How To Decorate Your Porch For Fall!

Welcome back to our monthly “Designing Women Tell All” series! This month – just as you might expect – is all about fall decorating. And, who doesn’t love all things fall?! The beautiful fall foliage, the smell of a fireplace burning, fall inspired candles……oh, the coziness of it all! And, of course, for those in the north fall sweaters are already making their debut. We have a ways to go here in Texas for that, but we welcome the arrival more than you know.

Today I’m going to focus on how to decorate your porch for fall, because here in the south we are able to utilize our porches and outdoor living well into the fall and even into the winter at times. There have been many a Thanksgiving dinner eaten out here on my screened in porch which is where everyone would prefer to be when the weather allows. Therefore I like to have it ready just in case. And, honestly, even if its too chilly that particular day there are plenty of days leading up to it where my hubby and I, whether it’s just the two of us or with family and friends, can sit out here and enjoy the ambiance throughout the fall season.

And, even if that weren’t the case, the added view we get from inside the house to this space is well worth spending the time glamming it up for fall.

Adding a Hanging Centerpiece Above Your Table Is An Easy Way To Add Pizazz To Seasonal Decorating

I made this hanging centerpiece myself with some cedar planks I got from Home Depot. You can check the step by step process here. Having this piece just makes every holiday or themed base event a little easier and a little more fun. I gives you a surface to decorate that tends to have more bang for the buck if you know what I mean. It’s an added layer or element of design that gives the space more volume and interest.

Traditional Fall Colors Add The Coziest Fall Vibes

If you really want to feel the fall vibes loud and proud, utilizing the traditional fall colors – orange, burgundy, gold – is the way to go. What is it about these colors??? They just shout cozy charm……all the feels. Don’t you agree? All I’ve done here on my hanging centerpiece is simply drape the fall garland all the way around letting some of the end pieces hang down for more volume and interest and to give it a fuller feel. Then I placed some stems on top of the platform and let them drape off as well. The fun thing about a piece like this is that it creates a surface for fun decor to bring in the fall theme all the more. Here I’ve added a decorative box, a pumpkin (this one split in two so I’m utilizing each half….because…..why not?), some large corn on the cobs, etc.

Try To Incorporate Your Regular Home Decor Into Your Fall

Whenever possible I try to incorporate things I have around my house or in storage to give me the look I’m after. This year I was able to use my collection of black lanterns to create a fun look. These are a mish-mash of lanterns I’ve collected over the years on sale from various stores in my area. Some of these I actually got in a Christmas close out from Kroger for $1.00 apiece! Yup, you heard that correctly. A dollar! I just unscrewed the bottom and removed the Christmas greenery and voila – year round lanterns for the win!

Get Creative With Your Tablescape Using Year Round Decor As Well As Seasonal Decor

Okay, I’m not going to lie…..the fact that my year round colors out here are black, white and red contribute to a fun Halloween/Fall backdrop. Black and white just go so well with fall colors and they compliment each other nicely. So I guess I did have a little head start with that. This striped runner has been on my table for months so naturally it stayed out for the fall season. The baskets you see here were already placed here as well with my chargers, plates and napkins for summer. I just left them and added my fall napkins, plates and a little fall foliage. The candlesticks and this white lantern were here as well – I just switched out the candles for the season.

Shop Your Home

I’ve had a glass vase out here all summer with summer flowers in it and just recently moved it to my coffee table in my family room for the fall. I moved this white vase from my fireplace hearth here and just filled it with fall flowers. I added some Halloween picks for a subtle nod to Halloween and will remove them when it’s over. Easy breezy. This vase by the way was purchased at a thrift store and was olive green. I used it out here for awhile in the green, then I distressed in a white finish so it would work in my entry way. I had it there for a couple of years and generally still use this there for Christmas. Shop your home! Move things around to give them new life!

Reversable seasonal pillows and pillow covers

Again…..it helps that my year round pillows work perfectly for this space. These black and white polka-dot pillow covers were perfect for updating my old pillows to a new look without a lot of cost. And seasonal pillow covers are the way to go, too. Instead of buying a ton of pillows that you’ll have to store – look for pillow covers instead. Amazon is a great source for pillow covers of all sizes and all seasons.

If you do buy seasonal pillows check to see if they’re reversible. This trick or treat pillow stays out here all year round because I can reverse it to the other side where it’s displayed in all white. Again, saves money and saves on storage!

Again, this pillow is reversable so that the black and white check can stay out here year round.

Okay so I know my pumpkin gnome pillow isn’t a slipcover nor is it reversible, but I do keep it out through Christmas and just call him a Santa gnome thereby getting two seasons out of him instead of just one. One of the best places to buy pillows (just in case for some reason you’ve been living under a rock and are unaware) is HomeGoods. They have some of the nicest, better quality pillows you’ll find at very reasonable prices. That’s where all of the above seasonal pillows are from.

Incorporate Fall Foliage To Existing Containers

I keep this cute bird out year round and just pluck out the greenery and replace it with a little fall foliage. That’s all that’s needed to bring in a fall touch.

Here I just added fall foliage to the greenery to bring in the fall vibes without a lot of fuss.

My daughter made me this fun sign one year for Christmas with a wreath where the “O” would be so I just switch it out with a seasonal fall wreath. When it’s time for Christmas – off comes the fall wreath and on goes the Christmas wreath. Again – an easy, breezy quick change.

Sprinkle Pumpkins Everywhere

Just adding pumpkins to your existing decor is an easy, fun way to shout fall! Collect them at the end of the season when they’re on sale.

I removed the bird that was in this lantern for the summer and simply added this fall foliage ring and some pumpkins to bring in the fall vibes.

I usually have this little wagon out year round filled with seasonal decor and, of course, what better way to say fall than a wagon filled with a pile of pumpkins. I just added these plaid napkins for a little extra color.

Will you be decorating a porch or patio for fall? I hope this has given you some fun fall decorating ideas of your own. Remember you don’t have to have a screened in porch for a hanging centerpiece – just a cover of some sort. (You can even do this inside) So I hope you consider this as an option for your own space. It sure makes seasonal decorating and themed parties fun. Bring in all the pumpkins, all the colorful fall foliage and all those spicy candles to add a cozy autumn ambiance to your space!

Be sure to check out my friends and fellow “Designing Women” below for more fun inspiration:

Crystal with Sweet Valley Acres – An artist and dreamer since birth, Crystal loves creating beautiful spaces in her home and garden for her family and friends to enjoy. She also loves pushing her builder husband, Bentley to his very limits when it comes to building and renovating. After 33 years of marriage and taking on 11 homes that were the worst house on the block and turning them into show stoppers along with three new builds later, Crystal has a wealth of knowledge and experience. In addition, she has won many awards for garden design and used to own a home and garden decor store for many years.

Kristy with At Home With Kristy – Homebody at heart and very passionate about creating a warm & welcoming home environment for family and friends BS Interior Design Interior Designer with 35 years experience specializing in Residential Interior Design, perfectionist, & big picture thinker, but also loves getting lost in the weeds perfecting every detail Love sharing my knowledge and expertise to inspire, encourage and empower others

Happy Fall Y’all and Happy Life By Design!