6 tips for creating a show-stopping front porch display this fall

First impressions are everything. Our front porch is one of my favorite areas to decorate, for that very reason. It is your guests' first impression of your home! So I like this space to feel welcoming and festive. Sure, a couple of green topiaries and a cheerful wreath are fun during spring and summer, but fall and winter are when this area really shines.

Today I'm sharing pictures of our own front porch. It's not a huge wrap-around veranda with bench swings and beautifully framed windows (maybe one day!), but it is roomy enough to fill with pumpkins and hay bales and some mums for good measure!

T I P # 1

THEME!

Decide on your colors. Are you going neutral and modern with white pumpkins and shades of grey and gold? Or are you going the more traditional route with vibrant oranges and reds? Maybe you want to channel your inner Claire Dunphy and make your porch downright spooky for Halloween. Whatever you decide, pick your theme and run with it!

T I P # 2

DIMENSION!

You want to add some interest to your porch design by layering different elements. Place things at varying heights and layer-in different textures and colors. I placed smooth pumpkins on rough hay bales; Ghords are arranged on different steps, and even stacked on top of each other to create some varying heights. I threw some sprigs of wheat in a couple glass jars I found at target ($5 in the dollar bin!) and then placed them on different steps, because you guessed it, layers + height = GOOD!

T I P # 3

RESOURCEFULNESS!

Use what you have! You probably have lots of things laying around the house that can be repurposed to use in your display. I found this cute brass planter on Etsy, in which I planted and (and later killed) a Fiddle Leaf Fig tree. The planter sadly found its way into my dusty garage. As luck would have it, I needed a pot for my new red feathery plant and my old pot, with it's brassy yellow tones, was a perfect fit.

T I P # 4

PUMPKINS!

I'm talkin' pumpkins of ALL shapes and sizes. In my opinion, the pumpkins are what make your fall display. Jordan endearingly tells me I have 'pumpkin probs' each year, because as soon as the pumpkin patch opens, we are out there loading up our wheelbarrow with every possible variation of squash. Funky long stem pumpkins? Load 'em up! Short and stalky pumpkins? Yes please! Misshapen or warty gourds?? YEP! Tiny, small, medium or large pumpkins? I'll take the lot! And, of course, two perfectly round traditional pumpkins, saved for carving just before Halloween!

I love getting all of the pumpkins home, and stacking, clustering, arranging and then re-arranging them until they look just right. Which leads me to my next tip...

T I P # 5

FLOWERS!

Mums are everyone's go-to fall flower (and one of the variations I selected for my porch display this year). I also included a potted dragon's breath (remember that feathery flower that now lives in my old brass pot?). Other flowers to consider: Daisies, Marigolds, Sunflowers and Black-Eyed Susan; these are all great seasonal floral options.

Drop the plastic flower container from the hardware store straight into a woven basket or galvanized bucket (the one above is from HomeGoods), and you have an easy and stylish addition to your porch display! BONUS TIP: don't forget to put a plastic plant saucer under your flower pot to avoid any staining from excess water that drains from the container.

T I P # 6

BALANCE!

Symmetry and balance are two VERY different design concepts. Think of symmetry as a mirror. What is on one side is also reflected on the other. Balance is better represented by a weighted scale. Each side can have different items, as long as they balance out visually. There is no exact science to this. Just keep it in mind as you are placing your items.

On our porch, we have one hay bale and a metal basket on one side, and a large pot of mums on the other -- with varying pumpkins, flowers and containers on each side. To put it in the simplest of terms, when you look at the porch as a whole, the sides don't match exactly, but they still have roughly the same amount of 'stuff' at similar heights and depths on each side.

Keep these tips in mind, and you'll be well on your way to a beautiful front porch display for fall!