Fall wreaths are the best way to welcome guests into your home and set the tone for beautiful curb appeal this season. Before Hurricane Irma, we had removed all of our front porch furniture and it stayed looking dark and dreary until I partnered with Lowe’s to feature their Fall Harvest outdoor decor items, including fall wreaths. Take a look at how I welcome autumn to my porch with their wreaths for autumn, as well as fresh flowers and harvest finds!

(Roll over the picture to find out more details on where you can find these items at your local Lowe’s or on Lowes.com)

I Loved the Fall Wreaths at Lowe’s for my Front Door

As you already know wreaths are a huge part of my life from my How To Make a Burlap Wreath sister site. On that site, I highlight gorgeous wreath tutorials for every season, occasion and also list by materials. The fall wreaths at Lowe’s are perfect for any decorative style and I chose their Holiday Living 22-in Orange Indoor Gourd Artificial Thanksgiving Wreath. The mixture of gourds, pumpkins, feathers, and leaves is the perfect grapevine wreath to celebrate the season. What I love even better? That I can keep this up throughout October and November!

Our “Before” front porch was dark and dreary

Fall Wreaths Pair Beautifully with Lowe’s Pumpkins, Topiary and Planted Flowers

Color and textures are the simplest way to bring warmth to your front porch. After I put my own porch furniture back, I used Lowe’s potted yellow mums flowers and their craft pumpkins in varying sizes around the porch.

I think fall wreaths always look better when they have another element to pull them together. The Holiday Living Pumpkin Topiary with White LED Lights also adds vertical height next to the front door. I love how the grapevine pumpkin topiary also lights up at night.

Here’s the Lowe’s Fall Decorating Pieces I Paired with My Wreath

I couldn’t resist getting these happy yellow mums and playful pumpkins to go alongside the pillows!

How Will you Decorate your Fall Porch this Season?

I encourage you to take a look at Lowe’s Fall and Halloween outdoor decorations. They have a wide array of styles that will perk up your outdoor home.

If you need inspiration ideas peruse through your local Lowe’s and see what ideas they have.

For more wreaths ideas I encourage you to visit the Fall Wreaths category on How To Make a Burlap Wreath.com

5 Easy Outdoor Decor Rules To Try this Season

While you are decorating your patio or deck, here are some simple rules that you should follow:

1. Consider Patio Furniture that you Mix and Match

You need to mix and match furniture to make your outdoors appealing. If your living room furniture doesn’t match, why should your outdoor furniture be the same? You should consider using an array of furniture styles and finishes to make your porch or patio unique. Buy furniture pieces with different styles, shapes, and finishes then make sure that they can work together to create a  comfortable yet layered space.

2. Make Nature Your Focal Point with Outdoor Decor

You should not let your outdoor furniture ideas take center stage and outshine all the nature around you. If you have tree cover, an appealing garden, or a push lawn, you should buy furniture that allows you to appreciate these elements instead of being distracted from them. In some cases, less is more, especially if you want the landscape to be the focal point.

3. Use Plants to Accessorize your Outdoor Patio

Instead of cluttering your outdoor area, you should consider using flowers and greenery to accessorize. Small pots and container gardens are all that you need to make your patio look better. If you are considering flowers, you should choose the type you want and visit the page to see how much they cost.

If you want to plant flowers from scratch, you need to buy seeds and plant them in containers. On the other hand, if you prefer to buy flowers that are already fully grown, make sure that you keep up the care they need.

4. Take Color Ideas from the Environment

When flowers start blooming, a new color palette will reveal itself in your garden. You should allow these natural elements to guide your choices in furniture color. For instance, if your yard is filled with patio furniture, you should opt for furniture pieces that are green, blue, and violet. When you do this, your finished look will appear effortless and well pulled together.

5. Your Outdoors Should Complement Your Indoors

When decorating your outdoors, you need to keep your indoors in mind. You should try to pick patio furniture that matches your indoor furniture to some extent. However, you do not need to pick the same type of furniture for both indoors and outdoors.

For instance, if your indoor furniture is made from oak and brown in color, you should incorporate some aspects of this in your outdoor decoration. If you cannot pick the color brown because it clashes with the surroundings, you should at least pick furniture that is made from oak.

Patio furniture is no easy feat, but you should not despair. With the right furniture and accessories, you can transform your space into a beautiful one.

For more outdoor decor ideas for your home take a look at our patio archives.

