DIY Outdoor Porch Ideas

The perfect porch can become the entertaining space of your dreams, but do you know what you need to make that dream come true? The Hometalk community has all of the hacks you need to get you started and inspire you to build your own porch. Join the conversation on our dicussion boards or take a moment to watch a video. Be inspired!

20 Front Porch Ideas for Any Home or Budget

Design Ideas for Porches

Pick a color theme: Choose a color theme of two or three colors only. Using only these colors allows your porch to utilize color without looking tacky.
Go vintage and antique: Decorate your porch using antique items and anything vintage. Create a feeling of nostalgia as guests enter your home.
Create a hangout spot: Turn your porch into a cozy place to meet and greet by adding chairs, potted plants, and lights for evening meetups.
Choose bright colors: Make a confident and lasting impression by using bright colors to decorate and paint your porch.
Build a modern porch: Design a modern porch by using materials such as brick or stone. Keep your colors neutral and your design minimal and simple.

More Outdoor Ideas

Top DIY Porch Projects

Are you searching for the top DIY outdoor porch ideas? Make yourself at home.

Front Porch Faux Tile

Last summer, I decided I wanted to give my grungy garage floor a makeover. I "faux tiled" it and it turned out great! This year I decided to do my front porch and add some extra design.

Corey Tays

Updated and Transformed "deck to Oasis of Serenity"

this is the deck we started with when we moved here 7 years ago..since then I have found out I have lupus and sometimes have a really hard time doing what I get in my head (which used to keep me very busy and usually in mischief )..my husband has built the porch into a sanctuary for me..close enough to the front door that he can hear if I fall & I don't have to trek the north 40 to get there ;) and still private enough to get some me time :) It was constructed primarily of 2x4x8's and he cut and designed(all in his head) what he'd do to undertake this major feat.YEP LADIES!!! HE'S A KEEPER :) <3

Diana K

Painted Porch Rug

Have seen some inspiration online with folks painting awesome rugs on their porches, and wanted to try my hand at it. I'm semi retired and need some projects to keep me busy so I don't get old before my time!

Pam Edwards

Fall Porch Inspirations

Step by step ideas to get your porch ready for fall!

Alicia W

Porch Remodel With Curtains, Lights & Landscaping

Cement porch completely redone & what a transformation! Cement floor repainted, canvas drop cloths for curtains, bamboo light strings hung, landscaping finished. Check out the before and after!

Wenhorse

Want to Build a Snowman?

Now that winter is upon us, you can go out into the snow and build snowman that will melt in a few days OR you can go to your favorite store and purchase some cotton/polyester clothesline and make a snowman that will last forever.

Alicia W

Repurposed Porch Swing

This was a fun to do! All custom ordered from a great couple! They threw caution to the wind and told me to do my "thang" and voila - here it is! Honestly, I was worried I couldn't pull this off at first. A young couple came in and told me they were on the hunt for a new porch swing and decided if anyone could bring their idea to life I could! ( pretty honoured they thought of me, not going to lie) So, they had scooped up some dog beds from a pet store. ( brilliant considering how much normal cushions cost) They were too stinkin cute!

Jasmin

Porch Transformed to a Sunroom

We have lived in our home for almost four years and have enjoyed our covered porch/deck overlooking our pool. But, I have always wanted to enclose it with windows to make a real room that we could use all year long.

Cindy Hagemann

New Patio Table From Old One

We needed a patio table that would wrap around the post in our pergola. We got a free old table that my husband cut in half and used leftover tile from other projects. It cost just $20 for the thin set and the small glass tiles for the wrap around.

Lydia

Terra Cotta Pot Lighthouse With Solar Light

I had seen clay pot solar lighthouses on many DIY sites and I decided to give it a shot myself.

Diane S

Front Porch Faux Tile

Last summer, I decided I wanted to give my grungy garage floor a makeover. I "faux tiled" it and it turned out great! This year I decided to do my front porch and add some extra design.

Corey Tays

Updated and Transformed "deck to Oasis of Serenity"

Diana K

Painted Porch Rug

Pam Edwards

Fall Porch Inspirations

Step by step ideas to get your porch ready for fall!

