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50 Best Fall Porch Decor Ideas to Welcome Autumn
You’ll impress all those little trick-or-treaters with one of these charming displays.
It’s no secret that we love fall. From delicious pumpkin spice treats to the return of game day tailgating and cooler weather, it just doesn’t get any better than autumn. (Like, what better way is there to spend a Saturday than leaf peeping with your friends?) And let’s be honest — is there any space more fun to decorate for fall than your front porch? We’re talking way beyond that gorgeous wreath that adorns your front door (though that is a necessity!). Give us all the cozy plaid blankets, charming carved pumpkins, and mums galore, please and thank you.
Whether you have a sprawling wrap-around porch (lucky you!) or a tiny home walk-up, there’s always an opportunity to bring a touch of seasonal style to your entry and give your guests a warm welcome. After all, it’s only a matter of time before those little trick-or-treaters stop by! Below, we’ve rounded up our favorite front porch fall decorating ideas that are suitable for just about any home out there.
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Go Spooky & Stylish
Make your front entry the must-stop spot for trick-or-treating with this spooky scene.
To get the look: Hang “witches” brooms from your windows by drilling holes through the handles and threading with fishing line. Arrange purple mums with loads of white and green pumpkins and gourds around the steps. Place black cauldrons on either side of the door and fill with bare branches. Hang a moss wreath on the door and nestle black bats around the scene.
Spooky Up Your Pumpkins
Add more spook-factor to your scene by decorating your pumpkins on theme.
To make the pumpkins: Draw a bat or crescent moon outline on a pumpkin. Next, fill in the outline with nails, using carbon steel nails for the bat or silver flatheads for the moon.
For the star pumpkin luminaries, hollow out a gourd. Freehand star shapes with a pencil, then carve over the outlines. Illuminate with a battery-operated tea candle.
Set a Festive Scene
Kick off your fall entertaining by going all-out on porch decor. This festive doorway features loads of plaid, including plaid-etched pumpkins (more on those below!), layered front door mats for extra coziness, a bittersweet wreath hung by a (yes, plaid!) scarf, and mums perched perfectly in vintage galvanized olive buckets.
Plaid Up Your Pumpkins
Bring a bit country charm to your pumpkins by etching them with a classic plaid pattern. You can even coordinate the colors to match the rest of your porch decor. Find the full tutorial below!
RELATED: See How We Created The DIY Plaid Pumpkins, Step-by-Step
Craft a Display to Take You From Halloween to Thanksgiving
If you love fall but hate decorating for both Halloween *and* Thanksgiving, look no further than this seasonal arrangement. Here, pumpkins adorned with freshly fallen leaves ensure that the look stays fresh all season long.
To make the pumpkins: Coat the back sides of colorful leaves with adhesive spray. Immediately attach the leaves to your pumpkin, being sure not to push down all the points so they have a more organic look.
RELATED: How to Keep Pumpkins from Rotting and Ruining Your Pretty Fall Porch Displays
Fill Your Hanging Baskets for Fall
Hanging baskets might conjure up images of cascading florals and springtime, but they can be equally stunning in fall. Here, floral designer Deborah Herbertson lined zinc baskets with moss and filled them with annuals, pumpkins, succulents, and cut branches.
RELATED: These Are Our Favorite Hanging Plants to Bring Country Charm to Your Space
Accent with Adirondack Chairs
Ready to embrace cooler temps and turn your porch into a gathering spot for family and friends this fall? All you need to do is pull out a pair of sit-a-spell Adirondack chairs. And, while they don't have to be a fun color, we love the unexpected hit of ruddy red these chairs bring.
Pick a Pretty Wreath
Sometimes all you really need is a wreath. This seasonal wreath was crafted from an antique grain sifter and prettied up with fall foliage, collected feathers, and craft-ready berries and acorns.
To make: Attach a piece dry floral foam to the bottom inside, slightly to the side, of a vintage grain sifter with wire. Cover the floral foam in preserved floral moss, holding it in place with hot-glue. Insert fall leaves, feathers, Hypericum berries, dried wheat into the foam. Attach acorns with hot-glue.
Pile on the Firewood
Take a note from designer Anthony D'Argenzio and rely on your stock of firewood to style up your front porch. (A moody black exterior also helps to push this scene into cozy fall territory.)
RELATED: The Best Exterior Paint Colors to Give Your Home Ultimate Curb Appeal
Embrace More is More
We’re not saying you have to repaint your front door to coordinate with all the colors of fall, but this charming cottage sure makes a strong case to! Homeowner Amy Whyte fully embraces the autumn season with an explosion of pumpkins and mums that frame her home’s narrow porch. The hanging vintage gathering basket holds even more seasonal blooms and foliage.
