Skip the Wreath: Try a Holiday-Spanning Front Door Basket Instead

The quick succession of fall and winter holidays - Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas - can make decking out your front door feel like a chore. Simplify with a single slim basket or straw tote you can use again and again to easily create beautiful looks customized to each holiday.

Give your front door basket double usefulness by adding house numbers. Make the addition permanent by attaching metal versions with heavy-duty outdoor adhesive, or opt for a temporary fix, like these budget-friendly vinyl stickers. Tip: Make it easier to visually align the numbers by noting the basket's center with a piece of removable painter's tape.

To give the straw tote or basket a rounded look, fill with clean, plastic grocery bags or leftover packaging materials, like bubble wrap or the ubiquitous air-filled cushions that come in so many online purchases. Tip: The packaging will also help to anchor the faux stems and prevent your arrangement from shifting when the door is opened and closed.

Craft stores are filled with spooky seasonal silk blooms right before Halloween — but don't just haunt the Halloween aisle, additions like dried seed pods, foxtail millet and feather 'flowers' will look slightly sinister when mixed with black roses. For a free finishing touch, gather dead branches from your yard.