Ways to Decorate Your Porch for Fall

Autumn is a magical time of year when the smell of burning leaves wafts through the air, and the colors painted by nature create majestic works of art. Bring the color and magic of fall to your home, and decorate your porch by turning it into a welcoming place for family and friends. It's easy to decorate your porch for fall, and the following ideas that include great ways to decorate your porch for fall will help you get started.

Begin With Bales of Straw

If your porch is large enough to accommodate three or four bales of straw while leaving a wide enough path to your door, decorate the porch just beyond the entryway. Alternately, place the bales of straw on both sides of the walkway leading up to the porch. The bales of straw are a classic display of autumn, and they are a good platform for additional decorative fall items.

Bales of straw can be purchased from garden centers, and many times they can be purchased for less from local farmers. When the last leaves of autumn fall to the ground, the straw can be spread over a garden or flower bed to protect tender perennials from the impending drop in temperature, depending on your location. Many areas of the country do not experience a significant decrease in temperature during winter months. Alternately the straw can be used as a natural ground cover.

Welcoming Lanterns

After setting up bales of straw for display, decorate on and around the bales of straw with candle lanterns complete with white, gold, or orange pillar candles. The candles can be lit if the straw doesn't come in direct contact with them, and only when they will be continuously supervised. Candles within lanterns provide a warm ambience on a cool fall evening, and they create a welcoming glow.

Pumpkins and Gourds

Have you ever examined the beautiful patterns on colorful gourds? I have, and I appreciate this beautiful artwork provided by nature. Gourds and pumpkins are iconic of fall, and if you're looking for great ways to decorate your front porch, check your local grocery store or farm stand for pumpkins and gourds of all types. You'll find white pumpkins, miniature pumpkins, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, and beautiful gourds of many varieties. This easy way to decorate will make your front porch warm, welcoming, and absolutely beautiful.

Beautiful Fall Wreaths

Grapevine wreaths are perfect to decorate a front porch and entry door. Buy or create a natural grapevine wreath, and either wire or hot glue artificial fall leaves to the vines. Consider making two wreaths, and connect them by hanging one over the other with wide velvet ribbon. Simply wrap wide velvet ribbon approximately 1 ½ yards long around the top of the bottom wreath, and wrap the remaining ribbon around the top of the second wreath to connect them. Cover the wrapped areas by strategically placing the artificial fall leaves around them, and complete the top wreath with a matching velvet bow. Decorate your front door with the wreaths to complete this beautiful fall display.