Even an inexpensive sofa is likely the most costly piece of furniture in your living room. When replacing it isn’t an option, there are a number of simple upgrades to make a budget-friendly couch look more high-end. 

Want more design inspiration? Sign up for our free daily newsletter for the latest decor ideas, designer tips, and more!

Use a Slipcover

Give a lackluster couch with worn upholstery a new look with a slipcover. Swapping slipcovers seasonally is an affordable way to refresh your decor without buying new furniture.

Choose a low-maintenance stretch slipcover or a linen slipcover with a loosely tailored fit for an effortless European feel.

Drape It With a Drop Cloth

Give your living room the air of a summer cottage that’s been closed up for the winter by simply draping your sofa with fabric. Use a cotton canvas drop cloth for an affordable and neutral base, then layer it with throw pillows, a colorful quilt, or a large throw blanket over the back of the couch.

Wrap Seat Cushions

If your couch has removable back or seat cushions that have faded with time, wrap them in fresh fabric. Choose a color that is complementary but with enough contrast so that you don’t have to worry about matching fabric on the body of the couch.

Style With Throw Pillows

Never underestimate the power of throw pillows to give a plain couch a more elevated look. Choose removable covers that are easy to clean, and allow you to change the look periodically without having to store extra pillows.

Select colorful or patterned throw pillow covers to add contrast with couch upholstery. Luxe fabrics like velvet and silk and details like tufting, tassels, and piping will make your sofa look more expensive. 

Add a Textural Throw Blanket

Lift the look of your couch with a textural throw blanket. Think fluffy real or faux sheepskin, a chunky knit, a Moroccan wool blanket edged with pom poms, or cozy cashmere. Drape your blanket nonchalantly on the arm of your couch or sectional for a more casual and inviting look rather than neatly folding it up.

Renovate Sofa Legs

If your couch has visible legs that aren’t as shapely as you would like, give it a more custom look by swapping them out for something more stylish, like turned wood. Or refinish existing legs that are scuffed or faded with new paint or stain.

Embellish With Trim

Personalize a generic couch with custom embellishments. Add black piping to the edges of white seat cushions, or nail head details to give upholstery a sophisticated look. Go retro with a tasseled skirt around the bottom edge of a tufted thrift store sofa for a cozy cottage feel. 

Refill Couch Cushions

Sofa cushions can lose volume over time. Plump up loose cushions manually, add filler to removable cushions, or replace foam seating for a newer look and a more comfortable feel.

Reupholster It

If your couch has nice lines, a solid wood frame, and intact springs, consider reupholstering it. This advice works best for vintage hand-me-downs that were well-constructed but look dated because of their upholstery style or condition, or those sourced secondhand at thrift stores or yard sales that are worth the effort and expense to refurbish.

Last Updated on November 7, 2024

This post was sponsored by Adobe Express. All thoughts and opinions are my own; for more information, please see my disclosure policy. 

Since moving to Maine, I get the fall hype. I finally get it. I have never seen trees that are so colorful. The air is crisp. Cliché, but true. And I’m not even sure how to describe crisp air. But I think it’s like true love. You can’t really explain it, but you know it when you feel it. 

The colder weather and crisp air make me excited to put on warm and cozy clothes. I want to wrap up in a big scarf and embrace this season’s magic in every way possible. 

And the magic of this season…. isn’t something you can buy, even though a quick scroll through my Instagram feed might have you believe otherwise. 

There can be a lot of waste this time of year, from giant hauls of clothing, seasonal decor, beauty and body products that won’t be used entirely by the time we need to swap for the next holiday scent, single-use poorly constructed costumes, single-use plastic cups for fall drinks, and the list goes on.

We often use buying things as a replacement for connection. Instead, focus on the connection.  While I don’t think it’s inherently wrong to want to enjoy fall fashion, decorate for the season, and fall-inspired treats, I do think that the magic of the season goes so much deeper than what you can buy. 

Fall is about slowing down as we head into winter. It’s about darker nights, connecting with our loved ones, and enjoying the bounty of harvest and some of our favorite fall foods. And we can do all of that in a sustainable way that makes us feel truly connected to the season and the people we care about. 

In truth, you don’t need a bunch of new stuff to enjoy fall. And you certainly don’t have to sacrifice your favorite fall activities to be sustainable. So here are some ways to keep your fall eco-friendly and enjoy the essence of the season. 

fall bingo

To fully embrace this season, I made a fall bingo card using Adobe Express. This is a fun game and a reminder to celebrate the season sustainably and fully. You can even share or compete with your friends and family. (annnd maybe encourage them to participate in some sustainable fall habits too??) 

I wanted to make a bingo card to go beyond just a checklist because the visual nature and gamification encourages me to really make these fall activities a priority. 

