I Can Make That ... GAME DAY PORCH
Some porches practically invite you to sit down before you’ve even knocked on the door. This one adds another invitation: stay for the game.
A wooden daybed swing, creamy cushions, and lush greenery create a welcoming Southern setting. Generous ribbon bows, football accents, and school pennants turn it into a porch ready for football season.
Whether your household cheers for a college team, your hometown high school, or the school where your children play, you can make this look your own. Start with comfortable seating and natural textures, then bring your school colors into the pillows, ribbon, and decorations.
Here’s how to recreate it.
Start with Your School Colors
The inspiration photo uses navy and gold, but the decorating approach works with any school palette. Crimson and white, orange and purple, green and gold, royal blue and orange—each combination brings its own personality.
Choose your school’s two main colors. Use one more generously and the second as an accent. If your school has three colors, introduce the third through smaller details such as pennants, ribbon edging, or a patterned pillow.
Keep the larger pieces simple: warm wood, cream cushions, leafy greenery, and a neutral rug. That foundation gives bold school colors room to shine.
For a household with divided loyalties, give each school a pillow and pennant, then use matching ribbon styles to tie the display together. We can’t promise it will settle the rivalry, but at least everyone gets represented.
For the greenery and game day accents
☐ Outdoor-suitable faux greenery garland
☐ Additional leafy stems to fill gaps
☐ Wide ribbon in your school’s primary color
☐ Wide ribbon in your school’s secondary color
☐ Coordinating wired ribbon for bows
☐ Lightweight decorative footballs
☐ Small school or team pennants
☐ Optional accents in your school colors
☐ Floral wire and outdoor-rated cable ties
☐ Wire cutters and scissors
☐ Exterior mounting hardware appropriate for your surface
For the seating and finishing touches
☐ Cream or ivory outdoor cushions
☐ Outdoor pillows or pillow covers in your school colors
☐ A neutral outdoor rug
☐ Two planters in complementary sizes
☐ Green plants or outdoor-suitable faux greenery
☐ A metal beverage tub
☐ A small side table for drinks and snacks
Skill level: Beginner-friendly, with some patience for arranging.
Estimated assembly time: 60–90 minutes after gathering supplies.
Gather Your Supplies
Measure the doorway or window you want to decorate before buying garland. Include both sides and the top, allowing extra length for soft draping.
Shopping tip: Look for ribbon and pillow covers in the actual shades your school uses. Burgundy and crimson, or golden yellow and metallic gold, can create quite different looks.
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Everything You Need to Make This Wreath
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How to Make the Wreath
01 | Create a Comfortable Foundation
The wooden swing anchors the inspiration photo, but a porch sofa, bench, or pair of chairs can create the same welcoming feeling.
Start with light cushions, then add pillows in your school colors. Mix a few solid pillows with one striped or subtly patterned option. If you have a school-logo pillow, give it a place where it’s easy to see.
Leave enough room for guests to sit comfortably without moving the entire arrangement.
A neutral outdoor rug in oatmeal, sand, or warm beige adds texture and works with almost any team palette.
02 | Frame a Doorway or Window with Greenery
The full garland gives this porch its sense of occasion. Concentrate your decorating around one doorway or window near the seating area.
Lay the garland on the ground first. Fill thin spots with leafy stems, varying their direction so the greenery looks naturally gathered. Combine broad leaves with finer foliage for more depth.
Secure the finished garland using mounting hardware appropriate for your exterior surface and the weight of the display. Keep doors, walkways, and the swing’s movement clear.
For a smaller porch: Run the greenery across the top and down one side. One generous arrangement can have plenty of impact.
Make the Bows:
1 | Create several generous loops with ribbon in both school colors.
2 | Gather the loops at the center and secure them with floral wire.
3 | Fluff the loops and fasten the bow into the garland.
4 | Add long tails in each color. Let some tails hang down while weaving others loosely through the leaves.
03 | Layer Ribbon in Your School Colors
Ribbon carries the color throughout the display, so choose shades you love seeing together.
Use wide ribbon for the draped sections. Secure it behind the greenery near an upper corner, let it fall into a soft curve, and fasten it farther along. Repeat with your second color, allowing both to remain visible.
Vary the folds slightly rather than making every loop identical. Tuck greenery over the attachment points for a finished appearance.
A solid ribbon paired with a stripe or subtle check can add interest without competing with the pennants.
Choose ribbon suited to your porch’s exposure. Plush velvet creates the rich effect shown in the inspiration, but indoor ribbon should be reserved for sheltered decorating and brought inside when needed.
04 | Add Your School Spirit
Now bring in the details that make the porch yours.
Nestle school pennants into the greenery, angling them outward so the names or emblems remain visible. Add lightweight decorative footballs near a bow, midway down the garland, and close to the planters.
Secure each decoration independently. For a pennant you want to use all season, choose an outdoor-suitable version or bring it inside between game days.
Don’t forget to include:
- A small school sign.
- Decorative floral stems or ball ornaments in your school colors
- A mascot ornament or cutouts
- Team pennants
- Decorative footballs, (or baseballs, soccer balls, etc.)
- A personalized accent celebrating your student or graduating class.
Leave some greenery visible between decorations. The school colors and personal details should stand out clearly.
05 | Finish with Planters
Planters connect the tall garland to the porch floor and make the arrangement feel complete.
Choose containers in cream, weathered stone, warm gray, or another neutral finish. Fill them with plants suited to your porch’s light, or use outdoor-suitable faux greenery.
Repeat your school colors with a small bow tied around a planter or a pennant tucked among the leaves. One accent is enough to connect it to the larger display.
Place the containers beside the decorated doorway, leaving plenty of walking room. If space is limited, use one substantial planter.
06 | Get Ready for Company
Fill a beverage tub with ice, bottled water, sparkling drinks, and your guests’ favorites. Place it within easy reach, clear of the doorway and moving swing.
Add a small table for drinks and a tray of snacks. Pretzel bites, individual snack cups, or a small cheese board make easy porch refreshments.
For another touch of school spirit, use napkins in one team color and a serving tray in the other. These little repetitions help the whole gathering feel coordinated.
Take It to the Party
Carry your school colors from the porch to the party table. The same ribbon, greenery, and football accents can bring everything together, whether you’re hosting a backyard tailgate, a buffet before kickoff, or dinner with fellow fans.
Start with a neutral tablecloth or runner, then add napkins in your school colors. Repeat the porch’s eucalyptus and pine greenery down the center of the table, keeping it low enough for guests to talk across it. Tuck in a few small pennants and lightweight football decorations, leaving room for serving dishes.
Use extra ribbon to tie bows around napkins, dress up a utensil basket, or add a finishing touch to the beverage tub. If you made several bows for the porch, make a smaller version for the table using the same two ribbons.
Try these simple touches:
Place settings: Pair everyday white plates with school-color napkins and ribbon napkin ties.
Centerpiece: Arrange a short greenery garland with a few football accents and pennants.
Buffet: Repeat your colors through trays, napkins, and small bows on serving baskets.
Drink station: Add a coordinating bow to the beverage tub and set out cups in your team colors.
Keep loose ribbon and greenery clear of food, and use clean, separate decorating supplies for the table rather than pieces that have been outside.
You’ve already chosen the colors and gathered the supplies … now let them carry through the whole celebration.