A wreath is a pretty common décor prop for the front door, especially during the spring season. Today, we will share some ‘wreath-less’ spring decor ideas for your front door.

Spring Decor: Wreath-less Front Door Decor Ideas

Image via: House Ideas

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Flower Baskets

You have determined to skip wreaths but any spring décor will remain incomplete without fresh flowers and vibrant colors. Flower baskets can be the perfect substitution for wreaths. Use a basket with at least one flat side so that it lays flat against the door. Place tulips of different colors surrounded by wheatgrass and thin, dry tree branches inside the basket. Place some faux hatched eggs sporadically because eggs, spring, and Easter are almost inseparable!

The basket can take many shapes. Choose one that will attract attention! If basket seems a boring option, jazz it up with an uncommon holder like umbrella, rain boot, or watering can. Apart from flowers, fill the holder with ferns, and blown eggs and bring the spring cheer to your front door!

Image via: Southern Living

Hanging Spring-Inspired Decor

Eggs are an important part of Easter and spring décor. So, don’t forget to take the advantage of using eggs as a door décor item. A bunch of colorful eggs hanging from your front door will create a festive atmosphere. Buy some plastic foam eggs and wrap them with colorful crepe paper. Now, tie them up with a colorful ribbon (yellow or red) and hang from the door with a wreath hanger or removable adhesive hook.

Image via: Pinterest

Decorative Monograms

Monograms are a fun way to décor the door. And, it will be a proper tribute to spring’s green and vitality if you can combine them with succulents. Buy or make an oversized letter monogram from a hardboard piece. Buy shaped boxes such as circular, rectangular, or heart-shaped (whichever suits the size and shape of your monograms) and plant the succulents inside them. These plants will grow vertically and have low-water requirements. The gorgeous colors and textures will give your door a different dimension.

If growing plants inside the monogram seems a bit of hassle, choose easier options such as sea glass, buttons, fabric, twine, moss, shells, etc. to decorate the monogram. Still looking for an easy option? Paint it! With a vibrant color! If you want something funny, hot glue colorful jelly beans into the monogram.

Change the Look with Small Items

Some small changes can also make a huge impact. So, you can take the advantage of using some small décor items like metal or antique-looking doorknobs, brass numbers, doorknockers, doorbell ringers of different shapes like maple leaf doorbell or leaf filigree doorbell button, etc.

Image via: Pinterest

Deck your front door with these pretty, Easter-inspired decorations – appropriate for the sunny springtime. These spring décor ideas will help you think beyond wreaths and let you display your creative flair!

Have you liked any of the ideas? What do you think of them?

Outdoor Winter Decor: How to Make Giant Ice Balls

Image via: Trendhunter

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Watch a video on how to make these cool Outdoor Winter Decor

Click here to watch about Outdoor Winter Decor: How to make Giant Ice Balls

Supplies you’ll need

• Balloons (choose heavy duty ones if possible) of various sizes
• Food coloring or/and colorful powdered drink mix
• Water
• Glitter (optional)
• Below freezing point outside temperatures or empty space in your freezer

Image via: Postris

Directions

It’s a really straight forward project to make. Here are the simple steps:

1. To avoid creating a mess, you can use some newspapers to catch drippings.
2. Pour a few drops of food coloring or an amount of the powdered drink mix (one sachet should do the job, depending on the size of your balloon) into the empty balloon.
3. Add some glitter if you want a more sparkling effect.
4. Now just fill it with water, but don’t overfill it, since it might burst when you let it freeze.
5. Once filled, make a tight knot so nothing can get out of the balloon.
6. The next step is to freeze it. If using a freezer, just put it in there for a few hours, until its frozen solid. To be sure you won’t get a mess in your freezer, place the balloons inside a bowl or other container so to be sure all is fine in case it bursts. If you can freeze them outside, just place the balloon on the ground in a shadowy place and cover it with snow, if there is any, and let it freeze for a few hours. The freezing time depends on how big the balloons you use are and the temperature, so it might take up to 24 hours to freeze completely.
7. When the balloons are frozen and you want to move them, put them in a bucket for easier transportation and go outside. You might want to use some old mittens (they can get colored!), since they are really cold! With a scissor, cut the top of the balloon and peel it of the ice marble. And you’re done!

Image via: Woods and Water

Keep in mind that depending on what you’ll use to color the water will affect the final outcome. Powdered drink mix tends to result in more solid, vivid colors, while food coloring will give you a look that resembles marbles more.

