Thanksgiving Yard Decor: 15 Cheap DIY Ideas That Make Your Lawn the Friendliest on the Block
Thanksgiving Yard Decor is the easiest way to make your home feel warm and welcoming before the family even reaches the front door. Most of us already dressed up the porch, but the lawn, the fence and the mailbox are the first things neighbors and guests see as they drive past. The good news is that you do not need big inflatables or a big budget. A few hay bales, some pumpkins, a stack of old crates and a roll of burlap can turn a plain patch of grass into a harvest scene that makes people smile. Below are 15 cozy ideas with simple supply lists and easy steps, most of them made from things you can find at a farm stand, a thrift store or your own garage. Grab your work gloves and a warm cup of cider and let’s head outside..
Thanksgiving Yard Decor Starts With a Hay Bale Turkey
If you only make one piece of Thanksgiving Yard Decor this year, make it a hay bale turkey. A single round bale becomes the body, and a fan of painted wooden boards becomes the tail feathers in orange, red and gold. Add a small wooden head with a red wattle and set a few pumpkins and corn stalks around it. Kids wave at it from the school bus, and neighbors slow down to take a photo. It costs less than one store bought inflatable and looks far more charming. Where on your lawn would your turkey stand..
You will need: One round or square hay bale, five or six wooden fence boards, outdoor paint in orange, red, yellow and brown, a small scrap of plywood for the head, wood screws, a drill for adults and two garden stakes.
How to make it: 1. Paint the boards in bright feather colors and let them dry. 2. Screw them together into a fan and push it into the back of the bale with two garden stakes, with adult help for the drill. 3. Cut and paint a simple head, attach it to the front and style pumpkins around the base.
Plywood Turkey Cutout
A plywood turkey cutout is a classic for a reason. Trace a simple turkey shape on a sheet of plywood, cut it out with adult help, and paint it in warm browns, oranges and reds. Mount it on a stake and it will stand up to wind and rain for years. Many families make a new one each year and line them up like a little flock. You can even let the kids paint the feathers. How many turkeys would your flock have?
You will need: Half a sheet of exterior plywood, a jigsaw for adults, sandpaper, outdoor acrylic paint, a clear outdoor sealer, wood screws and a sturdy wooden stake.
How to make it: 1. Draw the turkey shape in pencil, then cut it out with a jigsaw, with an adult doing the cutting. 2. Sand the edges and paint the body and feathers, then seal both sides. 3. Screw the stake to the back and push it firmly into the lawn.
Thanksgiving Yard Decor With a Pumpkin Topiary
A tall pumpkin topiary is one of those Thanksgiving Yard Decor pieces that looks like it came from a garden center but costs only a few dollars. Stack three pumpkins from big to small, white on the bottom, orange in the middle and a little green one on top. A wooden dowel through the middle keeps them steady. Tie a burlap bow around the neck and tuck trailing ivy into the tub. Faux pumpkins last all season, while real ones look lovely for a few weeks. Real or faux for yours?
You will need: A large galvanized tub, three pumpkins in graduated sizes, a wooden dowel about 3 feet long, a drill for adults, burlap ribbon, potting soil and a trailing ivy plant.
How to make it: 1. Fill the tub with soil and plant the ivy around the edge. 2. Push the dowel down through the center of each pumpkin, with adult help to make the holes. 3. Tie the burlap bow around the top pumpkin’s stem and set the tub near the walkway.
Corn Stalk Tree Bundles
Corn stalks are cheap at farm stands this time of year, and tied into tall bundles they look like rustic little trees. Stand one on each side of your front walkway and guests feel like they are entering a harvest festival. Tie each bundle tightly in two places with jute rope and add a big burlap bow at the top tie. A few pumpkins and gourds at the base finish the look. They rustle softly in the breeze, which kids love. Would you tie yours with burlap or plaid?
You will need: Two bundles of dried corn stalks, a roll of thick jute rope, wide burlap ribbon, two sturdy garden stakes and a few small pumpkins and gourds.
How to make it: 1. Push a garden stake deep into the lawn where each bundle will stand. 2. Stand the corn stalks around the stake and tie them tightly at the middle and near the top. 3. Add the burlap bows and set pumpkins and gourds around the base.
Wheelbarrow Harvest Display
An old wheelbarrow makes the perfect rolling planter for fall. If you have a rusty one in the shed, give it a new job on the front lawn. Fill it with potted mums in orange and yellow, tuck small pumpkins and colorful gourds between the pots, and stand a few bundles of dried wheat at the back. Because the mums stay in their pots, you can water them easily and swap them out when they fade. Do you have an old wheelbarrow hiding in the garage?
