Fall Outdoor Decor – Transitioning to Fall
As fall rapidly approaches, it’s time to start thinking about transitioning your home’s outdoor space from summer to fall. For some of us, it’s go time! We love to adorn our porches with pumpkins and mums. And for some of us, we need some inspiration! Don’t get too caught up in the overwhelming variety as there are so many great options for fall outdoor decor. Before you head to Home Goods, read ahead and grab a few ideas for creating a beautiful outdoor space filled with timeless fall outdoor decor.
From porch displays full of pumpkins to cozy elements like plaid rugs and pillows to my favorite, planters full of mums, there are endless possibilities when decorating for fall. Don’t get stumped this fall when planning out your fall outdoor decor. These ideas are great for transitioning your home’s outdoor space from summer to fall.
Keep Your Fall Outdoor Decor Simple
Let’s dive into fall outdoor decorating ideas. My very first suggestion is to keep it simple if you can. You don’t have to use every one of these ideas. Choose a couple that works for you and run with it. Overdoing the fall outdoor decor may look cluttered and messy which is not the look we’re going for at all. When I’m doing seasonal decorating on a porch or an outdoor space I tend to pick between three and four sections to decorate. On a smaller porch, I might do just two spaces like the door and on either side of the door. On a larger porch maybe I’d decorate a seating area to the side of the porch, the door area, and the steps leading up to the porch.
Please don’t think too much about it but consider yourself an editor. More is not always more when it comes to decorating! Let’s take a look at some outdoor fall decor ideas.
Fall Welcome Sign
Something about fall makes me want to make sure to have a welcome sign near my front door. It doesn’t have to be a cheesy, “fall ya’ll” sign but something as simple as a welcome sign on your wreath is very inviting and fall really is about creating this cozy, warm, inviting feel to your home. Welcome guests with a sweet fall sign.
Lots of Pumpkins Set the Scene
The absolute easiest way to decorate your porch for fall is to load it up with a bunch of pumpkins (and gourds) and call it a day. Nothing says fall charm like a porch full of pumpkins. It has to be said that buying real pumpkins simply as fall outdoor decor does not meet everyone’s budget so consider investing in a couple of faux pumpkins each year. In a few years, you’ll have plenty of porch pumpkins that you can use every fall season.
As far as decorating with pumpkins, you can go the traditional route and stack them up on either side of your front door, line them along your porch, or get creative and use pumpkins as planters. Try filling them with mums or other fall flowers and line them up along your steps or porch. If you’re feeling extra crafty, you can even paint pumpkins for a more unconventional fall porch. Painting pumpkins can be as simple or as elaborate as you’d like. Here are some incredible painted pumpkin ideas. You can use a rainbow of colors, go for a more ombre look, or paint designs on your pumpkins for an especially unique look.
Use Vessels For Your Fall Decorating
I’m a huge fan of using vessels in your decorating. They are great for flowers and plants, but also for candles and other collections of things. For fall outdoor decor, collections of mini pumpkins or pinecones are great in oversized outdoor lanterns. You can always find bags of inexpensive faux mini pumpkins and pinecones at dollar stores. Grab a few bags and dump them into outdoor lanterns for instant fall porch decor.
Candles, Planters, and Baskets
Right behind pumpkins, planters or bushel baskets full of fall flowers is a fall outdoor decor staple. I love a porch filled with pumpkins and mums in different hues. Create a really simple yet beautiful fall outdoor space by adding a couple of planters of mums to your porch. If you need tips on caring for mums through fall, my friend Chelsea has them! You can also use faux plants like a pot with an olive tree or faux topiaries that you can swap out with the changing season. Other seasonal blooms include sunflowers, verbena, and African daisies.
In addition to fall planters, you can add other elements to your porch like candles. Consider grouping battery-operated candles together going up your steps for fall. It’s so pretty the way it will illuminate your porch at night. You can also place the candles inside a lantern and have them go up your porch as well.
Adding large baskets, wooden crates, or olive buckets to house outdoor blankets and pillows or wood logs on your porch in an excellent way to add warmth to the space. Blankets and pillows are so inviting along with some chopped wood that says, “let’s make a fire.” This can create a feel of a living room outdoors and that coziness feels very fall.
Front Porch Decorating With a Mix of Patterns
The same rules of pattern mixing apply to outdoor decor. You want to have a nice mix of patterns and textures in your space so that the eye is drawn all around the space. You also want it to look inviting and welcoming instead of like a sterile magazine shoot. To mix patterns for fall try a plaid or tartan pattern with something cozy like faux fur, or sherpa (Make sure these materials work well in your climate).
Fall Outdoor Decor: Wreaths and Garlands
Wreaths and garlands are fall porch staples for a reason, they are absolutely beautiful. There is something so welcoming about a fall wreath on your front door. Wreaths are also really easy to make yourself, or you can find some really pretty fall wreaths at most stores and online this time of year. This is my favorite fall wreath for purchase and here’s a DIY fall wreath to try.
I don’t think garland is a typical fall decor item but garlands are beautiful and look so gorgeous draped along a railing or around a front door. Eucalyptus leaves garland look fantastic this time of year. Consider using fresh, foraged greenery to craft your own garland or use faux garlands in your fall outdoor decor this year, and let me know what you think!
Don’t Forget Wall Decor
Seasonal wall decor is not for everyone but if you are tempted to add something to your walls for fall, go for it. It doesn’t even have to be on the walls – you can add cute little chalkboard art like this one above! There are hundreds of free fall printables available on the web including this one, and this one that I’ve created.
Create Ambiance with Twinkly String Lights
Another idea that will I will never tire of and that looks great all year round is the ambiance that twinkly string lights create. At dusk, those string lights set such a mood that no matter the season you’ll want to be on the porch to experience it! Just because summer is over doesn’t mean you have to take down your cafe lights. Leave them up and enjoy them all fall.
There you have it! These fall outdoor decor ideas will help you transition your home’s outdoor space from summer to fall with ease. With just a few simple fall outdoor decor additions, you can take your home’s outdoor space from summer to fall in a cinch.
