Learn insider tips and tricks on how to decorate your porch for fall! This step-by-step decorating tutorial walks you through the process from choosing a fall color palette, to shopping for necessary and affordable decor, to styling tips and hacks!
This post is sponsored by Christmas Tree Shops. All opinions on the cute and affordable decor are my own! Click here to sign up and receive $10 off your $50 or more purchase as a new customer.
I recently had a friend let me know that she wishes she was good at decorating. She was adamant that you either have “it” or you don’t. The “it” referring to one’s ability to decorate. While I agree that the ability to intuitively implement fundamental principles of design may come easier to some than others, I firmly believe that one can learn to decorate! Just as we can learn to cook and bake by following the recipes, tips, and guidance of others, we can learn to make our homes physically more beautiful and cozy.
Today, I’ll break down for you step-by-step how to shop, style, hang, and fluff items to create a beautifully decorated porch for fall using affordable decor found at Christmas Tree Shops. If you feel like you’re not good at decorating, this post will help. If you know you’re good at decorating but are searching for some new fall inspiration, this post is also for you! Let’s get our fall on!
Step 1: Clean your porch, windows, and front door.
It’s my least favorite step in decorating, but it’s also one of the most important steps in my creative process. Before I begin decorating anything, I first remove all decor and furniture from the porch, power wash and scrub down every surface, and then carefully place back only the furniture items I still want on the porch. Starting with a clean slate helps me better visualize the look I want to achieve and helps get the creative juices flowing.
Step 2: Gather inspiration and choose a color palette.
If you’re completely unsure of where to begin with decorating your porch, I highly recommend gathering some inspiration images to inspire your design. I frequently create fall porches in non-traditional color schemes that go far beyond just orange, yellow, and brown! Click here to see the many fall porches I have created over the years, as well as some porch designs from fellow bloggers.
Once you find a porch that inspires you, it’s time to choose a color palette that complements your home’s exterior. Christmas Tree Shops curates their fall decor by collection making it easy to shop within a specific color palette, or theme. This year I was inspired by the peach, pinks, burnt oranges, and cranberry colors in the Petal & Stone collection and knew the colors would complement my fall-blooming, encore azaleas. To create a polished look, it’s important to take into consideration your house color, door color, landscaping, and porch furniture when choosing your color palette.
Step 3: Gather up all of your porch fall decor.
Whether you decide to shop your house, forage the outdoors, or head to the store, it’s time to gather up your fall decor. Here is a checklist of some suggested items to consider when creating a beautiful fall front porch:
- Wreath or door decor
- Garlands
- Planters to flank door
- Faux or real plants for planters
- Doormat rug and optional layered outdoor rug
- Faux or real pumpkins and mums
- Cozy pillows and throw blanket for covered porch furniture
- Lanterns
And because I know it can be helpful to see exactly where items came from that are pictured, here is a breakdown of all of the decor I utilized from Christmas Tree Shops to create this year’s fall porch. Most items listed are currently in store for Fall 2022!
- Petal & Stone wreath and two garlands
- Thankful doormat
- Two faux boxwood topiaries (with battery operated twinkle lights)
- White square planters (purchased many years ago at CTS)
- Variety of faux pumpkins collected from CTS over the years
- Plaid throw blanket
- Burnt orange toss pillows
- Lanterns
Step 4: Start by decorating your door. Pro tip: Layer your wreaths and garlands to create a fuller look.
You have gathered all of your supplies and now it’s time to decorate! I recommend beginning to decorate the main focal point of the porch which is typically the front door.
To create a more luxe and lush look, layer your floral wreath and garlands with additional greenery. I have collected a variety of garlands and wreaths over the years for this purpose so used what I had on hand to create the look I was going for. Simply place an additional greenery garland behind your floral garland and attach the two together using floral wire. To create a fuller wreath, place a larger wreath behind your floral wreath and secure the two together with floral wire. You can find solid colored greenery garlands and wreaths at Christmas Tree Shops!
To hang the wreaths and garlands, I use 3M command hooks. I find that the velcro outdoor hooks work best for heavy items. Pictured below is a better look at the layered wreaths. Layering your wreaths and garlands isn’t a necessary step, but it is a fantastic trick to keep in mind as you add to your seasonal decor. I detach and reuse garlands and wreaths to mix and match for each season as I please. It allows me to create designer looks for less!
Step 5: Create symmetry with your decor around the door.
When in doubt in decorating, rely on the principle of symmetry around your focal point! Symmetry is easy to create and always looks tidy and smart. I kept my porch very simple this year compared to previous years and am loving the clean and relaxing feel of this unencumbered space. I used two faux topiaries purchased at Christmas Tree Shops, placed in white box planters, to flank either side of the door.
Step 6: Fill in the rest of your porch with touches of decor and stand back to edit the space.
When I am decorating a space, I will often stand back from the entire space to gain perspective on what I might need to add, subtract, or rearrange. This means that I literally walk out to the middle of my yard, or even to my mailbox and just stare at my porch as a whole from a distance to better see what might need editing. I highly recommend you frequently utilize this tip! It will help you create the exact look you’re wanting to achieve.
Fill in the remaining porch with cozy items that make it feel like a room. I like to add toss blankets and pillows to my porch in solid colors and gentle patterns that complement my color scheme.
I hope these tips help you create the fall porch of your dreams this year with the help of affordable decor from Christmas Tree Shops! Be sure to grab your new customer $10 off $50 purchase coupon by clicking here before you go!
