Football season has started, so you may be dreaming of sipping cider on your porch in cooler weather. Fortunately, if you like to spruce up your space for each season, you can get your porch ready for fall without spending a fortune. To get you started, I talked with Lindsey Frost, owner of Frost Designs, Inc., who shared some of her ideas and inspiration for fall decor.
First, Lindsey suggests you clear off your porch. Put away any summer decorations, then give it a good sweep so you can start fresh. Then, walk out to street level and look toward your house. “Before you decorate, get a good sense of just how much space you’re working with and what’s actually visible from the street,” Lindsey said.
She also suggests choosing your color scheme based on your home’s exterior and landscaping. “It doesn’t all have to be orange and brown,” she said. “For example, if you have pansies or mums, you can pull out the yellows and whites. The main thing is to complement your home’s look while dressing it for the season.”
Decorate to Scale
After you’ve done all that, consider the size of your space to understand what your porch and steps can handle.
For a smaller area, you may be working with your front door, sidelights, and a few steps. If that’s the case, Lindsey suggests focusing on what’s going to make the biggest impact. She recommends starting with the door. “If the door is the main focus, you could put garland around it, hang a large wreath, or flank it with tall corn stalks tied with burlap ribbon.” In a smaller space, she suggests also adding a pop of color, like a bright ribbon or painted pumpkin that will be visible from the street.
For a larger area, you can play more with layering to fill the space at various heights and with different colors and textures. And don’t just limit yourself to pumpkins and squash! There are plenty of other fall vegetables you can use. Layer and stage them at different heights to balance each side, and fill in the big spaces with mums, larger pumpkins, a big battery- powered hurricane lamp, and a basket of firewood or pinecones.
Go Natural
Fall decorating lends itself to a more rustic look that you can achieve by using natural materials. Think apples, squash, pumpkins, leaves, pinecones, ornamental cabbage, hay bales, and corn stalks. You can even clip some branches when the leaves start to turn, then tuck those into urns or pots.
Related: How to Decorate Your Thanksgiving Table
Then, get creative! Those pumpkins and gourds don’t have to be orange and white. You can paint them different colors, add patterns, or wrap them in fabric for a modern twist on a traditional look.
Image by Emily May @gohausgo
Use What’s On Hand
Lindsey suggests using things you already have, so you don’t have to spend a fortune make your fall porch cozy. Look around for things like a vintage ladder, throws, and tea towels in fall colors, gardening tables, or baskets, crates and old crocks. These different items can work together to help you mixing textures, heights and colors to fill your space. “I like to use galvanized olive baskets in the fall, and just put pieces of firewood in the basket at the front door,” Lindsey offered.
If you’ve got one prop up a wooden “Welcome” or “Gather” sign, or look for a hand-lettered “Happy Fall, Ya’ll” sign. The rustic farmhouse look is popular now, and any of those wooden signs with friendly saying create that warm feeling of friends and family we associate with fall.
When you’re done with those finishing touches, all that’s left is to pour some wine or cider, and relax with your neighbors and family.
