I adore this time of year – the weather hinting at the change of season, apple picking trips, and pumpkin hunting on the horizon. There is so much potential in the months ahead for fun outings, craft projects and decor, and yummy recipes. One of those fun activities is decorating a Fall porch!

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We have a very small front porch – in fact it’s more like a little concrete block. Even still I love to dress it up with all the mums, pumpkins, and lovely Fall decor! (Don’t ever let your circumstances dampen your creativity – there’s always something you can do with what you have to make it lovely!)

The other day my husband and I hit up a local nursery (shoutout to Thies Farm!) after going on a little lunch date. I picked up a few big mums in beautiful shades of purple and yellow. Then the kids and I visited Trader Joe’s a few days later and picked out a few smaller mums and tiny pumpkins. It’s become a tradition in our house to pick out some little white pumpkins for the kids to paint. I always grab a few for the front porch or around the house too, knowing that in the next few weeks we’ll visit the pumpkin patch for our larger pumpkins.

Tips to Decorate Your Fall Porch

I’ve heard that if you repot your mums into new pots with fresh soil they will last longer. I’ve never tried it, but I could see how that would be true. I don’t, however, have any spare pots large enough nor do I have any potting soil left. So I had to get creative because I really didn’t like the look of those little shiny plastic pots!

Here are 2 hacks for hiding ugly plastic mum pots:

1. Stick the whole thing in a basket, bucket, or crock.

The thrift store is a great place to find containers for your porch. Not only is there usually a great variety of baskets available, but you’re paying such a low fee for them that it’s less catastrophic if they get damaged by weather or [heaven forbid] someone takes them. That’s honestly why I’m a little hesitant to put something like a crock on my porch. We’ve never had anyone take anything like that, but you never know. You know your area best and what you feel comfortable placing outside.

If your mum is too short to stick up over the top of the basket or bucket, put a paver stone, upside down pot, sturdy plastic Tupperware container, or something similar in your basket and set the mum on it. Easy peasy! It instantly dresses up the mum and makes it look very classy!

2. Cover the plastic over with burlap or fabric.

Another way to hide ugly mum pots is to cover them with burlap or fabric. I used a cute sheet from the thrift store this year.

Just cut your fabric or burlap to size – I used pinking shears for a cute zigzag edge – and secure it around the top of your mum pot with a large rubber band. Trim any oddly big corners of fabric. If you don’t have a large enough rubber band you can cut several rubber bands and tie them together into a larger band. (Ask me how I know haha…) You want it to be pretty tight so it holds the material up but not so tight that it’s working its way back down the pot!

Then cut a length of burlap several inches wide, wrap it around the pot, hiding the rubber band, and tie in a bow. So easy and cute!

Try mixing and matching with the reverse – pots wrapped in burlap and tied with a fabric bow from the material you used on the other pots!

Create interest through grouping and variation.

Our eyes like to see things in groups, especially in odd numbers.

• Group your mums in odd numbers, vary their heights, and vary their colors within your chosen palette.
• Line up your little pumpkins in odd numbers on a ledge or bench.
• Stack your pumpkins in threes (choose flatter pumpkins with no stems for the bottom layers).
• Occasionally lean a pumpkin up against something else at an angle (mum, bigger pumpkin, bench leg) to create a sense of the unexpected and break up the vertical and horizontal lines.

When decorating a porch it helps to create height.

I’ve had this little indoor/outdoor bench in my living room for a few years now just sitting there holding a plant. I finally got the idea to try it out on our porch and I love it! It just fits at an angle next to our door and is perfect for holding mums and pumpkins!

• Use an outdoor-proof bench or chair to display your flowers and pumpkins. Put some items on the bench and some on the ground.
• Create variation in height by propping up mums inside of baskets and purchasing various sizes of mums.

Be mindful of the walking path and keep the door clear.

For everyone’s safety maintain a clear walkway so no one trips. Make sure you can get in and out of the door quickly and safely in the event of an emergency.

Thanks for joining me on my little decorating session!

I just love the orange of the pumpkins with my blue door and shutters! (Door and shutters are painted “Liberty Blue” by Fusion Mineral Paint.) Stay tuned for a Fall wreath very soon – I bought the supplies this morning!

Blessings,
Melissa

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