Small Front Porch Decorating Ideas on a Budget

While the back of our house has a long, gorgeous farmhouse porch and balcony, the front of our farmhouse has only a small front porch. There’s just enough space there for a few welcoming decorations. I knew I wanted to give the little porch a personalized touch and I also knew I needed some small front decorating ideas on a budget. Nearly everything I used on the front porch was free to me, so it was super budget friendly. Let me explain what I did to get the small front porch farmhouse look.

How can I decorate my small front porch?

The first thing I would suggest when decorating a small front porch is to remember that less is more. Don’t try to overstuff the area. Choose a few key pieces for the sides of your porch, add a planter, and don’t forget a wreath. A good wreath can really make your porch!

In this space I chose this lovely lavender wreath from Kohl’s. It just says spring and summer to me. I also love the purple color.

I have an antique water basin and pitcher by my front door, as well. You won’t believe this, but Luke actually pulled it from the trash bin when we moved into our rental. I think it could use something underneath, but I haven’t found the right thing just yet.

Small Front Porch Farmhouse Decor

I wanted to pull in some farmhouse elements, so I added this farmhouse Welcome sign that I’ve had for a few years. It’s big and gives the space the right feel. I also added this old, large lantern that we’ve had for eons for that rustic, farmhouse feel.

Front Porch Planter Ideas for Shade

Our front porch is very shaded, so I knew that if I wanted to add real plants to the area, they needed to be shade tolerant. I chose three ground cover plants, Ajuga, Creeping Jenny, and Bugleweed. The red elephant ear looking plant is called Caladium and I just think it’s so pretty. I chose these plants for their color as well as the fact that the ground cover will spread to fill the container.

I picked an easy front porch farmhouse container for the plants. It looks similar to a wine barrel, but is just a plastic container from Walmart.

Divine Mercy Image on the Front Door

The first thing I did after we closed on this house was enter and place the Divine Mercy image here in this little window beside the front door. I got this particular blessed image for free from the Marian Institute. As Catholics, the Divine Mercy image is important to us and placing it on or near our front door is a reminder of God’s protection. It is a way for us to seal our doorposts just like the Israelites did.

Very Small Front Porch Ideas

I really wanted this small space to be inviting, yet simple and I love the few things that have been thoughtfully placed here. We do have stone steps leading up to this little porch, which you will see in a later post, but I think the wreath, the welcome sign, and the water basin along with the lantern and the bright foiliage in the container help tie everything together.