Replace Your Wreaths: There's A Better Way To Decorate Your Front Door For Fall

One of the greatest joys of the changing seasons is the decorating possibilities offered by each one. Fall, in particular, brings with it a wealth of creative scope. From colorful pumpkins and gourds, to pots of mums, to chic Halloween decor, there is no shortage of ways to spruce up your front door for fall. And, while it is often easy to default to simple, seasonal wreaths, there's a far more inventive way to bring autumnal florals to your entryway. Trade in those simple circles and opt instead for a dramatic faux floral archway over your door, as demonstrated by potterybarn on TikTok.

To recreate this festive floral garden look without drilling into either your doorframe or the exterior wall, start with two lengths of treated wood cut to appropriate dimensions to frame your door, and affix them in an L-shape using a strong metal shelf bracket. To create a sturdy base, take an old planter or bucket — the wider the better for maximum stability — and block up any drainage holes with cardboard. Prop the base of your wooden frame in the bottom of the bucket, then fill it with a quick-setting cement designed for anchoring fence posts. Allow the cement to cure before you begin the decorating process. For the structural base of your floral display, consider using foraged branches, which you can affix to the wooden frame with reusable cable ties as a sustainable alternative to single-use zip ties.

To really finish off the Pottery Barn-inspired look, you'll need to add a few baskets overflowing with the same floral arrangements as your arch. These can be positioned at the base of your arch, as well as at varying points down your front steps to create a sumptuous, waterfall effect, and to make the arch feel part of a larger, intentional display rather than a stand-alone element. Wherever you source your baskets from, make sure they are designed for indoor and outdoor use, like the Novabright Fall Woven Basket Planters, and have sufficient drainage — you don't want stagnant water pooling in the bottom if the weather gets wet.

Once you have the bones of your arch and your baskets ready to be filled, you can be as creative as you want when it comes to fleshing out the florals, and the possibilities are truly limitless. If you want a more natural look, you can try blending a mixture of foraged boughs and faux fall foliage — go for a woodland walk and see if there are any twigs bearing fall leaves, berries, or nuts that may have fallen down, then supplement these with natural-looking garlands like Blessings And Boxwood's artificial fall vine garland on Etsy. 

If you want a more vibrant look, perhaps something that complements the existing color palette of your home's facade, use the color of your front door as an anchor hue, then opt for faux flowers and garlands in more vivid, complementary shades that will make your entryway pop. Or, if Halloween is big in your household, you can get whimsical with your archway, incorporating bones, spiders, or ghosts into a display that will really impress trick-or-treaters.