October has arrived, and holiday guests knocking at your front door is just weeks away. Beyond sprucing up your dinner table with some seasonal touches, dress your front stoop to be inviting and visually appealing with warm fall decorating ideas. Visitors will know they are in for more than a treat when they cross the threshold.
Simple and fitting, you cannot go wrong with a collection of pumpkins and mums. The bright blend of orange and yellow sets the tone for autumn appeal. Two larger, potted mums flanking your front door with a handful of pumpkins in varying sizes clustered around them is complete in minutes and will last for weeks. Now carving any pumpkins this early in the month will have you replacing them before four weeks are up. But you know we can always get more creative than that.
For the same effect without the mess, consider what paint can do on the exterior of pumpkins without taking a knife to them. Use a stencil, which you can print and cut out yourself, of your family’s monogram letter, and spray paint the sizeable letter on the largest pumpkin in your grouping. The same could be done with limitless designs, short sayings like “Welcome,” and graphics to suit your style. For a custom pumpkin collection, you could actually spray paint your entire pumpkins in one monochromatic selection or a couple of paint color choices, including light-catching metallics. There are more pumpkin painting ideas for indoors coming later this month!
In the process, do not neglect your front door itself. A wreath can be the crowning jewel to your entryway. You can purchase a ready-to-go wreath and hang it on a door hanger, or you can make your own for a custom look. Start with a plain dried naturals wreath, which is essentially a ring of tightly-woven, vine-like branches. Add on the decorations you want, using a glue gun for the most secure hold. Take all of the leaves off of a faux fall leaf garland, and glue them on individually in clusters. The same can be done with small acorns, gourds, sprigs of berries, or other fall trimmings.
Lay out a fresh welcome mat, and await that first knock or door bell ring that culminates in a compliment to your inviting entrance. You know that special holiday moments are right around the corner when you have fall literally at your front door.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star October 2nd.
