gourds, as well as the color.  Add some large ones, as well as some small/medium sized ones.  I like to add some of the dipper gourds for extra texture and shape variation.  I especially love how the tops curl around!
• Gourds are also great to use in fall decor because they are relatively inexpensive and you can store them away to use year after year.  You get the same natural, organic look as real pumpkins, but save a lot of money on all the pumpkins that get tossed at the end of the season! (Or in my case, here in Florida, often rot too quickly!)
• However, if you want to use pumpkins, they also look beautiful and there are easy ways to style them for a simple fall dough bowl centerpiece.  It is easy to find pumpkins at your local grocery store or pumpkin patch!

• Lastly, add some realistic fall floral stems or maple leaves by tucking them around the gourds.  I particularly love the whimsy of these and the unique texture of these. These little leaf stems would be a cute addition at the end too!  My other favorite faux stems for the season are these faux pear branches and the terracotta color of these pretty eucalyptus branches.
• You can also clip free greenery from your yard!  I clipped some ahead of time for this large French grain bin, let it dry out, and then it gave the look and color of fall leaves (even in Florida!)
• If you don’t need your simple fall dough bowl centerpiece to last very long, you can also tuck fresh flowers into floral foam covered with reindeer moss and use those instead of the branches.  Cotton stems would also be a fun look!

Fall Dough Bowl Decor: Simplicity

Materials Needed: Small dough bowl, faux greenery stem, faux smaller pumpkins

Consider this your reminder that fall decor can be the most beautiful in its simplicity!  Is there really anything better than a vintage bowl full of white pumpkins for a fall tablescape?!

I picked up this wooden bowl on the World’s Longest Yard Sale.  What an interesting vendor and interesting stop!  He drove a hard bargain, but I just couldn’t pass up a stack of these antique bowls.  The unique wood coloring of the European vintage pieces is always a favorite for me and I especially love the imperfection of this one!

Even if your decor style is less “chippy” and even more of a modern style, embrace the imperfections of these old pieces.  A repair or patch on an antique dough bowl, or in this case, a broken spot, just adds to the authenticity and history of the piece!

Actually, even when I am buying new pieces that are made to look old, I still look for the one that has the most “imperfections”!

What do you put in decorative bowls for fall?

Here is the process I used to style this smaller fall dough bowl:

• Lay a faux greenery or fall stem in the bottom of the bowl.  I love the look of this one or this one (and it can be used year round!)  Slightly bend the stem so that it lays smoothly against the curve of the bowl.  For interest, allow the greenery to be at one side of the bowl!

• Here’s why this fall dough bowl styling is so quick and simple!  Just place your small, faux (or real) pumpkins around the bowl.  Consider placing them with the stems going different directions, some on their sides, etc., for a casual look.  Depending on the size of your bowl, these faux pumpkins have a great look!  For that price, grab two bundles so you can use them on shelves, arrangements, and mantels too!  For a little larger pumpkins, I love the look of these for a larger bowl and they come in both the soft and more traditional fall colors, too. Of course, you can always take a fun trip to the pumpkin patch and use real pumpkins!

Tip: If you don’t have faux pumpkins or real small pumpkins, pine cones work great too! Also, check the thrift store or dollar store for faux pumpkins.  Even if they don’t match your fall dough bowl ideas, you can put on your crafty mom apron and add some paint to make them match!

Fall Dough Bowl Decor: Harvest

Materials Needed: Round dough bowl, fresh or faux stems, oversized gourd

I’ll be the first to admit.  This is the largest dried gourd I’ve ever found and I just had to have it.  Also, I found this really large one online.  You could get the same look with a large pumpkin in your choice of fall colors too!

Let me tell you about this dough bowl, first, though!

This is the first dough bowl I ever purchased!  About 16 years ago, we were so blessed to get to take a trip to Italy.  I didn’t know a lot about antiques, just that I loved them.  We stopped in a little antique shop in Rome and I fell in love with this huge, round dough bowl.

It *just* fit in our suitcase and we lugged it around through the rest of Italy and part of Switzerland before it finally made it’s way to our tiny little home in Florida!  Actually, I really didn’t even have a dinner table big enough to style it at that time!

I just loved it and to this day, it’s still a favorite to decorate with for a beautiful centerpiece!

When you find those “must have” pieces, it is worth investing, if you’re able to.  There have definitely been many, many pieces that I’ve had to pass up, but I am always grateful for those special pieces that I can use year-round, no matter the design trend or style!

You may not have a round dough bowl this large and that is perfectly fine!  I just got lucky enough to end up with a huge round dough bowl and a huge round dried gourd!  You can get the same look with a much smaller bowl, like this one, and a gourd, like this one, too!

How do you style a dough bowl for the fall?

Here is one of my favorite ways to decorate with mine!  (Plus, it would be perfect for your Thanksgiving table too!)

• Cut some branches from my yard. Cornstalk pieces (or dead banana branches like this) or wheat stalks also work great because natural elements are perfect for a beautiful display of fall decorations .
• Lay the branches around the base of the bowl, taking care to not make it too symmetrical.  We are going for more of a casual, organic look!

• Lastly, place your large pumpkin or gourd in the middle.  You can even consider doing a stack of pumpkins or gourds!  They are always a good idea for a DIY fall centerpiece.  I love how this arrangement looked last year!

• For finishing touches, place a few textured gourds or pumpkins around the base and tuck in more greenery or leaves until you get the fullness you want.
• Investing in some realistic faux pumpkins is another great way to have decor that you can use year after year with no additional cost!

Where can I find a great dough bowl?

Here are a few favorites that I rounded up for you!

This larger dough bowl has just the right amount of imperfections to make it absolutely perfect!  Whether empty or filled with one of the 3 minute arrangements above, it would add so much character to any coffee table or dining table!

I love this small bowl because it is definitely not small on interest!  I love the patina and it would be the perfect base for a fall candle or bowl of fall vase filler!

This long bowl makes a perfect centerpiece for a rectangular table.  Simply place a few stems and line up some mini pumpkins and votive candles for a simple centerpiece!

A gigantic trough is definitely an investment piece, but I just had to include one because I love using mine so much.  The size allows for endless styling possibilities.  I have a similar one that I found at an antique store.  It is so fun to decorate with because it can make such a great statement piece, even with simple decor.

This is a reminder that decor doesn’t have to be complicated or take a long time.

I hope this gives you a few ideas of ways to get your home ready for fall…even on a busy day or when you have a few minutes to do something creative!  Being creative, even if it’s only for a short time, is good for your heart and mind!

For more decorating inspiration, you can shop my related curated lists here:

• Favorite fall natural elements
• Favorite rustic neutral fall decor pieces
• Favorite fall decor accents
• Favorite wooden bowls

I’d love for you to follow me on social media!  You can find my home decor inspiration on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!  

Blessings,

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