Not Traditional Wreaths: Decorate Your Front Door For Fall With A Stunning Alternative

If you want to add some festive pizzazz to your front door, the obvious choice is a wreath. While they're definitely a cute way to add some fall foliage to your home, wreaths can come with an expensive price tag, especially if you want something full of color. For a more unique way to decorate your front door, skip placing all your autumn decor in the center and use faux leaf garland to frame the entire entrance.

Running garland along the sides and top of your doorway creates a fuller display that is often more affordable than purchasing some elaborate premade wreath. It's customizable, too. Layer in some berry stems, mini pumpkins, pinecones, velvet ribbon, or outdoor-safe string lights — the possibilities are endless. This no-fail fall decor idea is also easy to update as the season changes. Add small bats or black velvet ribbon for Halloween, then remove them and tuck in more berries or miniature gourds for Thanksgiving. You'll get several displays from the same base without replacing the entire decoration.

Before you hit the store, measure both sides and the top of your doorframe so you know how much garland to purchase. Add about 10% to that total if you want the garland to drape slightly, and to have some leftover just in case. Chances are a single strand won't be long enough, so you can use some floral wire or zip ties to connect two pieces.

Give the trim around your door a good cleaning before attaching outdoor removable hooks so they stick better. If you're not renting and want to keep the garland up year-round, you can make the setup more permanent by using screw hooks to secure the garland. The hooks should be installed at the two upper corners of the door trim and continue around the frame, adding more wherever you see fit, using clear ties to secure the foliage to each hook. The garland is bound to sway in the wind, so you can add Velcro Command Strips to the backs of some of the leaves and the door frame to prevent that from happening.

As a final step, make sure it doesn't obstruct anything surrounding your door, like doorbells or house numbers. Also confirm that the door can actually open and close without anything getting stuck so you don't pull all your hard work off. If you decide to add lights, battery or solar-powered ones are a great option to avoid an ugly cord across your front porch. If you have a nearby window, outline it in matching garland to boost your holiday curb appeal and make the entire display feel connected.