How To Create A Beautiful Summer Porch On A Budget

This post is all about creating a stunning summer porch on a budget by incorporating cheap porch decor and ideas. I used these 5 simple steps to give old decor a new life, and shop for new porch decor on a budget. By spending less than $20, my summer porch feels brand new & so can yours! All the steps I used are below!

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1. How To Deep Clean Your Porch

Let’s be honest here… how long has it been since you really cleaned your front porch? I’m embarrassed to admit that it’s been a year for me. I know, I know. Horrible. This is the most important step because having a clean space will let the porch shine without overdoing it on the decor.

When deep cleaning my porch I did the following steps:

1. Remove all furniture.
2. Hose everything down. I don’t own a pressure washer, so I used the jet attachment on my hose and it worked great. Get the windows, the cracks, the siding, the door, etc. Make sure you’re careful by your door or you could get some water inside your house.
3. Stain remove on any upholstered outdoor furniture. I LOVE folex. It’s my holy grail for anything upholstered (couches, outdoor furniture, rugs, etc.). Grab a bottle to keep on hand.
4. Shake and spray down any rugs.

2. Keeping vs. Getting Rid Of Decor

This is the most important step for keeping your summer porch makeover budget-friendly. Now that things are clean, look at them with a new lens. Could your furniture work with a new pillow? Is your rug in good condition now that it’s clean, or is it beyond repair?

Throw everything out that’s old & ruined, donate the items that you’re okay parting with (& paying to replace), and keep the stuff that could have a new life.

3. How To Make Upcycled Decor

Keeping with our cheap porch decor, it’s time to make something old into something new. This could go in a million different directions depending on what you have in storage. Get creative!

I took an old wreath that I didn’t like, and added some extra floral stems to it. Both the wreath and stems weren’t being used, and I didn’t particularly like either of them. Now that they’re together, I absolute love the wreath and it’s a custom piece no one else has!

Here are some additional upcycled decor ideas:

• Paint over an old outdoor welcome sign.
• Have an extra unsused pot or planter inside? Add basket florals to it for a cheaper plant option.
• Add an unused faux plant/tree to your porch.
• Use fabric dye to give new life to a layered rug.
• Spray paint or stain your furniture to change up the vibe.

The possibilities are endless really!

@ahousetohomey

What do you consider too early for fall porch decor? 🍁 P.S. You need to try the outdoor rug hack, it makes a huge difference on the mat shedding & fading. For less than $20, I’m pretty happy with this transformation! Let me know what you think in the comments! #frontporchmakeover #porchdecor #outdoorrughack #homehack #homediy #classichomedecor #timelessstyle #affordablediyprojects

♬ original sound – Megan | A House To Homey

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4. Summer Porch Decor: Buying New Decor

Once you’ve done what you can with what you have, it’s time to go shopping. I think every porch refresh deserves something new, even if it’s small. For my summer porch makeover, we were keeping to a tighter budget. I opted to just purchase a new welcome mat.

When you’re working with a tighter budget, you appreciate your new things more. Find something you truly love & add it to your space. Whether it’s a $10 welcome mat or a new furniture set, it’ll add so much to the space.

P.S. don’t write off facebook marketplace for this step. “New” can also mean “new to you”. Plus if you find a few new things second hand, you’ll likely be able to stretch the budget further! I have all the items I used and similar ones linked in the “shop the post” section at the bottom of this blog post!

5. Protecting Outdoor Furniture & Decor

Don’t skip this step! It’s going to stretch your decor further & make next year’s summer porch on a budget even easier. I protect my outdoor decor & furniture with the following products.

1. Scotch-Guard: I use this to prevent stains and water damage on my outdoor furniture.
2. Mod-Podge Spray: I use this to seal my outdoor welcome mats and prevent color fading and shedding.

These are both life savers and super cheap. This is an easy step to want to skip, but I promise you’ll thank yourself for it in the future.

My final thoughts on… a cheap summer porch on a budget.

Don’t get me wrong, I adore buying new decor. However, in order for me to feel good about my purchases I need them to feel intentional & ethical. Taking care of the decor you already have makes purchasing new stuff more exciting! Plus, who doesn’t love finding ways to create new decor out of things you already own. Hello one-of-a-kind…

I hope this inspires you to find new and unique ways to create the summer porch of your dreams on a budget. Please tag me (@ahousetohomey) in any of your creations as you spruce up your space. I love seeing all the ways you guys are making your houses feel homey!

Make sure you follow me on instagram (@ahousetohomey) & keep up on “stories” for all the behind the scenes on my decor suggestions and room makeovers! You can shop the post & similar products below!