You will need: An old wheelbarrow, four to six potted mums, small pumpkins, mixed gourds, a few bundles of dried wheat and a bag of straw to fill the gaps.
How to make it: 1. Park the wheelbarrow on the lawn where it can be seen from the street. 2. Set the mums inside in their pots and fill gaps with straw. 3. Tuck pumpkins and gourds between the pots and stand the wheat at the back.
Thanksgiving Yard Decor in a Mum and Gourd Wagon
A red wagon full of mums and gourds is sweet, nostalgic Thanksgiving Yard Decor that reminds everyone of childhood fall afternoons. Thrift stores and yard sales often have old wagons for a few dollars. Fill it with burgundy and gold mums, a few warty pumpkins and a folded plaid blanket in the corner. Park it near the driveway so guests see it first. After the holiday, the same wagon can hold a little evergreen tree for winter. Would you use a red wagon or a wooden one?
You will need: A vintage or thrifted wagon, three or four potted mums, warty pumpkins, mixed gourds, a small plaid throw and a bag of straw.
How to make it: 1. Clean the wagon and lay straw in the bottom. 2. Set the mums in the back half and the pumpkins in front. 3. Tuck the folded blanket in one corner and scatter gourds on top.
Scarecrow Family From Old Clothes
A scarecrow family is the most fun project on this list and a great way to use old clothes. Dig out worn flannel shirts, overalls and an old pair of jeans, stuff them with straw or newspaper and give each one a burlap head with a simple stitched smile. Make a mom, a dad and a little one, or match your own family. Set them on hay bales with a few pumpkins and they look like they are waiting to greet your guests. Who in your house would get a scarecrow twin?
You will need: Old flannel shirts, overalls or jeans, straw or crumpled newspaper, burlap fabric, twine, black yarn and a large needle, straw hats and wooden garden stakes.
How to make it: 1. Tie the shirt cuffs and pant legs with twine and stuff the clothes firmly. 2. Fill a burlap square with straw, tie it closed for the head and stitch on a smile with yarn. 3. Attach each scarecrow to a stake, add the hats and arrange them on hay bales.
Tomato Cage Pumpkin
Do not throw out those wire tomato cages after the garden is done. Flip one upside down, pull the prongs together at the top, and wrap it round and round with orange burlap ribbon, and it becomes a giant pumpkin for the lawn. A short stick wrapped in green ribbon makes the stem, and a bit of raffia makes the leaf. They are light, they will not rot, and you can make three sizes in one afternoon. How many would you line up on your lawn?
You will need: One or more wire tomato cages, two or three rolls of wide orange burlap ribbon, zip ties, a short stick, green ribbon or floral tape and green raffia.
How to make it: 1. Turn the cage upside down and zip tie the prongs together at the top. 2. Weave and wrap the burlap ribbon around the cage until no wire shows. 3. Wrap the stick in green ribbon, push it into the top and tie on a raffia leaf.
Thanksgiving Yard Decor With a Grapevine Cornucopia
The horn of plenty is the true symbol of the holiday, and an oversized one makes eye catching Thanksgiving Yard Decor. Shape grapevine garlands around a chicken wire cone into a big horn, then lay it on its side on a hay bale. Fill the open end with pumpkins, gourds, apples, dried corn and wheat so the harvest seems to spill out onto the lawn. It looks like a picture from an old fashioned holiday card. What would you tuck into your horn of plenty?
You will need: Two or three grapevine garlands, a piece of chicken wire about 4 feet long, garden gloves, floral wire, one hay bale, pumpkins, gourds, apples, dried corn ears and wheat.
How to make it: 1. Wearing gloves, roll the chicken wire into a cone and bend the narrow end into a curl. 2. Wrap the grapevine around the cone and wire it in place until it is covered. 3. Lay it on the hay bale and fill the opening with the harvest pieces.
Wooden Crate Harvest Pyramid
Wooden crates from the craft store or the farmers market stack into a harvest pyramid that looks like a country produce stand. Set three crates on the bottom, two in the middle and one on top, and turn a few on their sides so they become little shelves. Fill them with pumpkins, gourds, red apples and potted mums. If you love this look, our Thanksgiving porch decor ideas use the same crates closer to the front door. Which crate would get the biggest pumpkin?
