Yesterday I shared my desire to create a warm and welcoming front porch. Here you can see how to Create a Fabulous Fall Front Porch For Under $10.
I offered a glimpse of my sad, uninspired front porch.
While I have plans to paint the front door, the temperatures continue to hover in the low 100’s here in Phoenix so that project is still a few months away. The $7 springtime wreath was now faded way past its prime.
I wanted to transform the space to feel like fall AND I had a $10 budget.
It was time to get creative.
Create a Fabulous Fall Front Porch For Under $10
Rummaging through my tired fall décor I found some grapevine. (You can purchase this very inexpensively at most craft stores or thrift stores.) The long vine was cut into two equal pieces.
Next, a long fall leaf garland was selected from my stash. It had always seemed rather “thin” when I had previously tried to use it. I wrapped it around the vine and hot glued it in place. (Right now is the perfect time to find similar skimpy fall leaf garlands at thrift stores for pennies.)
The vine still looked pretty bare and I was going for a bountiful look. So I dug through my faux flowers stash and came up with a few blooms in fall colors.
I should mention that I was working outside as creating this garland was pretty messy work. It was so hot I almost didn’t need to plug in the glue gun. I glued the flowers on randomly, filling in bare spots.
I then headed to Hobby Lobby to get a grapevine wreath ($4.99 but I used a 40% off coupon). While I was there I moseyed down the fall aisles for some inspiration. I came away shocked. Really full and lovely fall garlands carried $99 price tags. Gulp! But I did take notice that many of the garlands had a bit of pine (AH HA moment!) so I dug through my Christmas supplies and draped the front door. The heavy-duty garland would serve as the base of the fall vine garland. Bonus ~ it lights up at night.
An Inspired Idea
Even after adding on the blooms and attaching it to the pine base it still appeared not quite BOUNTIFUL enough. I spied the tired, faded wreath on the door and thought “If I take that apart I could cut out small pieces and use the unfaded side of the burlap to create “burlap picks”.
So I pinched short pieces of burlap together, held it together with thin florist wire and then tucked the wire into the grapevine.
A million picks later the garland finally felt finished.
Creating A Wreath
Then I worked on the grapevine wreath. For a cohesive look, I used the same burlap, flowers, bittersweet and leaves.
Finally, it felt as if fall had arrived at my front door.
Warm, welcoming and cozy.
Adding Decor To The Corner
I then addressed the small corner by the door. The antique bentwood chair, planter, burlap, and baskets I had on hand. The pinecones came from the park right around the corner from our house.
I bought the yellow mums at a nursery for $2.99 and wrapped them in burlap and tucked the bouquet into the planter.
The remaining pumpkins and carnival squash were bought at the supermarket for $4.00 (on sale).
Before and After
Once again, the tired and uninspired….
Transformed into a welcoming front porch for fall.
Reality disclaimer: the garland and wreath took about four messy and sweaty hours to create, but it was so worth it for the cost saved.
Is your front entryway decked out for fall?
Laura
Your creativity and patience have produced an impressive and welcoming Fall porch for the cost of “next to nothing”. Congratulations,
it looks wonderful Laura..
I agree with Elizabeth. very creative and welcoming , indeed.
I havent even started here. maybe this weekend if I get my other projects done.
A lot of bang for your ten bucks there, Laura. The garland turned out so full and lush. I've never seen an old chair vignette I didn't like.
Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!! Your porch looks AMAZING (as I knew it would!!!) … Loveeeeeeeeeee it!!!
Your creativity never ceases to amaze. 🙂 I worked on my porch a little yesterday….I bought some mums and pumpkins and today I plan on trying to work them into some kind of fall vignette. I would have a hard time living in Arizona and doing fall decorating in temps of more …it's gonna be almost 80 here today and I'm not feelin' it. I'd rather wait till this weekend I think, when the highs are gonna be in the mid 50's to work on my fall stuff…now that feels like fall!~ 🙂
HUGS
Missy
Looks Great!!! Well done for $4.00!
chris
It looks wonderful, Laura! 🙂
Yep, mine is decked out, I still have yet to post a photo.
Love, Linda
Great job on a budget, Laura! Love your garland and wreath. I'm sure it felt like it took forever but the savings in money is well worth it.
That is great Laura! Way to go – especially working in the heat like that.
My front porch got some sticks and branches added from my neighbors pile of downed tree branches. I am not even spending 10 this year for some pumpkins and such. I figure I'll just skip fall and go straight to the Christmas decor!
Good morning Laura, your front porch area looks lovely. i love decorating for fall and enjoy walking up to my door with it decked out in all its finery. YOurs looks wonderful and I”m amazed you did it for the price. Wow, that makes it even more wonderful!
