11 Fall Porch Decor Ideas That'll Make Your Neighbors Slow Down and Stare

There's something about the first week of September. The air feels cooler and less humid after a summer. When you step outside you feel like getting into the fall spirit. You want to grab a pumpkin and a cozy throw blanket and start decorating your home. If you want to do more than just buy some flowers and put them on your porch you've come to the place, for fall porch decor ideas.

I have spent years walking around neighborhoods and studying the storefronts. I also spend a lot of time rearranging my porch especially in October. In fact I usually end up rearranging my porch six times before I get it just right. What I have learned from all of this is that the best fall porches are not the ones that have a lot of stuff on them. The best fall porches are the ones that feel like they were put together on purpose.

They usually have a few things on them but those things are really nice. They also have textures and a color scheme that actually makes sense. That is all it takes to make a fall porch. The best fall porches are the ones, with a well chosen pieces and a good color story.

So here are 11 ideas I keep coming back to, whether you have got a big wraparound porch or just a small concrete stoop by the front door.

1. Put a Few Pumpkins by Your Door

This is the one on the list. I tell everyone to start here. Get three or four pumpkins of sizes. Maybe one big and two small. Place them near your steps or beside your door. You don't need ones if you don't want the mess. Fake ones work as well and you can reuse them next year. It's a thing but it makes your porch look ready, for fall right away.

2. Add a Few Potted Flowers Called Mums

Mums are those bushy flowers that you see all around you in the fall. They are really pretty. They come in lots of different colors like orange and yellow and deep red and even white.

You can buy mums at any garden store or grocery store when it is fall. Mums are not expensive all.

If you put two or three pots of mums near your door or, along your steps it will look nice. Mums will last for weeks. They will add some nice color to your place without you having to do a lot of work to take care of the mums.

3. Hang a Wreath on Your Front Door

A wreath is a circle of things that you hang on your door. For fall people make wreaths with leaves, little pumpkins or dried flowers.

This is a fast way to make your porch feel like fall. The reason is that it is the thing people see when they walk up to your house.

You can go out. Buy a wreath that is already made.. You can make a wreath yourself with things, like dried leaves and some ribbon.

4. Set Out a Cozy Blanket or Pillow

If you have a chair or a bench on your porch you can throw a blanket over the back of the chair or the bench or you can add a pillow or two in fall colors like orange, brown or deep red. This makes your porch feel really warm and inviting like a place you would actually want to sit on the porch. The chair or the bench on your porch will look nice with the blanket and the pillows, in fall colors. It does not cost you money and it takes only a minute to set up the chair or the bench with the soft blanket and the pillows.

5. Use Corn Stalks or Hay Bales

You probably have seen corn stalks tied up and placed on either side of a door.. Maybe a small hay bale sitting on a porch. These are fall decorations. You can usually find them at a farm stand or a garden center. Some grocery stores also sell them in the fall.

To create this look stand a couple of corn stalks, near your door.. Set a hay bale down. Then add a pumpkin or two on top of the hay bale. Use corn stalks and hay bales to make your decoration. Add some pumpkins to make it look nice.

6. Add Some Warm Lighting

Once the days start getting shorter, your porch gets dark earlier too. A couple of lanterns by your door, or a string of warm colored lights wrapped around a railing, makes your porch feel cozy once the sun goes down. You do not need anything fancy, even simple battery powered candles inside two lanterns will do the job.

7. Put Out a New Doormat

This one is easy to forget but it makes a real difference. A doormat with a fall design, or even just a plain one in a warm color like orange or brown, finishes off the whole look. It is one of the cheapest things on this list and it is also one of the things people notice first when they walk up to your door.

8. Group a Few Baskets Together

Take two or three baskets, they can be wicker or wood, and fill them with things like small pumpkins, pinecones, or leaves. Set them near your door in a small group instead of spread apart. This gives your porch a full, put together look without needing to buy a lot of things.

9. Add a Scarecrow

A scarecrow is a fun, simple decoration that almost everyone recognizes as a sign of fall. You can buy one already made, or make your own with old clothes stuffed with straw or newspaper. Sit it in a chair on your porch or lean it against the wall near your door.

10. Hang a Garland of Leaves

A garland is just a long string of decoration, and for fall you can find ones made of fabric or paper leaves in orange, red, and yellow. Hang one along your porch railing or drape it around your door frame. It is a simple way to add color without taking up any floor space.

11. Put Up a Small Welcome Sign

A little sign made of wood or fabric with a message like "Welcome" or "Hello Fall" is a nice way to finish things off. You can put it against your door. Hang it from a hook. If you have a table on your porch you can set the sign on that too. The sign is a thing but it makes your porch feel more like your own space. Having a "Welcome" sign or a "Hello Fall" sign, on your porch is a touch. It makes your porch feel more personal when you have a sign that says "Welcome" or "Hello Fall".

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

• When you are getting things for fall pick your colors first. You can choose pumpkin orange or quieter neutral colors. If you do this first you will not end up with a bunch of fall things that do not match.

• Pick your colors before you buy anything. This way you can make sure everything looks good together. Whether you like pumpkin orange or a quieter neutral palette deciding on the colors first is a good idea.

• Do not put stuff everywhere. The porches that look nice usually have a lot of space. It is better to have a few things than to have too much stuff. Let a few good pieces stand out of putting things all over the place.

• Make sure the walkway is clear. People should be able to get to your door. This is especially important when you add things like rugs, furniture or planters. You do not want to block the way to your door.

• Think about the weather when you are getting things for fall. It. Winds a lot in the fall, in many places. So it is an idea to get faux greenery or sealed wood pieces. This way you will not have to fix everything after the storm. Fall means rain and wind so you should get things that can withstand that.

When the day is over making your porch look nice for fall does not have to be a deal or cost a lot of money.

Just pick one or two things you like from this list like the pumpkins, on the path and a warm blanket. Start with that.

You can always do later.

The porch is the thing people see when they come to your house and even a few fall things make it feel like you are happy to see them.

Fall things on your porch make your home feel welcoming like the pumpkin path and a cozy throw these small things can make a difference.