Don’t you have the feeling that autumn is a season that brings with it a quiet invitation to pause, reflect, and realign? We don’t need to wait for December or the beginning of the year to give a new approach to our lives. Autumn is the perfect season for slowing down and tuning in, an ideal time to set intentions and gently reset your direction.
And you know what’s one of the most inspiring and creative ways to do this? Creating an autumn mood board.
I love creating boards, especially if I want to begin with something new or give a new direction to my life. It’s all visual, and it gives you the motivation to achieve and work on your goals, plus it’s aesthetically pleasing to watch!
If you’re looking to refresh your personal style, cozy up your home, or enter a new mindset, then a mood board can be a grounding and visual way to gather inspiration for your next chapter.
In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly how to create an autumn mood board, digital or physical, and how to use it to guide your fall season with clarity and beauty.
Pin it for later!
Why Create a Mood Board for Autumn?
Let’s see why you need to create a mood board for fall in the first place.
Mood boards aren’t just for designers or creatives. They’re for anyone who wants to align their outer life with their inner intentions. Autumn in particular is a transitional season, a perfect time to reflect on what’s working, what’s not, and what you want more of.
An autumn mood board encourages intentional living as the seasons shift and acts as a gentle compass for your energy, home, and goals.
It captures what cozy, calm, and inspired looks like for you, and since it’s very colorful, it brings clarity to your desires through color, texture, and imagery.
So let’s start creating your board!
Step 1: Set Your Fall Intentions
Before gathering photos and quotes, ask yourself:
What do I want this season to feel like? What areas of life do I want to refresh? This can be your home, mindset, habits, or style.
What energy or aesthetic do I want to lean into?
Some examples could be to slow down and reconnect with yourself, want the home to feel cozy and uncluttered, or the desire to feel creatively inspired every day.
Let these feelings shape your entire board. This is your season’s story.
Step 2: Gather Visual Inspiration
Once you’ve chosen your seasonal vibe, begin collecting imagery, quotes, and textures that match your vision.
You can find inspiration from Pinterest (search “autumn aesthetic,” “fall home,” “slow living fall”) Instagram saves, photos from your own life (fall leaves, cozy corners, journaling moments) magazines or print clippings (for a physical board) or color swatches (warm browns, rust, cream, forest green).
I usually look for cozy textures, like knitwear, candles, steaming mugs, natural elements, like leaves, wood, pumpkins, and florals, quotes that inspire me, and interior design, wardrobe pieces, or rituals that inspire me.
Step 3: Choose Your Format (Digital or Physical)
Digital Mood Board:
For the digital mood board, you can use Canva, Pinterest boards, Procreate, or a collage app to gather your images.
When you created it, download your image and voilá!
It’s great for sharing or using as a phone/desktop wallpaper, and the best side is that it’s easy to update and refine over time.
Physical Mood Board:
For the physical mood board, you can use a corkboard, blank journal page, or poster paper.
Cut and paste from magazines, print images, add fabric, dried leaves, handwritten notes, or download from Pinterest images that are appealing to you, and print them out.
For it to work, display it somewhere visible, like your desk or closet wall.
I use the corkboard, and it’s very aesthetic and cozy to look at!
I hung it in front of my desk, and it helps me get focused when I work on my projects or simply when I sit there and think about life!
Both formats are powerful; it just depends on what feels more grounding or expressive to you.
Step 4: Arrange & Reflect
As you start placing your images and words together, arrange them in a way that flows naturally. Don’t overthink it, just let it be intuitive and imperfect.
You can ask yourself: What emotions does this board evoke? Does it align with the intentions I set? Is anything missing?
Add or remove pieces until the overall vibe feels right. This is your season’s visual blueprint, and it’s okay to modify it until you are satisfied with the vibe it gives you.
Step 5: Use Your Mood Board as a Seasonal Guide
When you are done with creating your mood board, don’t just make it and forget. This board is a gentle reminder of who you’re becoming this season and what you want to accomplish in these 3 months.
Follow these 3 points to make the most out of it:
- Keep it visible. Once created, save it in your phone as a lock screen, put it on your desk, or keep it in your journal.
- Use it as a guide. You are not saving random images, am I right? You are collecting images that will serve you for the next 3 months. So don’t forget that this is your guide when decorating, setting goals, or planning your fall routines.
- Revisit it. We are human; there are moments when you will lose sight of your goals. During these slow moments, reconnect with your seasonal intentions by revisiting your mood board.
Wrap up
Are you still asking yourself how to create an autumn mood board?
You got the answer!
Creating an autumn mood board is a beautiful blend of art, intention, and inner clarity. It helps you visually hold space for what matters, even when life feels busy or uncertain.
Let your autumn mood board be your cozy, creative reflection of your desires and the atmosphere you want to live in!
Brew your favorite warm drink, put on a soft playlist, and take an hour to gather the textures and dreams that feel like you this season!
