Discover our cozy fall color palettes for cardmaking and crafts, designed to bring warmth and seasonal charm to your projects. For the week of November 18, we’re featuring five autumn-inspired palettes, each one carefully curated to highlight the earthy, inviting tones of fall. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced crafter, these fall color palettes will add depth and a comforting feel to your creations. For even more cozy inspirations, explore our Cozy Autumn Color Inspirations to spark your creativity and embrace the beauty of the season!
Golden Woodland: Dark Chestnut, Walnut Brown & Golden Maple
The Golden Woodland palette combines dark chestnut, walnut brown, and golden maple to capture autumn’s rich, natural beauty.
Color Theory Insight
This palette uses analogous colors—shades close to each other on the color wheel—to create a harmonious, peaceful look. The deep browns provide a grounding, earthy base, while the golden maple is a warm highlight that draws the eye. This setup is ideal for designs meant to feel cozy and rustic, as the analogous tones provide a subtle but rich contrast.
If you’re new to color theory, our Beginner’s Guide to Color Combinations for Cardmaking provides an in-depth look at how to use complementary, analogous, and other schemes to enhance your card designs.
Suggested Stampin’ Up! Inks
- Early Espresso: Deep and grounding.
- Soft Suede: A warm medium brown for smooth transitions.
- Crushed Curry: Golden maple-like hue for highlighting.
Woodsy Hues for Autumn: Deep Mocha, Maple Spice & Wood Smoke
The Woodsy Hues for Autumn palette features deep mocha, maple spice, and wood smoke. It evokes a cozy, grounded feeling, like a retreat to a woodland cabin.
Color Theory Insight
This palette uses a split-complementary scheme, where the deep mocha and wood smoke (neutral browns) contrast with the warm maple spice. This combination creates a balanced look with just enough contrast to keep it interesting. The warm maple spice adds an accent that contrasts with the cooler wood smoke, creating depth while maintaining a soft, earthy look.
Suggested Stampin’ Up! Inks
- Early Espresso: Perfect for deep backgrounds.
- Cajun Craze: Adds spice and warmth as an accent.
- Gray Granite: Neutral gray that complements the earthy tones.
Warm Caramel & Rust: Toasted Caramel, Rusty Pueblo & Foggy Gray
The Warm Caramel & Rust palette is a balanced mix of toasted caramel, rusty pueblo, and foggy gray, combining warm and cool tones for a sophisticated look.
Color Theory Insight
This palette uses complementary and neutral tones to balance warmth and coolness. The foggy gray provides a neutral base for the toasted caramel and rusty pueblo to pop. This complementary setup gives energy to the design without overwhelming it, making it a great choice for clean, simple layouts with depth and interest.
For even more balanced and elegant autumn combinations, explore our Elegant Autumn Color Palettes to Spark Your Next Card Project.
Suggested Stampin’ Up! Inks
- Soft Suede: A warm caramel hue that creates a grounding effect.
- Cajun Craze: A rich, rusty tone to add boldness.
- Smoky Slate: Neutral base to enhance warmth.
Teal & Chestnut: A Seasonal Blend
The Golden Ochre and Rustic Hues palette combines golden ochre, aged walnut, and weathered stone for a serene, rustic look.
Color Theory Insight
This palette follows a monochromatic color scheme with slight variations in hue and saturation, creating a soft, cohesive look. Using shades from the same family (warm ochre, walnut, and grayish tan) evokes a calm, unified effect, making this palette ideal for projects emphasizing warmth and simplicity. This approach is perfect for creating a comforting, cohesive design.
Suggested Stampin’ Up! Inks
- Crushed Curry: A golden yellow that adds a cozy focal point.
- Soft Suede: A warm brown for adding depth.
- Sahara Sand: Light tan that works well as a soft background.
Using Color Theory in Cardmaking
For each palette, understanding basic color theory can help you make the most of these combinations:
- Contrast: Use darker shades, such as walnut brown or burnt chestnut, as base colors to contrast with lighter shades, such as golden maple or teal.
- Harmony: For a balanced design, keep your background in a neutral tone (like foggy gray or weathered taupe) and layer with warm accent hues.
- Depth: Layer darker colors beneath lighter shades to add depth and interest, which works well in clean and simple layouts.
Ready to Add Cozy Fall Colors to Your Cardmaking?
Each of these curated palettes brings something special to your seasonal projects. Try layering, adding contrast, and blending to capture autumn’s warmth. These color combinations give you everything you need to create inviting, cozy designs celebrating fall.
Check out these additional fall color palette ideas on Offeo for more inspiration. Their collection showcases a variety of autumn shades, from earthy browns to vibrant jewel tones—perfect for capturing the essence of the season in your cardmaking projects.