In preparation for the holiday season, we’re talking today about how to add a bit of festivity to your front porch. During the next few months, part of the magic stems from seeing celebrations of the season everywhere we look. If you want to contribute, we have a few suggestions for how to decorate your doorstep this year. You can also use these suggestions for other areas of your property, including inside your home. 

Let There Be Light

Nothing says holiday magic like homes lit up in festive splendor, and the variety available on the market is truly staggering. Lanterns provide a classic touch as you decorate your doorstep for the holiday season, as do lights specially designed in holiday shapes like stars, snowflakes, candy canes and wreaths.

Lights are the most common decoration to move beyond your front porch to the rest of the house. Holiday lighting comes in strings, curtains, icicles, and even projected patterns. If you like lighting that twinkles, or changes colors, or switches to follow a favorite carol, it’s all available for you. As we move into colder temperatures and the threat of flurries increases, contract out your holiday lighting installation to avoid dangerous time spent on the ladder or roof.

Wrapped in Wreaths

December isn’t well-known for its varied foliage, and as a society we have latched on to the only greenery there is to be found in the cold months: evergreens. You can use pine, spruce, and fir in many ways as you decorate your doorstep this year. We love a bold wreath on the door, and wrapping garland around support columns or porch railings also gives a beautiful flourish. You can frame your doorstep by draping garland from the ceiling and letting it hang down the sides. If you want to branch out, pun intended, consider adding smaller wreaths to front-facing windows.

Color Me Christmas

Color is an asset as you decorate your doorstep for the holiday season. Reds, greens, and golds are common and can be used in multiple ways. You don’t have to be a Scot to use cozy tartan, and buffalo plaid gives texture as well as bold color to a space. Reds and greens are naturally occurring at this time of year in evergreen bows and holly berries. 

If you are tired of commercial red and green, you can also embrace wintery tones that evoke quiet winter mornings. Icy blues, deep purples, and frosty silvers are all good choices. You can incorporate color in the welcome mat you place at the foot of the door, in the pillows for the deck chairs (or fleece blankets if you really want your doorstep to feel cozy), or even in door paint.

Tied with a Bow

Ribbon is a great holiday resource. It reminds us of the power of giving and serves as a nearly ubiquitous decorating material. Decorate your doorstep with ribbon by giving your porch’s columns candy cane stripes or by weaving it through the garland you’ve already added there. Plump bows in red or purple are a classy way to make a statement and help your front porch stand out even in a sea of snow. As you use ribbon to decorate your doorstep this year, remember to only use ribbon that is waterproof. Even if it is nested under the eaves, the winter weather is unpredictable.

Baubles and Buttons

The exact decorations you use will reflect your personal tastes. Keep that in mind as you decorate your doorstep this year. There are hundreds of different ways you can decorate for the holidays, and here are just a few things you can include:

• Display signs or plaques, either hanging from the walls or propped in the corner.
• Speaking of signage, your welcome mat doesn’t have to say “Welcome.” If you prefer, yours can say something about gingerbread or even the Grinch.
• The holiday season is an excuse to go all-out on your porch décor. Consider large nutcrackers or small Christmas trees.
• Incorporate color in natural ways for the season. Poinsettias and cardinals both have bold hues.
• Ornaments do exactly as their name implies. You can hang them from the porch ceiling or fill a lantern with them.
• Speaking of lanterns, they can serve as classy displays for other seasonal things, like pinecones and holly berries.
• Make your décor personal by propping up a pair of skis, displaying a menorah, or highlighting anything else you love about the season.

Most importantly, choose décor, colors, and motifs that you prefer in the way you decorate your doorstep. It is your home, after all. Find the right fit that will help you embrace the holiday spirit.