Skip The Wreath: Decorate Your Front Porch With A Vintage Milk Jug DIY

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If you are a passionate DIYer, the holidays are the time of year when no one will blame you for your craft table looking like an explosion of ribbons, hot glue guns, and a myriad of wreath parts. However, if you're a more ambitious crafter, making the same fall wreath DIY year after year can zap some of the spontaneous fun out of the season. You can solve this dilemma and try something new by introducing an unlikely piece into the DIY mix, like an old-fashioned metal milk jug. Dressed with artsy embellishments, this vintage piece rivals the wreath's seasonality. When you lean into its classic shape, you'll create a design that will truly transform your front porch without renovating a thing. 

You can find vintage milk jugs on sites like eBay as well as at thrift stores or antique auctions. They're most often associated with a double-handle design. However, there are other styles to consider, like those with a single side handle. You'll also need ribbons made of burlap or ones boasting frayed edges, like the Keypan Cotton Ribbon for Fall. Adding these gives the piece a rustic feel that sticks to its rural farm roots. Make sure you have silk flowers, spray paint, primer, and stencils to add even more personality to the design. As for tools, you'll need just a few. If the jug has a peeling surface, a hand-held wire brush or Dremel tool will help smooth it. Lastly, gather a pair of scissors and a few small detail brushes for the paint and primer.

Shape plays an important role in conveying mood not just in architecture, but in interior design and decor as well. The most interesting shapes evoke emotions, whether they're serious or whimsical. Since you'll rely on the metal milk jug to give your DIY its form, consider how its shape will influence the message the finished piece conveys. Once you've chosen your jug, clean it up by scuffing off rough spots with a wire brush. 

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Once that's complete, it's time to paint it. A spray paint that includes a primer is likely the easiest route for this project, as it'll give the jug complete coverage and leave it without distracting paintbrush strokes. Rust-Oleum Silver Hammered Spray Paint is a good option, and it would add some fun texture. For a unique look, use multiple spray paint colors to create a Mackenzie-Childs-inspired checkerboard design. Or paint a pastoral scene on the side to give a nod to its farm-based roots. If you'd like it to replace your front porch's welcome mat and wreath in one fell swoop, adding your family name to the jug would be a lovely touch.

Finally, embellish the painted milk jug with assorted ribbons and flowers. If you've purchased one with a bucket handle (like on a 5-gallon bucket), you could add some clips to the base of the handle so that it stands upright. Once that's set up, glue flowers to the handle to introduce a wreath-like shape into the design. More importantly, you'll keep the charming shape of the original jug at the front and center of this cute fall decor piece.