Pumpkins and fall go together like coffee and cream. There’s nothing more iconic or pleasing to the eye on a brisk fall day than a home proudly decorated in the season’s favorite squash. There are so many shapes, colors, and sizes pumpkins come in, not to mention the faux variety, which makes it easy to go overboard. If you want to decorate with pumpkins but do it stylishly, keep these tips in mind.

 

Here’s the secret to piling up pumpkins around your home’s exterior without it looking too busy: stick with symmetry. If you arrange 5 large pumpkins on one side of the porch, do the same on the other. If you have little pumpkins on each stair leading to your front door, make sure they’re on both sides of the step, or alternate on the way up with a few on one side, then on the next step a few on the opposite side. 

To fit in more pumpkins per square foot, go vertical. There are so many DIY craft projects you can do that involve stacking pumpkins, whether they’re real or plastic, so get creative! Start with a large one on the bottom and add smaller and smaller ones as you go up. Keep them all the same color, or mix orange, white, yellow, and any other color pumpkins come in! There are dozens of unique ways to make a decorative pumpkin stack.

You can get away with showering your home inside and out with decorative pumpkins if you go small. Stick to the rule about symmetry, but let your imagination run wild otherwise. If you have flat posts along your fence, add a tiny pumpkin to the top of each one! Add a couple small ones to either side of your mantel. Create a lovely centerpiece with bunches of mini pumpkins and fall flowers. The smaller they are, the easier they are to fit in anywhere. 

Greet every visitor with an orange carpet of fall delight by lining your walkway, however long or short, with pumpkins. Space them out evenly and try not to cram in too many, and go for medium sizes rather than large or small. If you have outdoor lights lining your walkway already, you’ll love the way the pumpkins look at night when the lights reflect off of them!

 

You might be perfectly content to decorate with pumpkins and pumpkins alone, but you can transform the look of your entire landscape if you add a few complementary decorations. One of the most popular options for fall porch decorations is planters full of flowers such as mums and marigolds. Big bunches of these flowers surrounded by brightly colored pumpkins creates an instant fall-feel. If you’re more into the spooky side of the season, orange lights are a classic that bring your decorations to life at night. 

 

What is too much, really? After all, fall is one of the year’s best seasons, if not the best, and fully embracing it just makes sense. If you follow these tips but still feel like you’re missing a pumpkin or two to really round out your fall decor, go for it. After all, the best fall decorations are the ones that make you the happiest.