Porch & PatioNo. 4769 · The 2026 edition

Decorating the Screened Porch for Fall & Halloween

Turn your screened-in porch into a spooky yet welcoming Halloween retreat.

Fall and Halloween porch decorating (mercury-glass pumpkins, black crows, candlelight)

Our own summary of the original — the full post and photos live at betweennapsontheporch.net.

Porch Decorated for Halloween — PHOTO · BETWEENNAPSONTHEPORCH.NET

Create an invitingly eerie outdoor space with mercury glass pumpkins, perched crows, a fall wreath, and soft candlelight. These elements combine for a hauntingly cozy atmosphere perfect for autumn evenings.

Tips

You don't have to spend a lot on mercury-glass pumpkins — watch for sales and discount stores.
The two smaller pumpkins under the domes were $8 each and the larger one in front was $18; all were 50% off at Queen of Hearts.
The large pumpkin in front of the lamp came from Marshalls this year for $12.99; the tiny one came from Ross for $4.99.
The fall plates on the hutch came from Walmart (Wally World).
Crows were found at Michaels last year and this year; the orange-breasted sparkly one was bought last year.
Michaels only stocks a few crows each year and they disappear quickly, so start watching early in the season.
Other places to check for crows include Pottery Barn (which had none that year), Big Lots, JoAnns, TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, Ross and Marshalls.
A good many mercury-glass pumpkins were seen at Marshalls, more than anywhere else that year; Pottery Barn has heavier, higher-quality ones.
The porch drapes are just polyester sheers that cost $5 each at Walmart and have held up well; they dry in minutes after a storm.
The porch drapes are taken down and washed about every two years with a little bleach; they were 4 1/2 years old at the time of the post.
To keep a crow under a cloche in place, use a tiny bit of clear packing tape on its feet.
Mercury-glass pumpkins are elusive — check multiple discount stores and shop early in the season.

The plan

Tuck away the bird house and the garden dishware that normally sit on the hutch to make room for the fall display
Clear the summer decor off the screened-in porch before bringing in autumn pieces
Add fall touches a little at a time, area by area (hutch, oval table, swing, chair by the door)
Decorate the porch in fall colors that can carry over into Halloween rather than going full Halloween only
Add candlelight to warm up the space, especially on a rainy, gloomy day
Hang wreaths on the backs of the chairs or tuck them under the pumpkins for a seasonal touch

Decoration ideas

Place russet-colored Chrysanthemums on the shabby chair near the porch door
Display fall plates on the hutch that normally holds garden dishware
Use candlelight — candles and black candelabras — to warm the porch on a gloomy day
Arrange mercury-glass pumpkins, small and large, under glass domes (cloches) and around the oval table
Add pumpkin candleholders alongside the mercury-glass pumpkins
Mix black candelabras and black candlesticks in with the mercury-glass pumpkins for contrast
Attach a Martha Stewart Halloween collection wine bottle label (found at Michael's) reading 'Hollow Branch House' and 'Made with hand-pecked ingredients' — the wine label sits on the hutch
Set black crows/ravens around the porch, including one perched on the hutch as if drinking a glass of wine, one under a glass cloche, and one on the oval table
Under a glass dome, place a crow with its feet held in place by a tiny bit of clear packing tape
Reuse fall wreaths under the pumpkins and hang small wreaths on the backs of the white wicker chairs
Place a witch pillow on the porch swing
Display an orange pumpkin in the hutch with the fall plates
Restyle the small oval table near the window with the Halloween/fall arrangement

Food & drink

A glass of wine served on the porch (the Halloween wine-label bottle is staged on the hutch)

Activities

Sit on the porch swing (and share it with the visiting 'birds')
Take a porch 'Before and After' tour as part of the Metamorphosis Monday link party
Enjoy the decorated porch by candlelight on an overcast day