Fall Porch Decor

Our side porch was in need of some attention this fall. The railings and posts were coated in mildew and the screen door's paint was peeling. Things were looking drab to say the least. So I touched up the screen door with a white paint marker, one of the easiest DIY projects ever. (If you don't have a white paint pen, go get one! They're so handy!) The posts and railings took more work; I had to scrub them with bleach, one of the grossest DIY projects ever. It was worth it, though. Look how clean and shiny they are! Now on to the fall decorations...I pulled this chippy red chair out of the storage area of my garage and it looked great on the porch. I love the pops of red; it's a color that works for multiple seasons. I plopped an old wooden pumpkin on there and hung an old grapevine wreath on the back. It needed something else, though. And then I saw the cover of this month's issue of Better Homes and Gardens. They used hedge apples as part of an adorable centerpiece. We have hedge apples aplenty around here, so I just went out and grabbed a few, sprayed them with a coat of sealant and arranged them in a basket. Much better! Total cost of this part of my fall decor: $0!

Okay, now I'll admit that I did spend a little money on my porch. I decided to make a wreath for the door, so I invested in a few fake fall flowers and ribbon. I used another old grapevine wreath (really, these things have a lot of uses!) and just stuck the flowers in where they looked nice. Nothing scientific about it, and no wires involved. My favorite part is the ribbon I used to hang the wreath. Ooo la la!
The last project I did was paint my sad-looking old door. The previous owners had painted the whole thing a depressing gray color, trim and all. I painted the trim a bright white and gave the door three coats of a wine-colored burgundy. Much better! It took a lot of time to tape it and paint it, but the payoff is well worth it. I love driving up to my cheery entrance now!

I'm linking up to the Fall Festival at the DIY Show Off. Go check out what other DIY-ers are doing to decorate for the season!
Edited to add: I'm also linking up to Kimba's DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land. Go check out some other great projects!