Alicia W

Porch Remodel With Curtains, Lights & Landscaping

Cement porch completely redone & what a transformation! Cement floor repainted, canvas drop cloths for curtains, bamboo light strings hung, landscaping finished. Check out the before and after!

Wenhorse

Want to Build a Snowman?

Alicia W

Repurposed Porch Swing

Jasmin

Porch Transformed to a Sunroom

Cindy Hagemann

New Patio Table From Old One

Lydia

Terra Cotta Pot Lighthouse With Solar Light

I had seen clay pot solar lighthouses on many DIY sites and I decided to give it a shot myself.

Diane S

Outdoor Porch Videos

DIY outdoor porch video tutorials to inspire you. Don't forget to take notes.

Catalog Inspired Decor for My Front Porch

I love getting all of those catalogs at home, they are like free magazines to me. They are a great source of inspiration, and I admit, I have made many catalog purchases over the years. When I spotted a beautiful urn filler in the Grandinroad spring catalog I was smitten.

Chloe Crabtree

DIY Small Rental Apartment Balcony Makeover

One of the first things I did when I moved into my rental apartment is give the balcony a makeover. But after living there for 5 years, I was ready for a new look! I had installed reed fencing panels to cover up the concrete walls but I was tired of that look and wanted to change things up.

Engineer Your Space

Small Rental Balcony Makeover: Before and After

When I moved to LA from the East coast, I was determined to make the most out of my small balcony to enjoy the beautiful weather year round, even though I'm renting. It was a lot of work but it was well worth it: not only has it given me more usable square footage, it's also provided a much better view to look at from the inside of my apartment!

Engineer Your Space

Front Porch Privacy Screen

When our neighbours decided to store their garbage bins at the side of their house we had more than just a curb appeal problem. Every time we came and went out the front door we were met with an unappealing view of their trash.

Birdz of a Feather

Hometalkers' Favorite DIY Outdoor Porch Projects

We've gathered the best DIY outdoor porch projects right here for you.

Update Those Boring Posts Outside Your Home!

A few weeks ago I posted on Hometalk how I added curb appeal to our brick on the outside of our home: http://www.hometalk.com/diy/paint/exteriors/add-curb-appeal-with-german-mortar-smear--23890303 and I will say this, I get excited every time I pull into the driveway and I feel proud of the change I made to our home.

Elizabeth @ Creating Rustic Charm

My Stenciled Porch!

I saw a picture of a beautiful porch in a magazine. I knew instantly I had to have that porch floor! Mine isn't as perfect as the picture, but I love it anyway! My porch has been transformed with a stencil, a little paint and some elbow grease!This project is not at all technically difficult, but it is time consuming.

Nancy Craigmiles

Redoing a Front Porch

After doing the back of our house the previous year, we decided to do our front porch in 2014. This is phase 2 of our 6 (maybe 7) phase exterior renovation. We do 1-2 phases per year so we have the winter to save up for the next phase.

Kendall K.

Front Porch Privacy Screen

Birdz of a Feather

Oversized Welcome Front Door Sign|No Stencil Needed!

I took this plain piece of wood and created an interesting way to greet my guests!! See below. Super easy and fast.

Dezinefun

Mailbox Makeover With Contact Paper Liner

I'm a big fan of restoring perfectly good items instead of throwing them out and buying new ones. One of those things is our mailbox. It works perfectly well, but is very old and has heavy rust stains. I decided to give it a makeover with a contact paper lining for an extra special touch. Enjoy!We want to help you DIY, so some of the materials in this post are linked to sellers. Just so you know, Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.

Julien K., Hometalk Team

Update Those Boring Posts Outside Your Home!

Elizabeth @ Creating Rustic Charm

My Stenciled Porch!

Nancy Craigmiles

Redoing a Front Porch

Kendall K.

Front Porch Privacy Screen

Birdz of a Feather

Oversized Welcome Front Door Sign|No Stencil Needed!

I took this plain piece of wood and created an interesting way to greet my guests!! See below. Super easy and fast.

Dezinefun

Mailbox Makeover With Contact Paper Liner

Julien K., Hometalk Team

Popular Outdoor Porch Discussions

Check out our outdoor porch discussion board and give us your two cents.

How can I cover a window air conditioner?

