This was the first year in this house where I actually put some effort into decorating our front and side porches for fall. I absolutely love the way fall feels so crisp and cozy, and I have the fondest memories of October when I was a kid. Every year, my parents would take my little sister and me to the local pumpkin patch, Craig’s Eggs (yes, they also sold eggs at one time!), and we would each get to choose a large pumpkin to carve into a Jack-O-Lantern. It was always such a special event in our home! We also spent family time on Sunday afternoon watching football with friends and just enjoying lazy Sundays together.
This year, I really wanted to have more of a “theme” for the front porch - all white with green accents. However, once I saw how expensive white pumpkins were, I had to change course. (I mean seriously, who spends $10 on a small pumpkin just because it’s white? Is this some form of pumpkin white privilege??) Despite how cute Baby G looked with these fancy gourds, I put them all back and shopped elsewhere.
I found that a large front porch requires a TON of pumpkins to really feel full and lush, but I just could not justify spending hundreds of dollars to accomplish that. Am I the only one? I don’t think so. So I went with something fairly simple and focused on enhancing the front door area before I spread out. I found the cutest (and cheapest) fairytale and white pumpkins at Wegman’s and limited myself to two of each. I invested in several potted mums and also decided to keep it classic with some dried corn stalks for the pillars. I actually think I like this look better than the usual plain look!
Is anyone else obsessed with the layered doormat look? I am! I have this at my front door year-long, but it fit so perfectly for fall, that I let it stay. Maybe I'll come up with something else for Christmas!
The side porch was less challenging, just a few pumpkins, mums, and done!
Next time, I plan to do a few things to better prepare for seasonal decor:
Budget for it in advance.
Have a more concrete design plan so I can stick to a theme.
Get creative with alternatives if the initial plan doesn’t work.
Schedule time to explore the pumpkin patch with my family!
Decorating my porch for fall was so much fun! Next year, I hope to make it more of a family event my husband and kids can look forward to each year. What family traditions do you have for fall?
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