Thanksgiving often means getting together with friends and loved ones to share the spirit of the season together…plans are made, meals prepared, experiences shared. In honor of this we often pull out the special dishes and decorate our homes with festive fall accessories. But don’t stop there! Why not spruce up the outside of your home for your Thanksgiving guests? From your front walk to your back yard, extending your holiday decor to the exterior is a wonderful way to add a celebratory air to the season. Need some inspiration? Done! I’ve found some great examples online to ignite your imagination!
- Starting at the walkway, how adorable are these potted mums? Using pumpkins for a planter is clever and screams autumn harvest. What an adorable way to greet your guests.
Clever use of the season’s themes.
- Want to make a real statement? These pumpkins lining a front stoop with flowers in the same hue manage to be both understated and super elegant at the same time. Better yet, anyone could do this!
Welcome, friends!
- Let Mother Nature do the work for you! Some may think this is deferred maintenance, but I love the graphic look of the orange leaves on the dark wooden steps. The color palette is perfect for the season, and it’s easy peasy! Just add a couple of coordinating pumpkins (note how there is balance with two small pumpkins on one side and one larger on on the other). Of course, you have to make sure your guests don’t slip on the way to your front door!
Yay for Mother Nature!
- Go overgourd! Decorate your front or back porch with a large array of pumpkins and gourds in a variety of sizes, colors, and textures. Tuck them into wooden crates, place them on chairs or tables, and scatter them along the floor. As in the photo below, an flowering accent in a bright red makes the entire arrangement really pop!
Go overgourd!
- Add some pizzazz to your porch decor with these little pumpkins carved into votives…tucked into a shallow wooden crate amongst some textural fruits or veggies in a contrasting hue and you’ve got instant drama that is sure to put a smile on the face of your Thanksgiving guests.
MIni votives from mini pumpkins!
- If you live in a mild climate, consider taking your meal outdoors. Even if the entire meal can’t be outside, begin with finger appetizers and coffee in the fresh air. It reminds people of the bounty of the harvest season, and helps connect with the history of the Thanksgiving holiday. Set the tone by setting the table with your fine china (it’s as safe outdoors as it is inside!) and accent the tablescape with warm autumnal colors and real and ceramic pumpkins as in this lovely image below.
[sc:adsense ]
Dining Al Fresco is All Awesome.
- If eating an entire meal outdoors is an option, embrace the experience entirely. Use hay bales in place of benches, drape the table with heavy brocade cloth, and add a dramatic floral centerpiece with all of the colors of the fall represented. Gorgeousness.
Haybale benches!
From walking up to your home, to looking out the windows and seeing the colors and themes of Thanksgiving adorning your exterior spaces, the sentiments of the Thanksgiving season deserve to be highlighted inside and out!
What do you think?