/> Sally

I hate see this white box hanging out of our bedroom window. Anyone with an idea to hide it but still let it work? We have a beautiful log home but this is what I see first.

View discussion

How can I modernize my round porch columns without removing them

/> Charlotte Struik Olmsted

I have 5 round columns on my wraparound porch and wondering if it's possible to box them in to look square

How can I modernize my round porch columns without removing them

View discussion

How do I choose plants for my front porch?

/> Jere

I live in the NW Florida panhandle. I’m taking on my front porch for a make over. I’m adding a white iron rocking bench, white wicker chairs and various old and new planters. I’m interested in a “shabby chic “ look. I need plants that are hardy to the heat, high humidity and work well in the shade. This was a poor attempt last fall. Want a really lush place to sit and enjoy early morning and later afternoons. Oh,yes I do have the much needed bug zapper, as there’s a beautiful view of two ponds but tons of mosquitoes at times. Working on next years project of re-screening it. PS I don’t have a green thumb.

How do I choose plants for my front porch?

View discussion

How can I update a hanging porch light?

/> Vickie Guy

I have a porch light that hangs from ceiling in front of my front door it is out dated and needs to be replaced but I am having a hard time finding a light that I like. I would like to find something that would be easy to clean.

View discussion

New Outdoor Porch Projects

Need some new DIY outdoor porch inspiration? Check out the new projects here.

Make a Rolling Gate for Your Porch

Do you have small children who use your porch as a play space? Or a pet that enjoys playing and napping on the porch? You can easily make a rolling gate from a short section of porch railings. The gate will help to keep your pet and your children more secure on your porch. Of course, nothing takes the place of parental supervision. Here's how: - Attach two casters at the bottom of a section of balustrade - Attach the "rolling"balustrade with hinges - Close with a latch or even a bungee cord See a video below that demonstrates this easy fix!

Front Porch Ideas

Fall Porch and DIY Outdoor Bench

I started realizing that I totally underutilize my front porch. I care so much about what goes into my house, that I've completely neglected the entry into my house....So I decided it was time for a change! I built this bench and made my porch much more inviting. To see more pictures and how to make this bench: http://www.thriftyandchic.com/2013/10/diy-outdoor-bench-with-3m-diy-and-my.html

Thrifty and Chic

Balcony Bar Top

While we were living in our apartment, we decided to add a bar top to our balcony railing. This way we could save space and have somewhere to sit when we wanted to BBQ and eat outside! It came out better than expected ! Here's how I made it-

Edzon Plascencia

Summertime Porch With A Vintage Flair

I added some vintage items to my front porch last year to give it a fun vibe. I don't normally do anything too stuffy out here.

House Of Hawthornes

Rotten Wood Repair: A Two Prong Attack With the Help of Elmer

Rotted wood seems to be an issue for all homeowners. Especially in the spring and summer months. We recently had to replace the base supports for our porch's wood columns. And after a brief inspection I noticed dry rot on one of the columns. Fortunately there are two products by Elmer's that helped us fix this problem. The repair worked out really well and as a result I wanted to share my success with the Hometalk community. You should definitely look into using Elmer's Structural Wood Repair and Rotted Wood Repair because: 1. They're affordable ($25 total) 2. Wood rot can lead to serious problems with your house 3. And any beginner DIYer can use them Hope this helps you with your own project :)

Home Repair Tutor

My Porch Garden

This is my much beloved porch garden I take pride in it for a very personal reason. Several years ago, while vacationing in Key West, I suffered a massive stroke. The emergency room doctor told my husband that I would not live through the night. Now I use the strengths I do have to do what I love- create beautiful things.

Tallahassee Girl

Other

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Design Ideas for Porches

Pick a color theme

Go vintage and antique

Create a hangout spot

Choose bright colors

Build a modern porch

Benches

Campers & RV's

Decks

Decor

Fireplace

Furniture

Garage

Garden

Home Security

Kitchen

Lights

Patios

Pest Repeller

Pools & Ponds

Rugs

Sheds

Walkways & Paths

Benches

Campers & RV's

Decks

Decor

Fireplace

Furniture

Garage

Garden

Home Security

Kitchen

Lights

Patios

Pest Repeller

Pools & Ponds

Rugs

Sheds

Walkways & Paths