How to Decorate in Country Summer Style (For Free)

Inside: Classic American style shines in summer. But it’s not all sunflowers and red, white, and blue. Here are easy and pretty ways to add easy, breezy country style to any home.

The Bill of Rights is great and all but sometimes I am most grateful for living in a country with an awesome color scheme and a patriotic holiday smack in the middle of summer. And this is why lots of red, white, and blue and sunflowers will take you 90% of the way there.

To go just a little bit deeper, here’s a list of things anyone can do without rushing out to Hobby Lobby and buying a sign that says “summer”.

1. Summer Produce

For some reason everyone’s okay with putting out pumpkins and apples in fall but they get weird about tomatoes in summer. Don’t be this way! Summer is a beautiful harvest time. Baskets of tomatoes, a watermelon on your counter, cucumbers that you’ve just rinsed off and are drying on a pretty tea towel on your kitchen island. All of these add life and beauty to a summer home and don’t look staged because they aren’t.

If you don’t have a garden, farmer’s market finds work perfectly but so do lemons. Don’t feel limited by the fact that you’re not growing everything yourself. It’s a harvest season for you too no matter where you live or what you do or don’t grow.

2. Mason Jars

Nothing is the perfect blend of pretty and practical quite like a mason jar. And while every homestead needs these for canning and preserving, the lighter side of you needs them for decorating too.

• Grab a bunch and do a grouping of wildflowers on your windowsill.
• Get your biggest one and fill it with colored pencils and put it on the kitchen table for those bored summer children.
• Get a pump topper and use this for wash to store hand soap for anyone coming in from outside.

It feels summery and fresh but it’s free and practical

3. Baskets

Whenever you go to a yard sale or a thrift store, hunt for baskets. They are the living room version of mason jars, practical and pretty. You can store things in them and they’re nice looking on their own.

Wire, wooden crates, anything will work. As long as it’s in good shape and you like the look of it, grab it and then let the rest of your house fill in what needs to go in it:

• raincoats
• gardening gloves
• boots
• blankets

A shallow basket for your coffee table to store everyone’s random books and papers.

4. Summer Wreaths

If you have more time than many, it is well worth your while to learn how to make your own wreaths. A simple form can be filled with little bundles of greenery and wildflowers and even though it doesn’t last long, that’s fine. Spend a few minutes every week sending kids outside to gather bundles, wrap them up, and make a new weekly wreath that perfectly reflects what’s going on outside.

Of course there are lovely choices on Etsy and from Williams-Sonoma with dried herbs and flowers but if you can’t afford it, don’t despair. It doesn’t need to be that way. Really!

5. Fresh Herbs

Of course you can grow your own herbs and it’s a lovely hobby. But if you can’t, buy fresh bunches of basil and parsley, whatever else you’d like, at the farmer’s market and, of course, the grocery store. Put them in a jar of water and let them be beautiful and decorative all at once.

Often times they will take root and give you little baby Plants that you can set out in your garden but of course you don’t have to.

6. American Flags

Classic American flags on your front porch are beautiful but you can use this patriotic theme all throughout your house. Pillows, prints, blankets, anything that is Americana themed is obviously going to look perfect in the summer.

If you have a neutral house, this is going to add much needed color and brightness to all the grays and browns. (Find the tutorial for super-easy patriotic pillows here.)

7. Throw Pillows

Of course we don’t need new throw pillow covers for every season but summer is a great time to get some. If you have fuzzy velvet cozy feeling things, it might be time to ditch them. Even something plain and white or blue and white ticking stripes will be just the ticket for the season.

8. Nautical Touches

This can definitely look cheesy if you don’t live near the water at all but if you do it’s such a great opportunity. Lighthouses, whales, seashells, these are little touches that you can add all over your house and again if you’re near the water it feels so authentic.

9. Lots of White

Does your house feel too dark? Too messy? Too brown?

The answer is to add white where you can. Paneling if you can swing it, but failing that, curtains, pillows, pitchers, and flowers. White is fresh and bright like nothing else, and it’s perfect for summer.

When a cozier time of year rolls around, it’s a simple thing to pack away.

Where to Begin?

Don’t overthink this and don’t let me boss you around. Find what you like, what feels summery, make things bright and fresh and inviting, and enjoy your summer.