Plus, it’s just FUN. I was so excited when I got my bingo this year!!

If I don’t make a plan to go out and enjoy the season, I can often get too wrapped up in day-to-day, that I miss out on so many fun moments. Allowing myself to print and hang the bingo sheet on my fridge, I’m reminded of all the fun ways I can celebrate the season. 

I made this bingo sheet with Adobe Express. They made it so easy because I can easily choose from various templates, making it simple even for non-designers. 

The templates are fully customizable, so I could adapt each section to fit the activities and eco-friendly values I wanted to showcase. The platform’s user-friendly tools allowed me to adjust colors, add icons, and play around with fonts to give the sheet a festive fall-themed look.

I love the intuitive features, making it easy to design something unique in minutes without any complicated steps. If you’re interested in creating your own seasonal games or personalized checklists, Adobe Express is a fantastic option for putting together visually appealing projects with ease.

Here’s a look at a few of my favorite bingo sheet squares! 

1. pumpkin and apple picking

This is a fall classic, and I got to check both of these boxes off of my bingo sheet this year!  

If you love stocking up on apples and pumpkins, consider hitting up a local pumpkin patch and apple orchard. It’s so important to support small, local farms. Not only is it fun, it’s a great way to connect more with your local food systems.  

Small farms support the local economy by providing jobs, strengthening the community, and helping maintain rural populations.

Small farms can help protect and enhance the environment by preserving land and creating a good landscape. They can also increase biodiversity by growing heirloom and non-commercial varieties of plants.

Check and see if you can find any local farms near you that use organic and/or regenerative farming practices too! 

But don’t forget to use up all the apples and pumpkins you get! Especially pumpkins: 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins go uneaten and get sent to landfills in the U.S. alone each year.

Here are some creative ways to use up your apples and pumpkins.

Apples:

And you can save your scraps and cores to make homemade Apple Cider Vinegar from Scraps! 

Pumpkins:

For more ideas check out my latest book 101 Tips For a Zero Waste Kitchen, with tons of food waste-fighting recipes!

2. fall drinks

There are so many delicious fall drinks that come out this time of year. From apple cider to pumpkin spice lattes, there’s no shortage of options.

I have three squares on the bingo card dedicated to fun fall drinks because you don’t have to give them up to be sustainable. Just consider bringing your own reusable travel mug with you and asking for it to go in there. 

So far I’ve gotten hot apple cider and a pumpkin spice coffee blend. So, I have one more fall drink to try before December! 

Also, if you have some extra time, most small cafes are more likely to provide you with actual mugs if you get your drink to stay. And what’s not more aesthetically pleasing than sipping on a fall drink in a cute cafe?

You can also make your own fall drinks at home. One of my favorites is mulled apple cider (even better if you get it from the local farmers market). Here’s how to make it.

mulled apple cider recipe

Ingredients:

• Apple cider
• Orange slices
• Cinnamon sticks
• Whole cloves

Instructions:

1. In a pot, add as much apple cider as you’d like (this will depend on how many people you’re serving – a gallon should be enough for 7-8 people). Add in your orange slices, cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves.
2. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for ~30 minutes. 
3. When it’s done, strain out the extras and serve in reusable mugs!

3. diy fall crafts

You really don’t need to go out and buy a bunch of new fall decor. Nature has provided us with so many beautiful options, so lean in. I love to decorate with gourds and pumpkins that can be eaten. You can make a beautiful garland with leaves that can be composted. 

Of course, the most sustainable option is to use what you have. Shop secondhand and consider DIYing some fall crafts and decor instead. 

I love to draw inspiration from the items I see on Instagram or in stores and then make my own version using secondhand or upcycled materials like scrap fabric, salvaged paper from gifts or packages, and cardboard from boxes. But using natural materials for your crafts is great too, as these can be composted, like foraged fall leaves, acorns and twigs.

Here are some fall DIYs I love:

4. cook using in-season fall produce

Visiting your local farmers market is a great way to see what’s in season near you. This will vary from state to state due to the climate in your region. For example, California is warmer than New York, so it makes sense that more produce is available during the winter months.

However, be mindful that what’s sold at your local market will also depend on what your local farmers choose to grow that year. Many things can factor into this decision, like the cost of growing versus the profit of selling.

Here’s a general list of what’s typically in season for fall:

• Apples
• Pears
• Plums
• Figs
• Pumpkins 
• Winter squash (butternut, acorn squash, kabocha etc.)
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Brussels sprouts
• Sweet potatoes
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Celery
• Chard
• Parsnips
• Garlic
• Onions
• Herbs
• Kale
• Leeks
• Potatoes
• Spinach
• Turnips
• Peppers

I cannot wait to make my dad’s award winning chili, miso white bean stew, and all of roasted squash dishes! I’m a member of a vegan dinner party group, and we do a big Friendsgiving potluck every year and a soup party. The party is hosted by a vegan, but no one else in the group is vegan so this a great way to encourage more plant based eating and creativity. 

