I love to decorate my home to herald each new season but the problem with buying fancy decorations is having to store them. They take up space in closets and usually get dusty or ruined before it’s time to bring them out again. Instead, let nature provide your indoor scenery. After all, nature does a spectacular job of designing the outdoors.

Here are some great, natural ways to bring the autumn season into your home:

Autumn Leaves-Gather leaves of varying colors and sizes. Use them to decorate a buffet table, string on a mantel, pile into a basket, tie onto cloth napkins or sandwich between two, clear glass plates.

Nuts-Pour an assortment of whole nuts in shells into a large bowl or basket. Or, serve a single variety of nut in a bowl and set them next to several types. Hot glue whole nuts onto a natural branch wreath. Drill small holes in nuts and string them to make natural napkin rings.

Gourds and pumpkins-Cluster them together to create a beautiful tablescape. Use larger specimens for decorative doorstops to greet guests.

Apples-Fall is apple season so fill up baskets or bowls with plenty of colorful apples.

Corn kernels-Pour some into tall, clear vases and stick in taper candles. Layer colored corn kernels into large glass bowls or vases.

Hay bales-Small bales of hay make nice fall indoor accents. They can double as guest seating for parties.

Branches-Thin, switches from trees can be used on mantels or stuck in tall vases.

Beans, rice and legumes-Fill canning jars with colorful beans, rice and legumes. I also like to set out homemade jellies on the countertop when I make them.

The best part about using natural décor is that they’re edible or compost-able. No storage necessary. And next year, you can harvest a fresh batch of decorations for your autumn home.