You can play all kinds of games with these fun marbles, like bowling, or use them to line your pathway up to your door. It’s also a fun science experiment for kids when freezing the ice balls and letting them melt away and color the underlying snow. It’s sure to be a blast for everyone when making them and playing. And they will be a unique eye-catching Outdoor Winter Décor this Christmas, guaranteed. After all, they kind of look like giant cool Christmas ornaments, don’t they?

Autumn just like any other season does the same to our house. As the season introduces a bit of chill, the lifestyle changes involve bringing in a little warmth in terms of colors, textures, food, activities etc. Today we will bring to focus the Fall Home with regard to the changes that one can introduce into their ‘Porch’ so that one can enjoy the onset of cool temperatures in complete style and fervor. So here is bringing you ‘The Autumn Porch’.

Fall Home- Bringing Autumn To Your Porch

Image Via: Home Designs Ideas

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Colors For Your Fall Home Porch

Fiery oranges and reds are a big yes when introduced with balancing hues of beiges, off whites and earthly browns in your Fall Home. These colors introduce a dash of excitement and heat in the otherwise chilling surroundings. Otherwise too, the trees are shedding leaves and nature is preparing for the upcoming winters. Hence the outsides are becoming a little darn and dry without the colorful splashes of color. What better than an outdoor porch to introduce a spurt of color to liven up the outdoors. However save the red and green for Christmas!

Textures To Complement Your Fall Home Porch

Thin linens and pure cottons however delightful and pretty need to go out now. Its time to introduce heavy materials in furnishing and upholstery. Woven textures, semi-woolen furnishings etc. look very graceful in your outdoor autumn porch as they turn into table runners, cushion covers etc. The idea is to shift from light and floating to slightly heavy and sustaining.

Image Via: Bombay Outdoors

Lamps And Lights Accentuate Your Fall Home Porch

Lighting is the perfect supplement for right color and texture. Beautiful yellow lighting in your Fall Home Porch can become an icing on the cake. Of course the shades of yellow could vary from warm yellow to fiery yellow as per your taste and requirement, nonetheless what  is gained is warmth and coziness. Lighting can come in terms of table lamps, chandeliers, floor lamps  or any other type of arrangement you can think of. Won’t it be delightful to sit in the porch in the slightly chilly evenings with the yellow bulbs on.

Image Via:Pinterest

A Tea Corner For Warmth

A chilly evening is so incomplete without a cup of nice hot tea. A charming tea corner finding way into your Fall Home Porch can be just the right accessory to have this season.

Image Via: Between The Naps on The Porch

Bring In The Rug This Fall

If you do not already have it, this is the right time to introduce a rug into your outdoor porch. You will find woolen rugs aplenty and these will be just the right thing for under foot comfort. Colors varying from deep crimsons to navy blues look splendid in outdoor areas. An Outdoor Autumn Porch is so incomplete without a rug, so get one ASAP!

 Image Via: Dujoo

Shams And Blankets

Apart from a soft cozy under foot feel one does want to snuggle in the warmth of a cozy blanket. A blanket, casually placed in your Outdoor Autumn Porch arrangement is definitely going to add bundles to your comfort whilst enjoying the glories of autumn.

 Image Via: Laurie Jones Home

Surrounded by warm hues of autumn, amongst the textures of snug and mellow, with a cup of hot tea in your hands and a shawl wrapped up by your shoulders, your Fall Home Porch will definitely come to life with the charm of the season. One could arrange for a fire pit too if the space permits. You too must be preparing for the onset of winters in your own way. Do share your tips and tricks so that we can enrich our knowledge banks too. Do not forget to share your ideas in the comment box below.

For more patio ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Today we continue Stagetecture’s feature ‘Olioboard Inspiration‘. Before you were inspired by – ‘Inspiring Contemporary Thanksgiving’ from Tabitha Loudon . Today, I feature Cari Murphy who is a member of the Facebook Olioboard Fan Room group and she gives us creative outdoor ideas for Thanksgiving decorating. Whether you’re looking to add festive color, natural elements or festive cheer for the upcoming holidays, take a look at these creative outdoor additions.

If you’re interested in being featured see details here: How to be featured on Stagetecture’s Olioboard Inspiration‘ series.

To see all the past Stagetecture’s Olioboard Inspiration members on Pinterest click here.

