3 Tips for an Affordable Fall Porch

Where are my fall-loving friends at? Fall is hands-down my favorite season. I love everything from the in-season veggies and fall recipes to the warm cups of coffee and pumpkin-filled porches. There are endless inspirational photos of fall/pumpkin porches on Pinterest and Instagram. Most of my favorites include dozens of pumpkins trailing down porch stairs.

For the longest time, I thought there was really nothing better than a porch filled with dozens of pumpkins, and I spent more money than I care to admit to achieving that look in the past. Buying all of the pumpkins can add up quickly, making for pricey porch decor that lasts only one season.

Over the years, I have learned that you can have an adorable fall-inspired porch with the same level of impact on a lower budget, using fewer pumpkins. Here are three simple, budget-friendly ways you can achieve an impactful fall porch without breaking the bank.

Pick a few statement pieces that you can reuse every year. Look at store catalogs and websites (Ballard Designs and Pottery Barn are a few of my favorites) for classic pieces you like, then try to re-create them or wait for them to go on clearance before purchasing.

Last year, I found this cute pumpkin with a witches hat on clearance at our local plant shop. It was very similar to one I had my eye on from Pottery Barn.

He had a few nicks and dings, but I knew I was going to give him a make-over anyway, so I wasn't worried about that. I did the IG famous flour treatment on him, and now he looks like a high-end piece of clay pumpkin pottery. He is easy to store in our garden shed, and I always look forward to displaying him on my porch.

Instead of a trailing group of pumpkins, try picking a few statement pumpkins and displaying them in unique ways. Look at things you already have, like plant stands, unique pottery or crocks, or staple items on your porch like a bench, and think about how to use those items to help your heirloom pumpkins show.

I've had this iron plant stand forever, but I've never been able to make it work for plants. It's the perfect stand for pumpkins and helps them stand out because they are up higher versus on the ground. It's become an every-year staple for my fall porch.

Even though I use the same accessories repeatedly, the look changes just a bit as I always pick a unique pair of pumpkins each year. As silly as it sounds, this little plant stand changed my perspective on how many pumpkins it takes to make an impact on a porch.

Another way to elevate your fall porch is with a good wreath. Hear me out... I know a good, full, quality wreath can be SO EXPENSIVE. I found several beautiful fall wreaths on Williams-Sonoma's website that I absolutely fell in love with but wasn't willing to pay the price.

I saved a picture of it and went to Hobby Lobby on a day that fall stems were 50% off (I always check their weekly ad to find out the deals for the week) and made a dupe for a fraction of the cost.

Each year, I like to pick one DIY project that will elevate my fall porches that I can use time and time again. I usually reserve about $40 for that project and try to keep my pumpkin and mum buying around $40 or $50. I personally feel much better about spending $100 per season with a mix of things that will last for years and pumpkins that will only last for a season versus hundreds of dollars on pumpkins that can only be enjoyed for a few months.

If you are in the same boat as me on wanting to cut down on your seasonal decor spending, I hope this helps! If you have a bigger seasonal budget, I hope you also found some inspiration in this post. I write this to encourage you that no matter your budget, you can have an adorable and impactful porch for fall. There is truly nothing better than a fall porch.

Happy Fall Porch Decorating,

Hillary