20 Outdoor Fall Décor Ideas That Will Elevate Your Home for the Season

Outdoor decor with gourds and pumpkins — Photo:
Olga Chetvergova / GETTY IMAGES

When fall arrives, for many, the first area of the home to decorate is the interior—everyday linens are swapped for ones with seasonal motifs, mantels are decorated with leaf garlands, and faux pumpkins dot every room of the house. But if the outside of your home is still lacking harvest spirit, it may be time to extend the festive décor to your landscape. To help you get started, here are our best outdoor fall décor ideas that you can use as inspiration whether you're decorating a small balcony or a sprawling front porch.

01 of 20

Display Chrysanthemums

Porch filled with mums — RASimon / GETTY IMAGES

No flower is more symbolic of fall's arrival than chrysanthemums. The perennial bloom is available in a range of autumn colors, from burnt orange and blushing red to bright yellow and dark purple. While you can plant them in garden beds, the flowers flourish as container plants, where they make a beautiful addition to any front porch as living décor.

02 of 20

Hang String Lights

pumpkin electric light string against the window for a Halloween theme — Arman Zhenikeyev / Getty

Outdoor string lights look incredible no matter the season, but they’re especially magical during fall. Use them to illuminate the rest of your autumnal décor by stringing them along your front porch, back deck, and anywhere else your landscape features seasonal motifs.

03 of 20

Decorate With Hay

Porch decorated with hay — Bogdan Kurylo / GETTY IMAGES

Hay is the ultimate way to fill in negative space when decorating your landscape for fall. Pick up a bale from your local craft store and place it on your front porch surrounded by pumpkins, mums, cornstalks, and more seasonal décor. If you buy too much, use excess hay to make a DIY scarecrow by stuffing old clothes and finishing off the look with a straw hat.

04 of 20

Plant Seasonal Flowers

Fall flowers, pansies and violas — magicflute002 / GETTY IMAGES

While spring has a reputation for being the ultimate time for gardening, fall's cool temperatures make it a great season for planting as well. Fall annuals, like mums, zinnias, pansies, and other blooms, will fill your garden with autumnal color.

05 of 20

Make a Foraged Wreath

golden foliage fall and holiday wreath — Johnny Miller

A wreath is a simple way to let passersby know you're ready for the fall season. Rather than buying one, DIY a beautiful wreath by foraging leaves and twigs straight from your own backyard. For the iteration pictured here, gather dried or hardy foliage, like holly leaves, ferns, and pinecones. Then, attach each piece to a simple wire frame with floral tape or hot glue. Dust the entire display with gold spray paint for a picture-perfect door accessory.

06 of 20

Make a Miniature Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkin patch on porch — MarkHatfield / GETTY IMAGES

Bring the pumpkin patch to you by filling your landscape with a mix of in-season gourds. Of course, orange is the most on-theme shade, but we suggest including a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes for added dimension. You can find pumpkins in shades of white, beige, sage green, and even pink.

07 of 20

Display a Doormat

Fall doormat — Kristen Prahl / GETTY IMAGES

Signal to guests that you’re ready for fall with a doormat that is emblematic of the season. Lean into Halloween and choose a welcome mat with a spooky design, such as one with bats or ghosts. Or select one with leaves or pumpkins, which you can display throughout the entirety of autumn.

08 of 20

Turn Pumpkins Into Planters

Pumpkin Planter with succulents and flowers — Elena Fantasia / GETTY IMAGES

Rather than keeping seasonal flowers in generic pots, plant them inside pumpkins instead. To do so, start by hollowing out a pumpkin like you would when carving a jack-o’-lantern. Next, fill the pumpkin with potting soil, then remove your plant from its current container and place it into the gourd. Alternatively, you can hollow out the pumpkin and place the plant inside still in its original container.

09 of 20

Add Cozy Touches

Cozy fall touches on front porch — StephanieFrey / GETTY IMAGES

Fall is all about embracing comfort—which you can do both inside and outside the home. If you have furnishings under a covered porch, add a few decorative pillows and blankets to make your setup feel cozier. Choose a pattern or color that calls to the season, like plaid or a rich brown.

