Tips for Simple Porch Decor

When the warm season fades and blossoms tire, don't throw color away. Dried seed heads may not look great in the garden, but they can add texture to your porch design. In just a couple of hours, your porch can go from drab to fab. The beauty of the project is that you can dictate the budget. You don't have to spend money if you don't want to.

Plus, you can constantly update the look with the changing of the season. When celebrating fall harvest, bring in cornstalks and pumpkins. For the holidays, try some garland and greenery. Here's how it's done.

Gather dried seed heads and vines. Ditches, fields and your garden are all great places to gather goods. Vines cleared from tree branches make a great base, and clearrning them keeps them from girdling the tree.

Need some extra color in your palette? Pick up additional flowers from the farmer's market and dry them, or buy dried flowers from the craft store. Keep in mind that a small bundle of flowers from craft store will cost much more than the ones you can gather yourself for free. Separate materials into piles according to size and color.

Use paper-coated wire to affix your decorations. Wrap the wire around exterior beams of your house to create a base that everything can be inserted into. The paper-coated wire will help you avoid using nails or scratching up the exterior fixtures of your home. Wrap the wire like a candy cane so that the inserted plants will fall at an angle, creating a layering affect. To wrap the tree vines, tuck the loose ends into the wire in order to fix them in place. These vines will create a nice base for your decorating.

Add the embellishments. Nothing says "autumn" better than sunflowers. Try mammoth sunflowers. Smaller flowers tend to peel away and the birds are able to enjoy the seeds. Fresh flowers are also nice as they dry to be gorgeous. Create clusters of interest and use concentrated focal points to create a more dramatic effect.

Topiary

After embellishing the entryway, make topiaries to continue to draw guests to the door. Continue the theme you began with the other porch decorations.

Distress a flower pot/container with spray varnish. Lightly coat the inside with a charcoal-colored varnish then continue layering with hickory- and chestnut-colored varnishes to create a rich textured look.

Gather additional materials: vines, a bamboo pole, twine and moss.

Once the container has dried, fill the bottom with dirt and rocks to make it stable. Stake a bamboo pole in the center of the container and stagger the flowers down the pole, securing them with twist ties. Top off the base with some moss then add embellishments for color.

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