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Simple tips to decorate front porch for fall

LAURA CHURCHILL DUKE SPECIAL TO SALTWIRE NETWORK news@cbpost.com @capebretonpost

When you decorate the front of your house, not only does it make others feel welcome, but it shows you have a sense of pride for your home, says Gwendolyn Fells.

“I think people get a good feeling when they see houses with nice curb appeal, it also helps the neighborhood feel safer kind of like your home,” says Fells, who owns Nova Decorator in Yarmouth, N.S

With the fall harvest upon us, now is a great time to dress up your front entrance. And, with some advice from these experts, it's a lot easier than you think.

Nancy O'Halloran, from Kentville, N.S., loves decorating her front porch for fall. For her, it's about showing how grateful and blessed she feels to live in a harvest-rich area.

“Decorating with fall flowers and gourds creates warmth and a welcoming atmosphere. It can help with our mood and mental health. Sometimes, we just need it,” says O'Halloran.

WHEN TO START?

The best time to start decorating your front porch, veranda or entranceway for fall is at the end of September, says O'Halloran. That's usually when summer flowers start to fade or die out and is a good time to replace any potted plants.

Suzanne Stewart agrees. The Feng Shui practitioner in Wolfville, N.S. says to replace fading summer plants with flowers, such as mums, marigolds, and nasturtiums. Dead and dying plants hold negative chi or energy, she says.

The next step, says Stewart, is to clean up the front of your house. Porches and verandas lead to the main entrance of the home and should always invite people and energy into your living space.

“The front door is considered the mouth of chi, energy, so it should be the focal point of your house to attract positive energy inside to energize you and your family,” says Stewart.

Clear away any debris or clutter from your veranda to hold space for the positive energy to find its way into your home, she says. That could include washing windows to allow in natural light and fresh air, removing any branches hanging over the entranceway and cleaning gutters on your porch. Stewart also suggests cutting away any vines on the house.

With the house and yard cleaned, you can now begin to decorate for fall.

EASY TO DO

O'Halloran says when it comes to decorating, some people don't feel creative. She says people should try to tap into their creative sides.

“There is really nothing you can screw up with fall décor,” she assures.

There are only five factors to keep in mind: be colourful, be unique, potted mums are a must, hang a wreath, and pumpkins and gourds are needed.

With this in mind, how do you get started?

Start by replacing your front doormat, says Stewart. By doing so, you replace an item that has been walked on repeatedly and, therefore, may hold much negative energy. Installing a new mat will allow space for new opportunities to come your way, she says.

Virginia Ward, an interior designer working under Virginia Ann Interiors in Fall River, N.S., agrees, suggesting finding a doormat with warmer colours for fall.

Another easy tip is to keep patio furniture out as fall still has beautiful weather. She suggests switching out the cushions for ones that have more fall colours.

Outdoor cushions are a bit tougher to find this time of year, she says, but when they are in season, anywhere that carries patio furniture should have outdoor cushions. HomeSense has some good budget-friendly options.

"I encourage people to check out their local furniture stores early to see if they stock them in spring or summer," says Ward.

WHAT TO INCLUDE

As for decor items, Fells recommends using fake items like fall flowers, leaves and pumpkins so they can all be reused each year.

Stewart prefers using natural elements, like pumpkins, gourds, cornstalks and apples in her designs to help express gratitude for the many blessings of the harvest season.

O'Halloran, too, likes to include many of these natural elements in her decor. She cautions, however, if you are using bales of hay, it may invite critters into the house, so watch out for that.

It's important to also have a disposal plan for these natural elements at the end of the season, following best practices, says O'Halloran. She recommends finding a farm or zoo that will take pumpkin donations to feed the animals. An added bonus of using natural elements, she says, are having fewer things to store in the off-season.

PERFECT PLACEMENT

With materials in hand, O'Halloran says to start by framing the door. This could be achieved by leaning cornstalks against the doorframe, with a few pumpkins on the ground to hide the bottoms of the stalks.

Then, work outward from there.

“Always leave the door free, making sure the area is safe,” says O'Halloran. “People still need to comfortably walk through.”

Consider placing mums on each side of the entranceway.

Just take the pots out that held the summer flowers and use the same planters for the fall flowers, she suggests.

"Add a few cut-up branches to the planters or stick some fake leaves into the pots - red and orange ones from the dollar store - and add a pumpkin in the middle of it," says O'Halloran.

"The pumpkin has the added benefit of ensuring the planters don't blow away."

When you place items, Fells says to do so using multiples of three, five or seven. Place an odd number of items of different sizes on each side, grouped together. This could be groups of pots of plants, baskets, or urns. If you do a group of five on one side, do a group of three on the other, she advises, as it is more pleasing to the eye.

Simplicity goes a long way, says O'Halloran. Use what you have on hand: consider putting a pumpkin, blanket and rocking chair outside for an easy look, she says.

WREATHS

Decorators say a fall wreath is another must. Purchase one or consider making or adding to one of your own.

Sydney, N.S. blogger Jennifer Norman MacNeil with Happily Organized Chaos offers simple instructions on how to make a fall wreath using a grapevine wreath and a hot glue gun to attach fake fall flowers, leaves, and gourds.

Creating a fall wreath is a great project to do with your friends and family, says O'Halloran.

"It's another great way to count your blessings and be grateful during the time of harvest," she says.

SECURING YOUR CREATIONS

To ensure your fall decor doesn't blow away, Ward suggests creatively using rocks to weigh everything down.

Alternatively, O'Halloran suggests weighing pots and other items down with pumpkins. She uses a combination of fake and real pumpkins in her design.

"If you place them the right way, the fake ones are tucked away at the back, and the real pumpkins help to weigh things down," says O'Halloran.

Use twist ties or twine to secure other items like stalks, she says.

BUSINESS DECOR

Outside fall decorating is not just for your home, says O'Halloran. It's great for businesses, too, to decorate their storefronts, as a way to welcome customers. Thanksgiving and fall, she says, are great, non-controversial seasons and holidays, and by decorating, it's an easy way to show your gratitude.

Remember, says Ward, the idea is to not overdo it. Small items can make a big impact.

CULTURE

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2021-09-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-09-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

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