Things You'll Need:
- Just SOME ideas are....
- hay bales
- dried corn stalks
- straw scarecrow
- collection of small gourds and pumpkins
- larger uncarved pumpkins
- whiskey barrels filled dirt
- your old hanging or potted plant containers, emptied of plants, but leave dirt in
- several rolls of fall colored approximately 2 1/2 inch craft ribbon
- window clings
- plastic flowers from craft store...in fall colors of burnt orange, crimson, soft yellow, brown, black adn mossy green
- real or fake mums - any color
- real or fake sunflowers
- woven baskets
- cornocopia shapes baskets
- pine cones
- artifical craft store apples
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Step 1
With a few well thought out and well placed items, you can largely keep the same decorations up from after Labor Day till you decorate for Christmas. If you want to add specific elements for Halloween or Thanksgiving, they will fit in this motif just fine. I like to keep my front porch more "fall or harvest theme". Then I can add our carved pumpkins or some basic Halloween decorations, without having to change what was there. After Halloween, I pull that theme off, leaving the fall motif, and add some Thanksgiving decorations.
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Step 2
You can get square or rectangular hay bales for a low cost at most pumpkin patches or even apple farms. You can put the bale in front of your porch (in a rocky area is nice) or on your porch. I put mine on my porch and I lay/drape an inexpensive fall tablecloth over one half of the bale. On top of the cloth half, I'll put a basket with pinecones, or some of my fake fall leaves or the fake fall sunflowers. Craft stores sell inexpensive ball ornaments made from wooden sticks - a basket of these looks pretty as well. The hay half I generally leave exposed.
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Step 3
Next I like to tie a straw scarecrow to one of the posts supporting our front porch. The other post usually sports a "Welcome Fall" type sign. Underneath the post with the sign, I like to put an old whiskey barrel (filled with dirt) to which I lay either small glossy fake craft apples, pinecones or fill it with small gourds and mini pumpkins.
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Step 4
I always set a few pots of real fall mums on every other step or so heading up to the porch. Artificial decorations can look wonderful, but having a few real live plants is a key element for a warm welcoming scene.
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Step 5
I have rows of hanging pots across the front of my porch. One way I can keep enjoying those through the fall is to decorate them! I remove all the dead plants from the summer. I take my 2 1/2 inch craft ribbon and I wrap it once around the pot tying in a big generous bow in front. Then I place a "crown" of brightly colored artificial fall flowers around the inside rim of the hanging basket. Once I rehang it, you cannot see the middle is empty. I push the plastic stems right into the dirt so they stay put.
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Step 6
On my front door (or you can do it nearby the door) I like to hang a wreath made of long brown sticks tied together with natural twine. In this wreath (which stays up all year), I insert (for the fall) more of the richly colored artificial flowers.
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Step 7
Finally, I might pick up little movable decorations ... mini scarecrows on a stick, window clings, a little flag for the flower garden that says, "welcome autumn". I let the children find spots for these smaller items, so they feel part of the fun.
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Step 8
When it's time to decorate for Christmas, I remove it all except the hay bale and woven baskets and hanging baskets. I cover the haybale with a Christmas linen (that is fine staying outdoors) and fill the baskets with gold pinecones or durable ornaments. Many of the bigger items can be used every season. Unleash a little creativity and have fun! Happy fall!
