When the temperatures drop, our thoughts turn to fall festivals, apple cider, and pumpkin everything. Now is the time to put away your summer décor and swap it out. Keep reading for fall decorating ideas and some tips on how to dress up your porch, walkways, mailbox area, and patio or deck.

Support Your Local Nursery or Garden Center

Let’s face it. A lot of fall décor ideas involve pumpkins, gourds, chrysanthemums, cornstalks, and hay bales or straw bales. While you can get most of these items at the big box stores or even your grocery store, think about supporting your local farmer, nursery, or garden center when you make purchases for decorating your outdoor living spaces.

Small businesses have been hit hard by COVID-19 and could use your help. Okay, we’ll get off our soapbox now and get on to the decorating ideas. A lot of these fall decorating ideas for your outdoor living spaces will inspire the crafter in you.

The Entryway

As a staple of the home, consider a fall wreath with leaves, dried flowers, wheat sheaves, grapevine, and more for your front door -- something that greets visitors with a warm fall “hello.”

Next, go for a symmetrical look and arrange corn stalks or scarecrows (or both) at either side of the door. Add in some mums of your favorite color, pumpkins, and gourds. Cascade them down the steps if you have them. More is more!

The Mailbox

Don't forget about the mailbox! Consider adding a leaf garland tied with a bow to your mailbox. Add a basket of flowers or pumpkins and gourds at the base. An alternative to a garland is to create a fall swag that hangs over your mailbox. Check out Pinterest for some inspiration.

The Walkway

How about when they come to the door? For a pop of color, plant some chrysanthemums next to the walkway. Colorful celosia is another great option for fall. We especially like the bright golds and brilliant oranges and reds. If you don’t want to plant flowers, put potted flowers into rustic baskets or a wooden wheelbarrow.

The Patio or Deck

You want to make your outdoor living spaces attractive – no one wants to spend time outside if things are grungy with mold, mildew, or moss. A hot and humid summer may have wreaked havoc on your patio furniture. Clean everything up, and make the seating arrangement cozy around the fire pit or patio heater.

Replace white and blue summer cushions with fall-inspired cushions in greens, oranges, and reds. Now is also the time to take the indoor/outdoor rug from summer and switch it out, or let the pavers or deck show. And that bar cart? Store some blankets on the shelf for when the sun goes down.

When you set the table, think about using linens and dishes with fall colors. Create a centerpiece with cattails, dried wheat sheaves, and other fall vegetation.

The main thing is to have fun with it! So, add your own flair and decorate your outdoor living spaces however you wish. The more inviting the space looks, the more likely you and your family are to enjoy it.

Dream It. Build It. Live It.

If, as you are doing some fall cleanup and decorating your outdoor living spaces for fall, you notice cracks in your concrete walkways or patio, or you find yourself wishing you had an outdoor kitchen like the next-door neighbors, make a plan. If you can dream it, we can build it, and you can start living it.

Fall is a good time to take stock of what upgrades you would like to make. You can start researching outdoor living contractors and setting a budget. Construction won’t likely start on your projects until next spring, but in the meantime, you can decide exactly what you want. When you’re ready, contact us for a consultation. We’d be happy to help you create your own personal oasis.