10 of 20

Hang Cone Planters

Cone planters with mums — Catherine McQueen / GETTY IMAGES

Mums are perfect container plants, but if you have limited space on your front porch, consider displaying them in clone planters affixed to the side of your home instead. It’s a stunning way to infuse your exterior with fall color without taking up space on a walkway or balcony.

11 of 20

Hang Garlands

fall porch colorful door garland pumpkins and gourds — Ruthie Jackson

Wrap seasonally inspired garlands around pillars and trellises, hang them from your front door, or weave them through the banister on the front of your steps. No matter how you decorate with garlands, a display of cascading leaves and miniature pumpkins will add flair to any setting.

12 of 20

Display Jack-o'-Lanterns

Jack-o-lantern decor — Svitlana Romadina / GETTY IMAGES

Few fall activities are as exciting as selecting a pumpkin from your local pumpkin patch and bringing it home to carve. Once it's done, place a votive candle inside and leave it outside as décor. You can carve classic triangle eyes and a toothy grin, or you take your pumpkin to the next level with shading, painting, and even embroidery.

13 of 20

DIY Luminaries

Here's a fun DIY décor project: Make luminaries to light the walkway leading up to your front door. Start by collecting leaves and arranging them on top of colored-paper bags. Put a teaspoon of acrylic paint in a misting bottle, fill it halfway with water, and shake to combine. Next, spray a paper bag with the mixture, then let it dry. Remove the leaves and place faux candles inside the bags to illuminate them.

14 of 20

Make a Pumpkin Wreath

Make a wreath you can display all fall season long with this harvest-inspired iteration, which is made by bundling dried caspia. Cut the caspia stems to be approximately 3 inches long; then, bundle three or four stems together. Insert the bundles into a grapevine wreath base using floral wire. Finish off the look by spraying a few small pumpkins with copper paint then secure them to the wreath with hot glue.

15 of 20

Set Up Window Boxes

Window boxes with fall decor and flowers — MitchelC14 / GETTY IMAGES

Complement your front porch, balcony, or patio by filling window boxes with fall blooms. Choose flowers that thrive in mild climates, like asters and violas. Keep in mind that the the soil in window boxes dries out quickly because there is less volume, so you'll likey need to water your plants daily.

16 of 20

Go Monochromatic

Orange mums and pumpkin decor — wsmahar / GETTY IMAGES

If you like a more understated palette when decorating, consider going monochromatic with a hue that encompasses fall: orange. Lining your landscape with pumpkins and orange mums will encompass the season without opting for more obvious motifs, like bats and witch hats.

17 of 20

Make a Flower Arrangement

Fall flower arrangement — VICUSCHKA / GETTY IMAGES

Turn fall foliage into a beautiful bouquet, which you can display on a porch table or on your back patio. Use fall branches and foliage to give the bouquet dimension, then use fall blooms from your cut garden to serve as focal and secondary flowers.

18 of 20

Incorporate Pumpkin Motifs

Pumpkin lantern — dkapp12 / GETTY IMAGES

Go beyond living gourds and jack-o'-lanterns and incorporate faux pumpkin-themed décor into your outdoor details as well. Copper pots shaped like pumpkins and planters with pumpkin faces call to the season in an elevated way.

19 of 20

Use Baskets

Basket of pumpkins — Elena Popova / GETTY IMAGES

Sourcing baskets from your local thrift store is an easy and affordable way to give your landscape a harvest-inspired look. Fill the baskets with apples, pumpkins, and foliage, then display them on your porch, patio, and anywhere else on your property where you're lacking décor.

20 of 20

Decorate With Dried Corn

Dried corn decor — Steve Smith / GETTY IMAGES

Dried corn—available in hues of yellow, burnt orange, brown, and beyond—is a beautiful way to infuse your space with fall color. Bundle a few pieces together with twine and display them around your landscape. You can even use the husks for a variety of DIY projects, like to make flower arrangements or a simple witch's broom.

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