Fall front porch decor season is almost here. And soon, it will seem like every step, porch, and entryway is adorned with cheerful pumpkins, rustic straw bales, and colourful blooms.
Homeowners may want to join in the festive fun. But if their budget is a little stretched, the additional expenses can add up. Then, fall decorating might seem out of the question.
As the leaves change and the air gets crisper, it’s the perfect time for sprucing up the front yard for the fall season.
Autumn is a great season to adorn your deck or pergola. But due to budget constraints, adding those few extra decorative elements may not be possible.
Fear not! Decorating can be done without breaking the bank.
In fact, with a bit of creativity and some eco-friendly materials, a cosy, inviting space can be created. One that won’t harm the environment or homeowners’ wallets.
Read on for some budget-friendly decorating ideas that involve growing and gathering materials to create the look of an autumn oasis. For those looking to give their porch a new lease on life this season, there’s no need for a complete renovation or even new porch furniture.
Quick View of What You'll Find on This Page
Why We Can Never Resist Charming Fall Porch Decor
Many of us can’t help but feel a spring in our step as the season of pumpkin spice lattes, cosy sweaters, and family trips to the apple orchard draws near.
We can often feel ready for a change at the end of a long summer, so lighting spiced cider candles and bringing out the fall decor can ‘give us a project and a purpose’ and give us a sense of being on a path of ‘positive change and growth’ when we may be feeling burnt out or a little disappointed after the previous season, New York neuropsychologist Dr. Sanam Hafeez noted.
Dr. Hafeez shares that ‘a fresh look can be very therapeutic,’ and nibbling on an apple cider donut while planning what porch decor to use. Bright mums, lanterns, and seasonal pillows can mean more to us than just a prettier view from the street. For many people, engaging in these traditional fall rites of passage signals the start of a season of normalcy, routine, and the comfort of the familiar.
Fall Decor Boosts Mood and Mental Health
It’s possible, though, that it’s not just what the autumn decorations symbolize that boosts our mood, but the decor itself that positively impacts our overall mental health. According to a 2020 study, orange and yellow colours are closely associated with a sense of joy, amusement, and general feelings of positivity. So there’s yet another reason we all feel so drawn to the idea of decorating our homes each autumn with pumpkins, sunflowers, and other pieces inspired by the colours of changing leaves – these things and their bright colours may actually be making us happier.
When homeowners decorate their homes with colourful organic materials, it’s not only visually appealing but also eco-friendly. It’s like nodding to Captain Planet while channelling their inner Joanna Gaines. When the season ends, cleaning up is almost effortless. Natural, organic materials can simply be tossed into the compost pile.
It’s a win-win situation that can be another factor in contributing to the happy vibes of the autumn season.
Grow: Front Porch Decor Staples
For those who feel a surge of joy at the thought of the approaching fall season, growing and gathering their own decor can be an excellent, hands-on way to feel fully immersed in celebrating the season with outdoor living, as well as a way to save a few decoration dollars to put towards household necessities and your basic everyday costs.
Before taking advantage of any new decorating tips, wise homeowners should be sure to rid their front porch, walkway, and steps of pests by giving everything a good sweep and using insect control methods like this homemade ant killer if necessary.
Iconic Pumpkins for All Your Front Porch Decorating Ideas
A recent study reports that the pumpkin seed market will grow by over one billion dollars by 2027 as growers and retailers cash in on the popularity of this festive squash’s seasonal appeal and nutritional value. What can’t a pumpkin do? They’re a crucial ingredient in fall treats, their seeds are a healthy snack, and their iconic status as a fall decorating staple can’t be denied.
Plus, you can make the most delicious spiced pumpkin soup with these gorgeous gourds.
Although pumpkins are set to become even more widely available thanks to local pumpkin picking farms and patches. This wholesome fall favourite can also be grown in your garden quite easily, and having so many readily available may be just what is needed to inspire homeowners to make all their country porch dreams come true.
There’s just something about growing pumpkins in a pumpkin patch and heading out to it one crisp fall morning to load up the wheelbarrow for a day of fall decorating.
Joyful Sunflowers Are a Nostalgic Choice
Many people eagerly await the arrival of cheerful sunflowers on local farm stands, but some don’t realize that sunflowers are some of the easiest flowers to grow. Planting sunflower seeds is a nearly fool-proof method of adding a joyful touch and positivity to any allotment, vegetable garden, or landscaping.
