October 5, 2009

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!

14 comments:

Roeshel said...

So pretty! I love the red chair and your hedge apples...I have been wanting some of those! Don't they keep away the spiders or something too?

And you have me wondering where my white paint pen is...hmmm. Need to keep track of it - I always forget about it! lol Great job on your fall porch clean up and decorating. It looks so inviting!

Thanks so much for linking to the Fall Festival! :)

Roeshel

Scooterblu's Whimsy~Rhonda said...

Fabulous! :) ~Rhonda

cindy said...

Yes. I want your red chair. Perfect for that spot and perfect for fall! I'm subscribing to you in my reader...such a pretty blog!
peace, cindy

Jill said...

@DIY Show Off: Yes, I believe the old saying goes, "Hedge apples they say, keep the spiders away." Unfortunately I haven't seen evidence of this yet! There's a new spider web on my porch every morning!

Jill said...

@Scooterblu: Could you possibly have a cuter username or a cuter dog!?

Jill said...

@Cindy: Thanks for subscribing! You make me want to update my blog more often, so I shall try!

Sue said...

Hi Jill, Nice to meet another fellow Ohioan. Where do you live? Your porch does look cute with the addition of the red chair and the hedge apples. A friend brought me some yesterday. Used to see them all the time, but not so much lately. I think they are so cool. Thanks for the visit earlier.We're trying to get the Ohio bloggers together sometime soon, so if you're interested, let me know!
:-) Sue

Diann @ The Thrifty Groove said...

Your red door is wonderful! I love the color and that old chair, just perfect!

Southern Fried Gal said...

So cute - I love the red chair and how you have accessorized it!

Courtney said...

so cute i love the use of the hedge apples!

Sherri said...

I love love love your chippy old red chair! Your porch is adorable!

Gail said...

Hi Jill,

Love what you did to your porch and especially the use of the red chair....nice touch! I just love fall colors. Thanks for the visit and leaving such kind words.

Have a blessed day,
Gail

Dresser Girl said...

It's adorable.

MotherhoodFilm said...

I really enjoyed looking around your blog! What great ideas!!
*Eliza’s blog*