5 ways to welcome your guests at the front door this Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Day will be here before you know it. Many of us ready to rekindle old traditions and recapture the best of the holiday season. You probably have a lot on your to-do list as you prepare for the arrival of your closest family and friends. While the table setting and menu are the heart of your Thanksgiving gathering, don't miss an opportunity to also create a front porch look that will welcome your guests in style.

1. Go completely festive

You may already have your front porch decked out for fall, but Thanksgiving provides a good excuse to freshen things up a bit. Try creating a perfectly styled fall scene, from the steps all the way to the door, for a completely festive look.

Cottage in the Oaks spared nothing with these Thanksgiving porch decorations, and yet it still looks classic and put together. One key is sticking to similar colors. The pale porch pumpkins complement the gray in the lanterns and white wreath. The wicker basket and jugs go beautifully with the earth-tone brickwork and wood door. And that DIY pine cone garland is a finishing detail that makes it unmistakably autumn.

We can’t decide if the star of this show is the eggplant door or that beautiful fall container garden. In reality, the answer is probably how it all coordinates so flawlessly together. The deep purple of the door is the perfect backdrop for a more vibrantly colored wreath with sunflowers and small pumpkins. The mums – is it really fall if you don’t have front porch mums – and variegated croton also pop against the neutral exterior walls.

Taryn Whiteaker proves that you don’t have to limit yourself to oranges and yellows. This neutral color scheme is also the perfect example of farmhouse front porch décor done right. Dried cornstalks, burlap on the wreath and banner, and the upcycled pallet and crate all contribute to a refined yet rustic vibe. And don’t forget the hay bales.

2. Choose decor that's easy to transition into winter

You may be thinking it's not worth the work to decorate your front porch for Thanksgiving when winter and the next wave of holidays are right around the corner. Make the seasonal transition easier by trying one of these decor ideas.

Containers make it easy to go from season to season, especially when you remember that what you fill them with doesn’t even have to be living. Using birch logs as your base, add and remove other elements as needed. The fall urn by Savvy Gardening includes plenty of evergreen cuttings along with pinecones, apples and seed pods for the fall. When you’re ready, you can swap those accessories out for red winter berry branches, star or snowflake ornaments and maybe even some red ribbon, leaving the birch and evergreen base the same.

Here’s another favorite example from Setting for Four. It’s even simpler with some twiggy branches and faux leaves worked in amongst the birch logs. The leaves can be replaced with an evergreen wreath and voila, you’re winter-ready!

Twinkle lights are a go-to for winter holidays, but why wait? Laurel from A Bubbly Life kept it straightforward by adding a string of lights to a plain grapevine wreath. The key to nailing this look is switching out other elements both in and around the wreath. Try pine cones, fall flowers and copper accents at Thanksgiving, then berries or Christmas ornaments in December. Surround it with pumpkins today and snowmen or evergreens later. Laurel hung her wreath indoors, but this is a cute fall décor idea for outdoors, too. Just make sure everything is weather resistant.

Fall and winter weather can get messy, so make sure your front porch décor can work with and hold up to the elements. The perfect example: your doormat. Homemade by Carmona crafted this simple design – she used a dinner plate instead of a stencil, so you know it’s easy – that is both beautiful and bound to stop muddy boots in their tracks. We particularly like the wreath design, which can transition from Thanksgiving all the way through the New Year without missing a style beat.

3. Keep it simple

Even the smallest touches can go a long way when updating your fall patio decor. The perfect fall wreath or a lantern are all you need to create a cozy atmosphere.

Whether you fill it with candles or other accessories, a simple lantern can really light up your Thanksgiving porch décor. It’s also a fun way to display those front porch pumpkins. And when it’s time to transition to winter, just refill them with something else like sparkly ball ornaments or wrap them in a festive bow.

The trusty grapevine wreath is back with this easy DIY fall décor from On Sutton Place. All they did was tuck some faux branches between the vines, shape them a bit and hang the finished product. There’s no construction, no sewing, no gluing. The yellow flowers on the branches are undeniably fall and with no other embellishments needed, perfectly simple.

4. Create a cozy gathering space

After filling up on a delicious meal, invite your guests outside for a change of scenery. Few things are more relaxing than cozying up outdoors with a hot beverage and good conversation.

Perhaps the most important piece of creating a welcoming gathering space is seating and City Farmhouse is lucky enough to have a large front porch that can accommodate plenty of it. You can still steal some of these ideas even if you’re figuring out how to decorate a small porch. In addition to patio chairs, consider a bench that can also doubles as a table or storage to save on space. Have plenty of blankets and a few pillow for comfort and warmth. If they’re in fall colors – oranges, reds, yellows, plaid – even better. Don’t forget about the outdoor rug, which can be surprisingly effective as an extra barrier between the cold ground and your guests’ feet.

By the time Thanksgiving rolls around, most regions of the country will be tucking in against cool nighttime temperatures. If you want to enjoy your fall porch after dark, you might need a heat source. We can practically feel the heat and taste the s’mores from the gas fire pit Bless’er House installed. You might like a more traditional space heater depending on how much room you have and fire safety requirements.

Lighting can make or break a mood, so don’t neglect this area when hosting guests on your porch. This idea from Lovely Etc. could hardly be easier. Some string lights from the ceiling – hers is a screened-in porch, but yours doesn’t have to be – and a few LED lanterns on the coffee table has this outdoor space feeling relaxed and, well, lovely.

5. Give thanks

Finally, don't forget the reason for this holiday. Place a reminder to be thankful from the start and enjoy this special time with those closest to you.

We’re thankful for décor that changes as easily as we change our minds. A Wonderful Thought shows us how to make a framed corrugated metal sign. The beauty of it is that the words, whether “Thankful,” “Gather” or a simple “Hello,” are attached with magnets so you can swap them out as the seasons change.

Fall signs for your porch don’t have to be complicated. Liz Marie’s looks totally homemade. If you follow along with the tutorial, you don’t have to tell anyone that the letters are actually store-bought and all you did was glue them to a board. Give it your own flair, though, by customizing the message, colors and size of your sign.

When you’re looking for fall front door ideas but you don’t want a typical wreath and large signs aren’t really your thing, take a page from Jaime Costiglio. These wood tags to hang on your door are so sweet and simple. Make more than one set and rotate them depending on the holiday. Try “Give Thanks” like Jaime did in November, and “Health” and “Happiness” for New Year’s.

 

When you’re ready to look inward – to your foyer, that is – check out our blog on leveling up your entryway for the fall.