You will need: Six wooden crates, a few short screws or zip ties to hold them together, pumpkins, gourds, red apples, potted mums and a bag of straw.
How to make it: 1. Set three crates in a row on level ground and stack two on top, then one on the very top. 2. Join them with zip ties or short screws so they stay steady, with adult help. 3. Fill each crate with produce, mums and a little straw.
Burlap Ribbon Fence Swags
If you have a fence along the front of your home, a few swags of burlap ribbon turn it into a festive frame. Drape wide burlap between the posts in soft curves, then tie a small bundle of wheat and a little orange bow at the top of each post. It takes about an hour and a few rolls of ribbon, yet it makes the whole front of the house look dressed for company. It also looks pretty on a split rail fence or a deck rail. Would you add bows or wheat to yours?
You will need: Several rolls of wide burlap ribbon, small bundles of dried wheat, narrow orange ribbon, zip ties or garden twine and scissors.
How to make it: 1. Zip tie one end of the burlap to the first post and drape it in a soft curve to the next post. 2. Repeat along the whole fence. 3. Tie a wheat bundle and a small orange bow over each tie to hide it.
Thanksgiving Yard Decor for the Mailbox
The mailbox is the first thing visitors see, so it deserves a little Thanksgiving Yard Decor too. Wrap the post in a garland of faux maple leaves, tuck in a few small gourds and dried corn husks, and finish with a big burlap bow under the box. Plant a few orange mums around the base of the post and it looks like a little harvest welcome sign. Keep the door and flag clear so your mail carrier can still do the job. What colors would you choose for your mailbox?
You will need: A faux maple leaf garland, a few small faux gourds, dried corn husks, wide burlap ribbon, floral wire, zip ties and two or three potted mums.
How to make it: 1. Wrap the garland in a spiral around the post and secure it with zip ties. 2. Wire in the gourds and corn husks and tie the bow just under the box. 3. Plant or set the mums around the base of the post.
Thankful Tree in a Pot
A thankful tree is a sweet tradition that the whole family can share. Gather a few bare branches from the yard, stand them in a big pot filled with stones and soil, and hang kraft paper leaves on twine. Each family member writes something they are thankful for on a leaf and ties it on. Guests can add one when they arrive. By the big day, the tree is covered with happy notes. Use tags laminated with clear tape so they stay dry outside. What would you write on your first leaf?
You will need: A large terracotta pot, a few bare branches, stones and soil, kraft paper card stock, a leaf template, a hole punch, twine, clear packing tape and orange and red ribbon.
How to make it: 1. Fill the pot with stones and soil and press the branches in firmly. 2. Cut leaf shapes from kraft paper, cover them with clear tape and punch a hole in each. 3. Thread twine through the leaves, tie on ribbons and let everyone add a leaf.
Pumpkin Path Markers
Lining your front walkway with pumpkins guides guests right to your door and looks lovely in every photo. Set small pumpkins in orange, white and green on short wooden stumps or little piles of hay so they sit up high. Space them evenly on both sides of the path. Pie pumpkins from the grocery store are perfect and cheap. For an evening glow, add a few battery fairy lights in the hay, never real candles. Which colors would you mix along your path?
You will need: Ten to sixteen small pumpkins in mixed colors, short wooden stumps or log rounds, a bag of straw and an optional strand of battery fairy lights with a timer.
How to make it: 1. Set the stumps or small hay piles in two even rows along the path. 2. Place a pumpkin on each, mixing the colors. 3. Weave battery fairy lights through the hay if you want a soft evening glow.
Thanksgiving Yard Decor With Leaf Bag Pumpkins
Here is the cheapest Thanksgiving Yard Decor of all, and it cleans up the lawn at the same time. Rake your fallen leaves into big orange leaf bags, tie them off and tuck the top under so each bag looks round like a giant pumpkin. Push a short stick into the top for a stem and add curly green ribbon for vines. Group three sizes together under a tree and the whole street will smile. When the season ends, the leaves go straight to compost. Tons of people are sharing big outdoor holiday builds on Hometalk, and this one is the easiest. How many leaf pumpkins could your yard fill?
You will need: Orange lawn and leaf bags without printed faces, fallen leaves, a rake, twine, short sticks and green curling ribbon.
How to make it: 1. Rake leaves and stuff each bag until it is full and round. 2. Twist the top closed, tie it with twine and tuck it under so the bag sits round. 3. Push a stick into the top as a stem and curl green ribbon around it.