Get the Look:
Front Door Paint Color: Golden Retriever by Benjamin Moore
RELATED: Tour More of This Virginia Mountain Cottage That Is Straight Out of a Storybook
Add Grain Sack Accents
A country classic—vintage French grain sacks—inspires a simple and rustic embellishment for fall pumpkin stacks. Display on the porch, maybe even next to a bench with pillows covered in grain sacks, to create a warm fall welcome.
To make the pumpkins: Simply Mod Podge striped ribbon either vertically or horizontally around white pumpkins. Display stacked on pumpkins, benches, or stools.
Add Pretty Plaids
Even though this is actually a back porch, we love every one of these ideas for fall front porch decor: cozy plaid blankets used as tablecloths, lanterns with glowing candles, a grapevine wreath adorned with fall flowers, and of course, pumpkins!
RELATED: These Beautiful Thanksgiving Table Settings Will Impress Your Guests
Perch Pumpkins on Crocks
This simple porch display just screams fall! Decorate the front steps or stoop with a menagerie of flat, wide pumpkins and mums perched on an arrangement of your favorite stoneware crocks.
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For a Tiny Stoop, Less Is More
Because this restored New Hampshire farmhouse’s exterior is so beautifully simple, a tiny touch is all that’s needed—a few pumpkins on the steps, a contrasting wreath, and an adorable row of white mini pumpkins sitting on the door transom.
RELATED: Tour More of This Centuries-Old New Hampshire Farmhouse Was Made for Cozy Nights by the Fire
Add Pops of Evergreen
Wide front steps dotted with potted evergreens and orange pumpkins give this log cabin’s entrance just the right amount of presence and charm. At night, string lights illuminate the space. We especially love the rusty old bike, at right, that carries a wooden planter to hold seasonal blooms all year long.
RELATED: Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Caring for Your Ferns Through Fall
Switch It Up with a Neutral Palette
Crisp whites with pops of bright blue and muted oranges is a fresh, sophisticated color scheme for this time of year. Paper oak leaves glued to leafless branches create a dramatic window swag. Display white mums in bushel baskets and stack heirloom pumpkins on an array of colorful shaker boxes.
RELATED: These Beautiful Front Door Colors Will Give Your Home an Inviting Entry
Keep It Simple for Early Fall
The porch of this stunning North Carolina cabin keeps things relatively simple when dressing up for those early fall days. Rusty-orange-hued pillows and terra-cotta pots filled with faded yellow and red flowers bring a hint of the season.
RELATED: Tour This Rustic Mountain Cabin That Is Filled With an Eclectic Mix of Antiques
Step Up Containers with Fall Blooms
At this California board-and-batten cottage, stone porch steps wrap the entire house and provide the perfect perch for clusters of fall blooms in terra-cotta pots. A throw blanket for cool California nights and a pair of pumpkins rest on a bench under the window.
RELATED: These Orange Flowers Will Add Dimension and Color to Your Garden
A Little Goes a Long Way
This cute little porch with built-in benches, on the home of Food Network personality Nancy Fuller, doesn’t need much to make it festive. A simple berry wreath hangs on the top portion of the Dutch door, while the benches get a soft accent from pillows.
Get the Look:
Front Door Paint Color: For similar, Cottage Red by Benjamin Moore
RELATED: Sweeten up your fall with Nancy Fuller’s recipe for Pecan Slab Pie.
Swap Mums for Cabbages
Fall cabbages tucked into the landscaping and in planters with patina are a nice change from the season’s ever-popular mums. A dried hydrangea wreath hung on the happy golden yellow door and pumpkins scattered casually below make for an effortless fall look.
Get the Look:
Front Door Paint Color: For similar, Lemon Drops by Benjamin Moore
Amy Mitchell is the managing editor for VERANDA and Country Living, where she writes articles on a variety of topics—decorating and design, gardens, and holidays. Amy’s experience in the shelter magazine category spans more than 20 years, as she’s previously held positions at Coastal Living and Cottage Living. Her personal pursuits include cooking, gardening, and hunting her favorite tag sale spots for the next piece of Pyrex for her prized collection.
Anna Logan is the Senior Homes & Style Editor at Country Living, where she covers design and decorating trends, home features, and gift guides. She also produces home features and styles content for the print magazine. When she isn’t working, can often be found digging around antique shops for the perfect find. Follow her adventures on Instagram!
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