Spruce up Your Porch for Under $100

Revive your porch to enhance curb appeal and create a more welcoming entrance. And it won't even cost you more than $100. Here's how:


1) Paint your front door. Pick a color that's keeping with your existing color scheme. Paint stores will have brochures of recommended palettes using the colors you already feature. Sand the door before you paint to prevent the paint from peeling.

• Cost: $15 per quart.

2) Buy pottery. Terra cotta pottery is a good choice: it's inexpensive but looks nice both from a distance and up close. Consider buying one larger pot or a group of three pots that vary in size. Paint the pottery with a color compatible with that you used for the front door. Use an outdoor paint, such as patio paint, and use a sealer to coat the inside of the pot(s) or moisture may lead to peeling.

• Cost: $28 (for a 10", 12", 15" + paint) 

3) Add plants. If you'd like to use a pot, have one large centerpiece plant surrounded by a quart of six-pack varieties. If not, arrange a few six-packs of colorful flowers in front of or along your porch.

• Cost: $18 (2 -gal and 4 six-packs)

4) Get Personal. Get a nice brass doorbell cover or door knocker. They come in a variety of styles and sizes. You can also replace old house numbers with brass, chrome or black numbers.

• Cost: $38 ($20 for the doorbell cover, $18 for 3, 6" brass numbers)

...This amounts to only $99. For an extra touch, you can add lighting to your porch. LightingUniverse.com has over 80 lights for $30 or less!