Spruce up your outdoor space to bring the merriment of the holidays to your home.
There are plenty of décor ideas you can adapt to turn the exterior of your house into a festive destination. Even if you live where it snows and don’t spend much time on a porch or patio, decking the outside of your halls is fun and satisfying.
Create a warm welcome for friends’ arrival and a beautiful scene to admire from the cozy indoors with these ideas for holiday outdoor décor.
Hang a simple wreath
Hanging just one wreath on your front door creates a beautifully minimalistic look. Depending on your wreath’s adornments, you can pull off a chic aesthetic or something gorgeously traditional.
Go all out with double wreaths
Have double doors? Hang two wreaths for twice the joy. Magnolia wreaths look stunning in a pair.
Light the night
Stringing lights is a favorite way to decorate the outside of a house for the holidays. Whether you choose all-white or multi-hued lights, you’re sure to enjoy the magical transformation when everything is lit up.
Put up a Christmas tree outdoors
Having a Christmas tree indoors and outdoors makes for double the reasons to stop and admire nature’s beauty. If you have a live pine or fir tree in your yard, consider decorating it.
Arrange mini evergreens
Mini evergreens in galvanized steel tubs or on wooden stands look fantastic outside a home. Add greenery anywhere you may be missing it, like in a courtyard or on a deck.
Scatter pine cones
Hang pine cones from outdoor trees or place them in the foliage. Place buckets of pine cones on tables or string them from your eaves. Pine cones conjure up feelings of warmth, coziness and relaxation perfect for the holidays.
Drape garland
If you have railings or columns, wrap them with garland. Drape fresh garland around your entry door and across the roofline of your house. Turn your abode into a wonderland of greenery that may just become snowy white before you know it.
Make a topiary
Make a topiary out of trees, holiday plants or boxes wrapped as presents. Stack large holiday ornaments into uniquely attractive topiaries, or use fruits like oranges and apples to feed hungry wildlife who may wander onto your property.
Invite a nutcracker to your home
Make a statement by inviting a large nutcracker to stand watch outside your front door. A 5 to 6-foot tall statue makes a charming first impression and will leave your guests (and kids) with special memories of the holidays.
Cover with cozy blankets
Throw plaid blankets over outdoor furniture and around a fire pit so you can gather in the fresh air and linger with a cup of hot chocolate for as long as possible.
Bundle birch logs
You don’t want to store firewood where it will be exposed to the elements, but you can bundle decorative logs for display outdoors. Birch is beautiful and smells delightful. Tie bundles with twine or place logs in a large basket.
Fancy up your fireplace
Turn your outdoor fireplace into a merry setting with metallic ornaments hung or placed in a bowl on the hearth. String lights and stars from the fireplace. If you have a mantel, decorate it with candles for an inviting winter glow.
Winterize your windows
Using non-toxic glass paint, create a winter scene on windows or decorate them with your favorite seasonal symbols. You can find templates online that will turn windows into visual representations of the holidays.
Illuminate with lanterns
Large lanterns filled with tiny stringed lights are unexpected and eye-catching. Stuff colored or white Christmas lights into lanterns and set at either side of your doorway or along a walkway. Think about going bold with red holiday lights.
Make a snowman
Making a snowman is probably one of the most enjoyable ways to bring the holidays to the outside of your home. If you get snow, this outdoor décor idea is free, too! Just don’t count on your snowy friend staying for any definite amount of time. You can build Frosty one afternoon and watch him disappear into a puddle the next.
Enjoy decorating your outdoors for the holidays and creating an inviting space for loved ones.