Please note the Potluck square on the bingo sheet, and let me tell you a soup party truly is life changing. Every time we host one of these, we all bring the recipes to share with each other.

My favorite dish so far was brought by one of my friends! It’s a kabocha squash stuffing with maple tempeh that has become one of the recipes I look forward to all year long. 

When you choose to support locally grown produce, you’re reducing food miles (aka, how long it takes for your food to get to you). Market produce is often grown in the same or neighboring states instead of across the country or overseas.

You can also sign up for a local CSA box if you have access to one. They will curate a weekly or bi-weekly box of seasonal produce from a local farm. Many offer delivery straight to your door, or have a designated pick-up spot.

Cooking at home also helps reduce waste and connects you to your food more. When you buy your produce fresh, there’s less packaging waste. Plus, fresh food goes bad faster, which allows you to think up yummy ways to utilize it in your cooking. 

My tip? Keep fresh foods within sight so you’re more likely to reach for them. And meal plan whenever possible! 

5. make your own costume

So many of the costumes you find online and in stores are made from cheap materials, like polyester. They’re only built to last one night and easily fall apart. 

That essentially means thousands of Halloween costumes will be heading to the landfill after the holiday is over. (source) And remember: Polyester is just another term for plastic fabric. So it won’t break down and likely, cannot be recycled.

Plus, costumes can cost a lot of money, depending on what you’re going as. A costume can easily cost $50-80.  

Instead, why not make your own? Here are some ways you can. I guarantee you, you’ll look so much better, reduce waste and save a lot of money.

If you’d rather download a pdf, I can email that to you. It will automatically sign you up for my weekly newsletter where I share more sustainability tips. I respect your privacy and you can unsubscribe at any time.

shop your closet first

You probably already have clothes in your wardrobe that would make a great costume! I recently challenged myself to make seven costumes from one black dress, and it was a blast. 

You can also get a few accessories that can easily change almost any basic look and allow you to lean into what you already have.

• animal ears paired with any clothing will make an easy costume
• a crown paired with any fancy dress will be a princess
• wings will make any slightly flowy and whimsical dress a fairy
• a witch hat will make any black dress look like a witch costume
• a cowboy hat and jeans will instantly make you from the wild west

thrifting, renting, swapping

You can thrift or rent your Halloween costume, too! There are SO many Halloween costumes available at your local thrift store, many of which haven’t even been worn. 

There are also some amazing costume rental companies – just google ones near you and see what pops up. 

You can also try renting normal clothing that looks ‘costume-like’ and fits into whatever character you’re aiming for. This is a great option if you know the item you want for the costume will never be worn again.

For example, maybe you want to go as a leopard, but don’t enjoy wearing leopard print on a consistent basis. Renting is a great option to reduce waste: You get to use it with the comfort of knowing someone else will keep it in use after you. 

And don’t forget going to a costume swap or just swapping with friends and family. It’s a great way to get a new-to-you costume for free. 

diy costumes

If you’re especially crafty, you can probably put your entire costume together yourself using some basic sewing skills. Head to a fabric store (or even better yet, fashion one from fabric scraps/secondhand fabrics) and grab whatever you’ll need.

You don’t have to sew your costume to DIY it either: You can get crafty by upcycling all kinds of materials to create a costume, like cardboard, aluminum, and jewelry. 

I recently crafted an impromptu bug costume and made my own antennas out of a headband, a clothing hanger and some ribbon! 

6. go leaf peeping

A simple way to reconnect with nature is to go leaf peeping. All you need to do is pick a location, research the area, and bring the right gear.

This bingo sheet is really about slowing down and connecting with the season in a less consumer driven way. Taking a nature walk, leaf peeping, stargazing, even crafting are all ways to help you slow down from the day-to-day. 

I recommend visiting a local state forest and going on a fall hike to get the best view of the colorful leaves.

Maine is known for its forests, so if you’re in the area, I highly recommend checking them out! Upstate New York, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Vermont also have some impeccable fall foliage worth checking out.

You can sustainably prep for your trip by:

• Packing some zero waste snacks! I love grabbing some granola, chocolate covered raisins, and pistachios at the bulk food store. Bringing some fresh fruit, like apples and pears is great too. You can also make some homemade protein bars and store them in a reusable silicone bag.
• Bring some sustainable hiking gear! For fall, flannel, comfy pants, and hiking boots are a must! Don’t forget a sturdy hiking backpack, a compass, a flashlight, and some binoculars. Don’t forget your reusable water bottle either!
• Choose eco-friendly routes on Google Maps if possible to get there. Just make sure to turn on ‘prefer fuel-efficient routes’ under route options. 