It’s no wonder sunflowers are such a fan favourite. When gardeners are ready to bring their sunflowers’ sunny disposition inside or onto their porch, they simply need to cut a few stems and place them in a vase.
Decoration Ideas Using Corn Stalk Bundles
Corn stalk bundles add great autumnal texture to a front porch and create a harvest-like atmosphere for any entryway.
While transporting multiple cornstalk bundles home from the farmer’s market in their vehicle might seem a little impractical and cumbersome for many aspiring porch decorators, using their own corn stalks for fall decor by cutting the stalks left over in their garden after this year’s sweet corn harvest might be a little more convenient.
It’s crucial that gardeners sharpen their pruning shears before they cut through the thick stems of the corn stalks, before bundling them up in groups of three or four. Corn stalk bundles can then be tied with a linen or burlap ribbon and attached to a porch railing for a charming and nostalgic effect.
Because of their tall, upright shape, corn stalk bundles take up almost no square footage and are perfect for small and grand front porches.
Fall Decorating Ideas Using Autumnal Wheat
Most modern gardeners probably don’t consider cultivating wheat in their gardens, but it might be worth a thought, at least for the decorating possibilities. This multipurpose and aesthetically pleasing grain can be utilized for many traditional autumnal decorating ideas, such as creating a picturesque Thanksgiving table with a row of classic wheat sheaves adorning the centre or a stunning wreath made from wheat hanging on a front door.
As the legendary fashion icon Coco Chanel once said, “Fashion fades, only style remains the same.” Similarly, the timeless beauty of wheat’s golden hues and delicate texture will elevate any home decor with its understated elegance.
Cheerful Blooms Add Colour and Class
If chrysanthemums are too expensive, homesteading expert Anna Chesley has an alternative: At the end of the season, you can propagate dozens of new mum plants for next year from clearance plants.
“Snag a couple of chrysanthemums when they go on clearance. Use them to propagate dozens of gorgeous new plants for next year,” she advises.
How? Snip a couple of inches off the tip of every stem. Then, root the cuttings in water or damp seedling mix. Once they have roots, pot them up and watch them grow!
Chrysanthemums root easily and grow quickly. So you can turn one 50-cent mum into 50 big beautiful plants by next fall. Pop them in outdoor planters to transform your garden into a beautiful oasis.
Gather: Foraged Fall Decor
Colourful Leaves and Branches
Autumn leaf-peepers can keep the fun going by bringing along their pruning shears on their fall forest hikes.
When it comes to branches of fall foliage, the bigger, the better.
Even if aspiring decorators don’t have any brightly coloured trees growing in their yard, they can clip a large branch or two and place them in a vase or bucket of water next to a front door for a hit of autumnal colour.
Tall Grasses: Gathered or Grown
You might find yourself looking at tall grasses and reeds that typically grow near rivers, canals and lakes a little differently during the autumn.
These grasses are versatile styling elements. They can be used for fall decorating indoors and out.
If you don’t have access to tall grasses naturally occurring, consider growing pampas grass at home. It looks lovely in summer and can be incorporated into your decor later in the fall.
Melissa Pino of Planet Natural suggests: ‘Create a large and eye-catching bouquet of pampas grass stems. Place them in a tall vase or floor-standing pot. Mix pampas grass with dried flowers or foliage to add colour and depth.’
The height of tall grasses like pampas makes them an excellent substitute for corn stalks. A great alternative to corn stalk bundles that are hard to come by in certain parts of the country.
Pino adds, ‘The natural element adds warmth. Plus it’s neutral to work all year round.
Homeowners may be tempted to leave the grasses out to enjoy during the winter months, too.
Clever Textural Porch Decor Items
Inventive decorators should look to nature for design ideas.
Use unusual fall elements to create an attractive, creative, and engaging display. Search creekbanks and ditches for staghorn sumac ‘horns’ and other dried wildflowers.
Seed pods add to a creative fall porch display. Tuck them into jars for a rustic farmhouse look. Forage from the garden for other dried blooms, like hydrangeas and end-of-season sedum flowers.
Mix them into a garland for a railing or a front door wreath. Foraged greenery is both seasonal and free! Perfect for an autumnal porch decor scheme.
Courtenay Hartford
Courtenay Hartford is the author of The Creek Line House, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous publications including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, and Real Simple.