Blessings,
Debbie
Love it. It looks amazing. The garland looks so pretty, you did a great job. Hugs, Marty
Laura, I like how you wrapped burlap around your mum and placed it in the wire basket/urn. Your porch area looks quite homey how. And to think you did it all so frugally. 🙂
Wow, Laura, you got a lot out of your money! You entry is so festive and inviting. Perfect for the season!
Ok, not done reading your post yet, but I totally giggled outloud, and no one is here, about not needing to plug in the glue gun…only a true AZnian will really get it!! That was funny!
Oh it was worth every minute and every penny saved! I have no doubt that your garland and wreath put the $99 one to shame.
You have a lovely gift for creating a feast for the eyes. Don't you want to escape the hot temperatures and come to Maine to do my front door? As yet, I have done nothing…maybe this weekend?
Wow Laura,you did an amazing job on a budget.It looks great.
Any creative person with “good taste” and money can create beauty, but to make something so lush and wonderful for so little is a gift. The burlap picks were inspired, well it is all inspired
My goodness, clever AND brave!
I don't know how you survive in that heat. I begin to fade when the thermometer inches toward 80. When it does reach that extreme, I just give up trying to do anything more strenuous than drinking iced lemonade!
Love how you show it from bare.. to beautiful 🙂 It looks so lush and festive now!
I tired to respond to your sweet comment, but you're coming up a
no reply blogger 🙁
Lovely transformation. I love making do with what I have.
Hi Laura, I can not believe it, but we have the same front door area. The only difference is, your window, we use to have a window there but closed it in about 15 years ago. I love how you decorated it and the fact that you are showing your followers that you do not need a lot of money to have style.
Thanks for sharing, Connie 🙂
Love it! You did a great job and it certainly doesn't look like you spent just $10. More like $100! Great job.
Sp pretty, and quite “full” enough for sure! The added burlap was a great idea. I also LOVE the wire planter, even moreso with the burlap-wrapped mums in it!
Thank you Laura! You inspired me to transform my entryway yesterday! In fact I just blogged about it and linked back to you. My inspiration that got me started was the image you posted with the vintage rake heads. I happen to have four of them just laying around. Come see what I did with them ~
http://lindathompson.blogspot.com/2012/10/entryway-transformation.html
That's just wonderful Laura. I have sort of decked my door for fall, but nothing anywhere near as lovely as that. I really love it.
looks great. you have way more patience than I do. I would have just given up!
Looks very inviting and love the price!
Warmly,
deb
Your entry way looks so rich and festive! I like the look of the little bits of pine peeking out around the pretty blossoms and leaves. And it must be so pretty at night with the lights on. 🙂 Very welcoming!
I love what you did! That was a great idea using the pine and the grape vine! It just looks fabulous! … At least you have a little room at your front door… we have very little. What is it with AZ homes and their entries!? I got those same little carnival pumpkins too. So glad I did.
~Liz
Great job, Laura! I particularly like the little burlap picks you made. Your porch is the quintessential fall paradise now, and I like the additon of the antique chair.
XO,
Sheila
Okay….you inspired me too. I am low on budget but high on creativity also…thanks for the encouragement!
If you hadn't told us you spent less than $10, I would have thought you spent a fortune for that look! Well done! ~ Maureen
It looks very lovely, Laura! I love the whole “creating something new from something old, or at least already existing in my stash” concept. It can be pretty costly to buy too many new things each season, & then you have to store them! Great job!
Knock on wood (or a cactus), but it looks like we might be “falling” below 100 degrees!
CAS
It looks great! What a contrast from “before” and “after!”
Laura you amaze me!! I Have a burlap wreath on my front door with I wound a fall leaves garland around. It could use some pinecorns which I do have.
A garland around the door would be beautiful; alas I do not have any supplies for this. It is apparent that I have not saved enough holiday decor over the years!! 🙂
Xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
I love this! Beautiful job. Especially the chair – I love, love, love the idea of using a chair;)
Oh wow! That looks so beautiful and welcoming!
What a welcoming entry! I enjoyed seeing your inspiration pictures and then your interpretation of an autumn entry. I love your clever use of all of the fall items in the chair vignette!
Amazing what can be done with a bit of hot glue, right? Love it. And very inspiring! thanks for sharing, liz
Mission accomplished! I love to see a plan come together! You did a wonderful job making it look so bountiful!
Thinking of you this pretty, Autumn day. Your front entry is so festive and welcoming. Keeping you in my prayers. Mildred
Beautiful! Thanks for joining at HSH!
Sherry