Of course, if you’re unable to make it to a forest for a hike, you can always simply walk through your local park to see the leaves. Enjoying the foliage in your own backyard is easy and hassle free!

7. attend a pumpkin smashing event

Did you know 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins are trashed annually after Halloween and Thanksgiving? (source USDA) We should be eating our pumpkins – I listed some pumpkin recipes in the first section!

However, if you don’t like the taste of pumpkin, consider attending a local pumpkin smash event. You get to literally smash your pumpkin, and the remains get composted! 

Another option is to see if your local farm, zoo, or animal sanctuary accepts pumpkin donations for the animals. They’ll enjoy eating them. 

Also, if you have a dog, consider whipping up some homemade pumpkin dog treats. Nala loves it when I make her some!

8. host a fall themed event

Love hosting? Why not try hosting a fun fall themed event? It’s a great way to build connections, make memories, and get your loved ones into the spirit of seasonal, slow living. 

Here are some fall-inspired friend nights, minus the waste:

• Seasonal inspired potluck: Ask your friends to cook a dish that uses at least one in-season produce item. Even better if they get it from your local market!
• Movie night: Invite your friends over to watch some cozy, wholesome films. Snacks can be popcorn you bought at the bulk bins and homemade treats!
• Candle making: Assemble the materials needed to make some natural beeswax, coconut or soy candles together. Just make sure to take the proper precautions and prepare to get messy!
• Pumpkin carving: Invite your friends over to carve pumpkins – but save the guts to make stock, and the seeds for roasting. Compost whatever you can’t reuse! You can even host a contest to see who makes the best one. Winner gets a fun eco-themed prize!
• Baking: Have your friends over for a bake night! Attempt to make something apple, pear, or pumpkin themed. Cinnamon rolls and raisin oatmeal cookies scream fall to me too!
• Bread-making: Attempt to make homemade bread together! Just note that bread tends to take a while to make and you may need to prep some of it in advance the day before. 
• Painting fall-themed art: Using whatever art supplies you already have, challenge yourself to paint a fall scene. You can paint it on a traditional canvas, or get creative and use upcycled materials (like scrap paper, cardboard, seashells, wine bottles, etc.) as your canvas! 

9. go thrifting for new fall clothes

This time of year, there’s a huge push to buy new boots and sweaters. We’re constantly bombarded with advertisements for the latest “fall fashion trends” and this leads to impulse purchases we probably don’t really need. 

If you do need something new, or feel like you’re missing a fall staple in your wardrobe, consider thrifting for it first. Everything at the thrift store is secondhand, which means the materials needed to make it were already used up. Purchasing thrifted pieces means you’re keeping these items out of landfills and promoting reuse.

To make thrifting even more fun, consider going with a friend! Just make sure you ask yourself if you really need/will use the item you’re eyeing before purchase.

If you don’t have a thrift store near you, consider checking out one of these online thrift and vintage stores.

RELATED: 10 Sustainable Fall Must-Haves

10. tour a cidery

What’s more fall than apple cider? Consider checking to see if there are any local cideries near you. If there are, you can likely schedule a tour!

I actually got my first fun fall drink bingo check from freshly made apple cider to go in my own reusable cup! 

You can ask them a bunch of questions about how they grow their apples, and if they use any sustainable practices. Also, many will let you sample their ciders in reusable glasses.

Cider itself is considered sustainable because it is fermented without heat, similar to wine, which means it uses less energy than other craft beverages. Cideries can also use clean energy to reduce their carbon footprint. 

If you fall in love with the cider, you can purchase it straight from them. This helps support small farms, which is much better than purchasing it from the grocery store. You’re helping to empower your local economy, and supporting better farming practices.

–

So, which of these sustainable fall activities are you most excited to try out? Let me know in the comments!

And, a huge thank you to Adobe Express for sponsoring this post. Be sure to visit Adobe.com to create all kinds of images, videos, and documents, like the bingo card I made above! 

I am definitely planning on making one for Christmas as well. I’ve always loved making seasonal bucket lists, but the bingo sheet makes it even more interactive and intentional.

Promising review: “Very helpful in organizing the kids drawer in the kitchen- keeps water bottles, kid plates, thermoses, and cups all in their places and makes it easy for me and my kids to grab what’s needed and to put them away. Anything that helps me organize is a win! Cost was great, organizers can get so expensive, but these were a great price point.” —Thriftmomof4

Price: $15 (originally $16)