Olioboard Inspiration #50

‘Creative Outdoor Thanksgiving Decorations’ – Cari Murphy

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and nothing welcomes your family and friends more than a beautifully decorated yard and entry. Your neighbors and passers-by will also benefit from the visual delight you present them with. Make your yard and entry way a welcoming place that kicks off the holiday season and honors the time you will be spending with family and friends. This is a time of festivity, coming together and expressing gratitude for the blessings we have received.

Think ahead to the holiday season

Thinking ahead for the whole of the holiday season can also save you some valuable time and money. If you plan in advance you can go ahead and put out some decorations that with a few modifications can be used for the Christmas holiday too.

Go ahead and hang up some garlands with lighting or rope lighting which you can then spruce up when you are ready to decorate for Christmas. When hanging your lights make sure they are safe and working before putting into position, also purchase some spare bulbs just in case.

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Autumn colors to your Thanksgiving outdoor home

Think of the colors of autumn when putting outdoor Thanksgiving decorations out and the time of year and place wreaths or swags on your doors and windows. Create little vignettes in your yard and on your porch that express your personality. Highlighting these with a spotlight can create a dramatic effect at night. Hay stacks, pumpkins, turkeys,cornucopias  and gourds are very popular decorative items. Hang a decorative flag from your front porch or put one in a planter in your yard. There is an abundance of decorative wooden signs too that you can add in to your décor and don’t forget to  place  a new seasonal door mat in front of your door.

For apartment and condo dwellers, just because you don’t have a yard doesn’t mean you to have miss out on getting into the holiday spirit. If you can’t paint your door, hang  pretty paper on it and place a sign, wreath or swag on it framed with led lighting or a garland. Place a door mat outside and create a little vignette with pumpkins, gourds, hay bales or cornstalks, be sure to include some of the beautifully colored mums that are available this time of year. Your only limitation is the extent of your imagination and maybe your pocket. There are many budget friendly decorations on the market today thus making a little bit of money go a long way in creating a festive atmosphere.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year. It is a time to create new memories and to cherish old ones. What can be better than sitting around with family and friends and eating a fabulous meal. Enjoy the day and the kick off to the rest of the season. In the words of John F. Kennedy, “ As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

About Cari Murphy

I am a forty-something mother of three young men who has had a lifelong passion for interior design. I am currently studying Interior Design through the Interior Design Institute. I discovered Olioboard during this past year and spend time daily there between the site itself and the fan room. I currently sell gift baskets and you can also find me on Facebook. 

There are lots of advantages associated with a backyard wedding but to make the most of these advantages, it is necessary you have a good knowledge of some of the decorating ideas for backyard fall wedding centerpieces. When you choose to have your a backyard wedding, not only do you save money that would have gone into renting hall or church for the ceremony, you are also very comfortable because you are right in your home, a place where you feel very confident and safe. Based on this, you can make your backyard wedding very elegant and romantic through proper decoration. Listed below are some helpful tips.

Image via

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Using Pine Cones and Berries:

Yes, you read right. During fall, pine cones and berries are known to look amazing when used as the focal point of a centerpiece or decoration. In order to make a long lasting centerpiece, you can use artificial berries by wrapping them round your pillar candles and sticking the cones all round the edge of the candles.

Using Candles:

This is usually the most viable among the various decorating ideas for backyard fall wedding centerpieces. The reasons being that they are not expensive and if it gets darker as the ceremony lasts, you can light up the space in a special kind of way. Is it a vintage wedding? Then you should consider displaying your candles inside coloured glasses bearing in mind that the glasses could be of varied sizes, colours and designs to bring in more charm to your decoration.

Image via

Create Cornucopia:

Have you ever seen a centerpiece that comprises of various fruits, grains and nuts? It is simply amazing. All you need do is get decorative baskets and fill them with assorted fruits, grains and nuts to the brim and even overflowing on the table. It works better if you go for those fruits that have earth colours like golden red, brown and yellow. The guests could help themselves to the fruits or even allowed to go home with the baskets to serve as souvenirs from your wedding.

Image via

Apart from these tips on decorating ideas for backyard fall wedding centerpieces, you should also pay attention to other accessories you use in your decoration so that they blend well. These include silverware, table runners and tablecloths. The theme and colour scheme of the ceremony should be incorporated into all of these accessories. At the end of the day, you will be amazed by the effect your inexpensive and charming centerpiece decoration will have on your guests.

