The single-best way to welcome your guests to your door, and celebrate the seasons, is hanging a chalkboard in your front porch entryway. A simple childhood learning tool, the schoolhouse chalkboard is a great go-to if you are busy, don’t have the extra money to dress up your front porch every time a holiday comes around, or have the space needed to store all the seasonal decor.
I purchased my chalkboard from Magnolia, but you can find a similar one here on Amazon. Then, visit Pinterest and search “chalkboard art.” I’ve made it easy for you – just head over to my two links on Pinterest for ideas -Chalkboard inspiration here and July 4th inspiration here.
Inspired by 4dotsdesign on Etsy
The flags are from my favorite hardware store Jabo’s Ace. They are on sticks so you can easily stick the flags into flower beds or flower pots. Store them away to use for Memorial and Labor Day, or just anytime you want to show your American spirit.
I also like putting a doormat right before people step onto the porch. I love the Hooray You’re Here mat that I picked up from Hobby Lobby (it’s on sale for $9.99!). Want to add a great-smelling feature to your front porch – plant thyme! See the bright tufts of green spilling out onto the sidewalk? How easy to step out onto your porch and pick some fresh herbs to mix into salads or grilled chicken.
The chalkboard usually resides right above a bench. I added the rope detail for a rustic touch. Benches are the perfect spot for deliveries or sitting while you take off your shoes. The lantern is battery operated, and on a timer, so it comes on at dusk. I have had the potted fern since last summer. Since we had a mild winter, it stayed green all year long. The home pillow is from Pottery Barn, and even though I have had it for several seasons, it is still available here. Be sure to bring your pillows in during storms and keep them in the shade, so the sun doesn’t fade the fabric. The basket on the front door is from Ballard Designs. I keep it up year-round and fill with seasonal flowers – my favorites are sunflowers!
I hope you have a beautiful July 4th despite the hardships we are facing right now. Celebrate being together and the freedoms that come with that.
“One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one nation forevermore.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes.
Hospitality is in my DNA. I founded Home with a Twist, a daughter’s twist on her mother’s traditions, in memory of my mother to celebrate her life and the gifts she shared with me. Mother loved to celebrate life’s occasions – big and small.
