This budget friendly fall patio makeover can be put together in just a few minutes and sets the mood from Halloween right through to Thanksgiving.
I am giddy right now. The temperatures have finally dropped and the leaves are starting to change color. MY TIME OF YEAR!
Living in NC is hard on a gardener at heart, so getting outside right now is a dream for me. It’s time to give things a change to match the ushering in the fall season too.
Keep reading to see how I did a makeover on my patio to welcome in fall.
My budget-friendly fall patio makeover.
Fall is just full of colors and natural elements that make them the perfect choice for supplies to use for autumn decorating.
I discovered to my delight, this summer, that I actually have a patio out front.
How can one “discover” a patio, you might wonder? It’s easy when it’s covered by yard-waste bins, a recycling bin, and our garbage bin. Oh…and when it’s used as a storage place for all manner of car supplies (thank you, dear husband.)
Underneath all that mess it was waiting for me. Just needed a good power wash and it was ready to stage. I added some Adirondack chairs, a table, and some planters.
Pretty, and nice to sit and ponder the fact that “I have a patio,” but right now, it needs a new look. After all, fall is all about color, isn’t it? I was lucky enough to receive the cutest ever Halloween lantern from Clovers Garden to try out. This thing is so cute, I just can’t stand it.
It has a crackled paint finish for a wonderful vintage look, is the perfect size for my patio table, and the most adorable seasonal face ever. It makes me happy just looking at ole Jack.
You know me. Budget-friendly is my middle name. If I have something that I can recycle to save money that fits my theme, I am all on board.
So off I went looking for things to use for my makeover. I came up with a bunch of stuff. Most of it is either reused from other projects or Dollar store items. I did purchase the new plants.
Our local garden center had a special on mums for $2.50. My one splurge was the big planter of mums. But even that was only $8.99.
I’d like to lie and say that I grew the pumpkins, since I am the Gardening Cook, after all, but they were bought for a grand total of $6.50.
Heirloom pumpkins, gourds, a basket of acorns, a scarecrow Dollar store pick, and my plants. Oh, and my buddy Jack. See him hiding in there? All lined up and ready for the prom.
I started with the star attraction – the lantern. I knew that he was going to end up on the table.
I gathered a basket of pine cones from the yard and added a couple of faux gourds. The table is set, folks. Under the table, the pumpkins go. Just to tie in the colors and give some length to the center of the display. I love the white guy.
All of the pumpkins will get either carved, decorated, or eaten at some point, but for now, they add to the scene here.
Gotta admit…I am fickle. I get tired of my displays and move things from one area to another, much as I do with the plants in my garden. I had a nice grouping of plants in the corner of the patio, but I split them up and moved them around a bit for a different look.
On the right side went a big planter with some grasses and viney stuff. (don’t laugh, I lost the plant tags.) I added the gorgeous chrysanthemum in this corner.
It is just stunning! The colors match my scene perfectly and it’s just covered in blossoms.
I can’t believe I got it for $8.99 and at a grocery store at that! Into the other plant goes Mr. Scarecrow.
Then I started on the other side. I had two more mums to add, and a few gourds left.
The mums gave the planter area a great pop of color and the gourds added interest to the containers. Next comes a couple of hanging decorations on the shutters. $1 each at the Dollar store. They bring the eye up and balance out the setting.
A bit more rearranging of the planters and I was done. In the middle went a huge bromeliad. It’ll be okay outside for a few more weeks and then will go inside to hibernate for the winter along with my other tropicals.
Took me all of about 30 minutes and I love the finished look. The total cost to me was less than $35 and many of the supplies will move on to a new place in my yard soon.
Not quite sure what I will do in this area when the cooler weather hits.. maybe some tall pine-type trees with lights. Yeah…cool!
Note: I received the lantern shown in this project for free from Clovers Garden, in exchange for mentioning it in my blog post. I only recommend products that I feel my readers will love.
Just in case you can’t tell from my wording above…I just love this guy. Cute as can be. If you would like one for yourself, please visit Clovers Garden on Amazon.
What are some of your ideas for decorating on a budget? Please leave your thoughts below.