This is sort of an answer to your question about the tin star - - -
We added a wrap-around porch to our Victorian farmhouse in 1992. It should have had one to start with! If I remember, I'll take a picture and post it.
Anyway, I made a HEART patchwork wall-hanging to decorate the round wrap-around part - and we leave it on year-round. The first one faded BADLY, so I made a 2nd, and I hung the 1st on the back stairwell (the one no one but DH and I use from kitchen to MBR). Pretty soon, I'm gonna have to make a 3rd!