Ideas for Fall Porch Living
Published January 22, 2025
Welcome guests to your front porch in fall with layers of harvest style. Colorful pumpkins and mums, scarecrows and Jack-o’-lanterns will accentuate your porch, patio or balcony and set the stage for fall entertaining.
By creating layers of decoration, you can segue successfully from the hazy days of late summer to the candy corn fun of Halloween and the cozy gatherings at Thanksgiving.
Table of Contents
Start with Mums
Decorate with Pumpkins
Make a Jack-O'-Lantern
Display Harvest Decor
Entertain on the Porch
Remember the Back Porch
Start with Mums
Begin with fall’s favorite annual, chrysanthemums, in colors ranging from deep red, sunshine yellow and bright purple. Their wide range of hues allows you to experiment with unorthodox colors for fall. Whether you decide to fill a pumpkin or metal pail with mums, they're sure to inject color and texture to your porch decor.
In the Garden Center, looks for mums already in decorative planters. You can also place mums directly into the containers or urns on your porch.
Decorate with Pumpkins
Pumpkins aren't just for carving, they can be used for many types of decorations. Fill a pumpkin with soil to use as a planter for pansies or mums, or add gorgeous gourds to your display with stacks of decorative pumpkins.
Try stacking pumpkins topiary-style on urns beside your front door and draping a grapevine garland around the base. With a variety of pumpkins ranging in color from baby blue to pristine white, you can mix and match them to fit your porch decor.
Make a Jack-O'-Lantern
When it comes time to carve the Jack o'Lantern, you can go it alone or make it a family project. Start with the right tools, like a sharp paring knife and a drop cloth or newspapers to protect your table or outdoor surface.
Besides carving pumpkins, there are many fall crafts that you and your family can enjoy to welcome the season. Construction paper, popsicle sticks, leaves, mason jars and a little craft glue are more than enough to create several fun fall projects.
Display Harvest Decor
As the season edges closer to Thanksgiving, switch out Halloween decor for welcoming Thanksgiving touches, like a wreath of autumn leaves and an abundance of large and miniature pumpkins. You can even stage your porch with a bale of hay, assorted colored live pumpkins, rocking chairs or cool fall signage. Allow your imagination to take the lead and get creative with your harvest decor.
Entertain on the Porch
The days and evenings of autumn are perfect for porch sitting. Enjoy your harvest decor more with rocking chairs outfitted with seasonal pillows, or a cozy outdoor sofa draped with autumn-themed throw blankets.
Imagine those lovely fall days outside sipping warm cider and enjoying fresh air with your loved ones. While the weather is pleasant outdoors, plan to entertain on your fall porch. It's easy to set a table and bring the food outside, even easier when you cook on a grill outside.
Remember the Back Porch
Don’t miss the opportunity to decorate your back porch for fall. All the things that you enjoy on your front porch can also be used for your family and friends to enjoy in the backyard. Transform your back porch into a harvest celebration with all the accessories mentioned earlier. Patio furniture, live and faux pumpkins, fall flowers like mums, fall signage and pillows, lanterns and throw blankets help you usher in the season with style.
Fall weather is not too hot or too cold and it's the perfect time to nestle up with your favorite book outside in the crisp air. It's also a great time to catch a football game, go to a festival or throw a backyard shindig complete with harvest decor. Order online to effortlessly transform your home into an autumn wonderland.
