How to Decorate Your Front Porch for Fall

With summer coming to a close, the last of the season’s blooms are falling, making this the ideal time to decorate your front porch for fall. Whether you try to make your displays trendy, traditional, cheeky, or nostalgic, this list has ideas to get you motivated to do some shopping and setting up this weekend.

Remember that displays featuring pumpkins and gourds don’t have to contain living produce. If you do decide to go the fully natural route, though, you’ll need to check your display regularly for signs of decay. Brown or soft spots mean it’s time to replace existing decorations with fresh selections.

Potted Autumn Arrangements

Mums are the undisputed favorite for fall floral arrangements, as they should be, but if you’re not into flowers, a planted arrangement of flowering kale, creeping Jenny, and fountain grass can be just as beautiful. Place a few mini pumpkins or gourds along the front of the planter to bring in more of those lovely fall colors.

Pumpkins with a Twist

While there’s nothing wrong with orange pumpkins, there are simple ways to update the usual pumpkin pile without sacrificing that traditional appeal.

This year, the metallic craze is as strong as last. Spray painting one or more of your pumpkins gold, rose gold, copper, or silver can take your porch from cute to luxe. Your metallic pumpkins will pop best when arranged against white pumpkins and gourds; going with all metallic can sometimes have a flat and plastic look.

If you’re leaning toward a rustic feel, break out your chalkboard paint and turn your pumpkins into canvasses for your chalk skills. Fall leaves, phrases like “thankful,” steaming teacups or mugs, and cute jack-o-lantern faces are all popular designs.

If you live in a warm, humid climate where pumpkins go off quickly, or have a small porch and need space-saving ideas, crafting cute pumpkins out of reclaimed wooden slats may be just right for you. Stain them for a simple look or paint them any way you please. These adorable, budget-friendly rustic pumpkins will store easily on a garage shelf and will hold up well season after season.

Seasonal Chalkboard Sign

A simple chalkboard will give your porch a customized, personal touch. Hang one on your door in place of a wreath (just add some cute ribbon), prop it against the wall, or spring for a miniature sandwich board version that stands alone. Choose your favorite fall-themed greetings and phrases and update this cute craft as often as you like.

Corn: Stalks, Husks, and Ears

Decorating with corn has been a fall favorite at least as long as gourds and pumpkins, and the front porch is no exception. Tall corn stalks, which you may be able to source for free if you’re kind to a farmer, can take the place of topiary on either side of a large door when placed in large pots. The husks (you can just purchase tamale wrappers) can be used in the creation of wreaths or worked into pumpkin and gourd displays. The dried ears themselves, especially colorful varieties, are beautiful when arranged in traditional spiral arrangements. If you’re hoping to achieve that scarecrow and farmer feel, corn can’t be beaten.

To Wreath or Not to Wreath

If you’re thinking about what to hang on your door, there are alternatives to the traditional leafy fall wreaths. A bucket of apples can be at once nostalgic and homey while still feeling unexpected and clever, while a swirling grass wreath stays classic without giving up drama.

If you want to skip hanging a wreath but still want an eye-level pop of foliage, tie an arrangement to the implement end of a rustic farm-style metal rake or broad grass broom and set it up next to the front door.

Change Up Your Pillows

If you’ve got chairs or a bench on your front porch, adding throw pillows or cushions in fall colors or warm plaids will instantly take you from summer to fall. Tie a matching ribbon around your potted plants or watering can and you’re halfway finished decorating!

Thinking Beyond Orange and Black

If your home’s color scheme simply doesn’t mesh well with the deeper traditional fall colors, you still have options.

If you still want that familiar pop of orange, look for pumpkins with very pale coloring and arrange them alongside pale green or creamy off-white gourds. A few touches of soft black, deep gray, or black-and-white gingham will round out your palette and emphasize the seasonal theme.

Green plaid will always feel like fall despite green traditionally being a spring and summer color, so choose plaids when you’re restricted in your color selection.
Burlap can work as a neutral color that adds a great deal of texture and nostalgia; stencil burlap pillow covers with some leaves, a scarecrow, or pumpkins in white, black, or gray for an instant dose of fall that won’t clash against your home’s color scheme.

Fiery Foliage and Feathers

If every other home on your block decorates for fall, you may be looking for that special something to make your display stand out. Pairing bundles of sleek, deep-toned feathers like those from wild turkeys, hawks, and eagles with arrangements of riotous fall leaves is at once unusual and familiar. This technique works well for wreaths and other hanging decorations, decorating your rake or broom, and accenting displays of stacked pumpkins, but it can also be a quick way to fill out an arrangement of fall grasses and blooms.

Of course, the most important thing for you to do is take time to enjoy decorating your front porch this fall. If you choose beautiful things that make you happy, your neighbors are sure to love the results.