For more wedding ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Now that the summer is half way through, there isn’t a better time to rethink your backyard and entertaining outdoor home areas. Here in Florida, I am fortunate to have great outdoor weather 9 months of the year! So to say that I was excited to plan out my wish for the perfect outdoor evening entertaining space for #SummerWithSears, is an understatement, my creative juices were already flowing.

One of the best parts about planning out your space in a “wishing mode” is there are no limits to your creativity. Why not have the top of the line gas grill along side your 2 entertaining spaces complete with a firepit and fountain? To illustrate my wishing journey I utilized the helpful resources of the Sears Local Ad Deals, Sears online catalog, and the Sears Style Hub which is in a blog format that I love!

Creating my outdoor evening outdoor space

Here is my space I used to start off my Polyvore inspiration board. If you aren’t familiar with Polyvore it is an online resource that enables you to create collages of your favorite decor, ideas, fashion and more. If you can clip it from the web, you can utilize it as an inspiration board. I created my wish inspiration board with items I found in the #SearsPatio online resources.

I found my lounging furniture, firepit, grill and bistro seating, and even lanterns and bubbling fountains for ambiance! Here’s how I created my ideal outdoor entertaining space. When I think of outdoor entertaining I think of the magic of the nighttime. There is something to be said about friends and family enjoying great food and beverages in the comfort of a beautiful backyard setting.  So I set out to create a scene where you could feel the warmth and magic of the evening.

My Polyvore wish board can be easily accessed here. Share with your friends these ideas and “steal” some of these ideas for your backyard patio.

How to find all of my Sears items

See all the Sears items in my Listly. list.’Thumbs up” the items you would love in your backyard and what items are your style too.

The list helped me envision my space in an orderly fashion, without having to make a commitment. I encourage you to try this when trying to make a wish list in planning out your next design area of your home.

In my Google+ album I share step – by- step my experience with the Sears online tools, how I chose my pieces, and I pointed out the great features, and a few areas that I found could be improved.

I headed over to the Sears Local Ad Deals to determine which pieces I liked.

When I saw this set from Country Living, I knew this was the mood I wanted to create. Evening entertaining can be a challenge because landscaping and outside amenities can get lost from view because it is dark. That’s why subtle lighting in the forms of candles, lanterns, string lights in adjacent trees, and a firepit can provide just the right amount of light to create a magical ambiance without feeling overpowering from your entertaining scene.

One of the resources I enjoyed while searching through the Sears online tools was the Grilling is Happiness and the Sears Style Hub. I’ve always felt that a blog-type platform from brands is important. It gives helpful lifestyle tips for grilling ideas, entertaining, and making your outdoor home welcoming without being overwhelming for you to plan.

Chef and TV Host, George Hirsch shows you great tips in You Tube videos that are short, but helpful in choosing the right furniture, and accessories for your next event. Here’s my favorite Sears You Tube Video:

Summer with Sears: Outdoor Seating & Dining Styles

The Grilling is Happiness blog had helpful tips to think about before planning my space. For example eating areas and where the food is prepared should be considered before placing your patio furniture and grill. Your grill should be placed away from guests so the smoke doesn’t bother them, but close enough to still be able to mingle. Also, areas where people want to share conversation in a more intimate setting I placed around the firepit, and for those who wanted to sit and eat and be part of the party I placed closer to the grilling area.

Once I had chosen my furniture and accessories I realized my Polyvore setting was very dark, so I chose to bring lanterns, string lights, and my favorite item – the Electric Garden Oasis chandelier into the scene. This created the warmth I was looking for and it ensured that guests wouldn’t feel in the dark in certain areas of the patio.

The most useful tool of all the resources was the Patio Finder. It gave you an idea of the brands, styles, colors of the patio furniture at one time. I was able to quickly narrow down my choices for seating. They also have a cushion and grill finder to help anyone makeup their minds!

Creating my idea of a perfect summer outdoor entertaining space with Sears was truly a treat. The pricing of all the items were clearly marked in all the resources and the Sears Weekly Deals can help you determine what the latest sale is and how long those prices are valid.

So this summer get inspired to create your own outdoor evening space perfect for entertaining. When you’re online follow Sears Facebook & Sears on Twitter. Looking for ways to save? Follow Sears Shop Your Way Rewards on Twitter to get the latest savings on your favorite items.

Please note:

I am a member of the Collective Bias Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and Sears. #CBias #SocialFabric.

For more outdoor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.