Autumn decorating ideas for the front porch don’t need to be expensive. Mother Nature pulls out all the stops in her gorgeous seasonal display, so it is fitting that we do the same. But some of the best autumn porch decorations aren’t expensive; they just require some time, creativity, and a few craft supplies.

Autumn Decorating Ideas for the Front Porch

From colorful garlands to shimmering pumpkins, there are numerous ways that you can display the bounty of the season to make your front porch more inviting and festive.

Shimmering Pumpkins

Once you have found the perfect pumpkin, you can decorate it in a variety of ways. Carving the pumpkin will cause it to deteriorate more quickly than if you leave it whole. If you are looking for a non-traditional pumpkin style, try painting it in a shimmery metallic color like copper, gold, or silver. This blog from Sanctuary Home Decor is very helpful if you want a guide for how to easily paint your own pumpkins.

Make an Autumn Wreath

You can go all out with your autumn porch decorations or just keep it simple by displaying a fall wreath. There is an endless abundance of fall wreath designs, but some of the best are those that you can make yourself.

One of our favorites is an autumn apple wreath from Shayna at The Wood Grain Cottage. In this tutorial, she takes you through her process, step by step to create your own apple wreath. This wreath has many of the best aspects of fall DIY decor: it is gorgeous, inexpensive, and will last for many autumn seasons to come.

Repurpose Old Furniture to Create a Display

Make time to clean out your storage shed or attic to find a piece of furniture that you can use for displaying pots of mums or pumpkins. Paint it a fun autumn color or use a color that matches your home’s exterior color palette. Follow this tutorial from Kathy at Petticoat JUNKtion if you want a guide through the painting process.

Light Fall Votives

When you host special events at your home, you can use fall votives to light up your porch before the event. Votives display fall color take just a few minutes to create and require just a few supplies that you can easily source from craft or budget stores and from the outdoors.

One of the best ideas we have seen is this design from StoneGable. She takes you through the tutorial to create gorgeous fall candle holders that take just 10 minutes to create. If you are going to leave these votives unattended, it is better to use faux rather than real candles. Swap the real candles out for flameless candle options or wrap up short strands of wire fairy lights to get the same effect without the real flame.

Create a Hot Beverage Station

Get ready for your neighborhood trick-or-treaters and their parents by fitting your front porch out with a seasonal hot beverage station. Equip it with all the necessary elements including selections of tea, hot chocolate, instant coffee, and small cups. Creating a container for your hot beverage elements is not necessary, but it does amplify the seasonal style on your porch.

Check out this idea from Kim from Hunt and Host. She remakes an old flatware storage box into an excellent container for her fall drink selections.

Add a Ladder

A ladder is a useful addition to your fall front porch decorating scheme. You can use them to display signs, store blankets, or hang a wreath. Find a ladder from a thrift or antique store, or make your own. Follow this helpful guide from Life on Kaydeross Creek. Colleen walks the reader through how to make a fabulous birch ladder. If you can source the birch branches from nature, you can make this ladder with just the cost of a few hours of labor.

Utilize Hay Bales

Gardens by Monetta

Hay bales are excellent for providing a layered foundation for your other fall decorations and for giving your porch seasonal harvest style. You can utilize hay bales in other ways too. Place them in your seating area to use as impromptu incidental tables or cover them with cushions to provide extra seating. When you are finished using them in your autumn decor, spread them out over your beds as mulch to protect your plants as they rest for the cold winter months.

Style with Wooden Crates

Pender & Peony

Wooden crates are ready-made for front porch autumn decor. They are rustic, provide layering capacity, and you can keep them from year to year. Use wooden crates to display pumpkins, gourds, signs, baskets, and fall flowers. Stack them on top of one another to give your display some height, which makes your design more visually impactful.

Decorate with Pinecones

Pine cone decor is popular for autumn and winter, so using pine cones in your autumn decor is the best way to get two seasons’ worth of decorating for the price of one. Pine cone sizes and shapes are variable, so choose a size and shape that works for your project.

To create a cute door or wall swag with pine cones, look through this tutorial from Modern on Monticello. Donna creates a swag that is fitted with a burlap ribbon that would work well with a rustic autumn decor. Use a buffalo check or plaid ribbon for something with farmhouse flair. Change out the ribbon for a grosgrain or velvet option if you want to create a more classic design or when you are ready to begin decorating for the winter holidays.

Create a Fall Doormat

You can create a personalized fall doormat that complements the rest of your holiday decor. Follow one of the examples that you can find here, or create your own design. One of our favorite designs is this bat doormat from DIY Candy. It is a fun and charming design, and it is easy to create with a few craft skills and simple supplies.

Arrange Fall Foliage

Rikki Snyder

Fall foliage is a gorgeous natural display of stunning color and texture. Cut some natural fall foliage to display on your front porch. You do not need to be a professional florist to create a stunning arrangement; the foliage will speak for itself.

Look for fall berries, branches, pine cones, leaves, and acorns that you can display. Use variable-sized containers to create a layered design. Consider displaying your fall foliage in vases, urns, baskets, and pots. Containers that you can fill with water will allow your arrangements to last longer.

Carve a Pumpkin

Pumpkin carving is an activity with which you can create an endless variety of designs. Best of all, this activity appeals to both children and adults alike. Dress your porch up for fall with a variety of carved pumpkin designs. Look here for some creative ideas and tutorials if you need some inspiration before you begin your project.

Be sure to plan ahead before carving your pumpkin. Carved pumpkins do not last as long as whole pumpkins. Plan to carve your pumpkin less than a week before you need to display it, and no more than a few days if the weather is warm.

Add a Small Seating Area

Corynne Pless

Front porch seating areas provide the ideal vantage point for enjoying the beauty of the season. Don’t feel like you need a large porch to create a seating area. Carve out one small area where you can fit two small chairs or a bench. Or, create a seating area right below your front porch. This will give you a place to welcome friends and neighbors and enjoy a quick chat or a cup of tea. You may like your front porch seating so much, you’ll want to leave it all year long.

Display a Customized Scarecrow

Scarecrow displays are ubiquitous during the fall season. Personalize your porch by creating a scarecrow that looks like you. Begin with a guide on how to make a scarecrow from scratch. We like this one from Project Whim. Next, customize it using some of your old clothes and accessories. This is a great family activity; your kids will love making a scarecrow that looks like them.

Just Add a Basket

Corynne Pless

Baskets are the foundation for an endless variety of fall porch designs. Use baskets to hold pumpkins and gourds, hang them from the ceiling or door, fill them with fall flowers, or use them to display your seasonal foliage. A wide variety of baskets are easy to find at thrift and bargain stores. Paint them in creative ways so that they blend with your fall color palette.

Shallow baskets are better for display. If you have a deep basket that you want to use, fill it first with straw, Spanish moss, or even newspaper so that you can display your autumn decorations closer to the top of the basket.