Christmas Porch Decor + A Holiday Housewalk
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What to consider when choosing Christmas porch decor, ideas for adding color and coziness, and how to use items in unexpected ways.
OK…let’s get this Christmas decorating party started! If you haven’t begun yet, that’s perfectly fine, because everyone still has plenty of time…and this week, there is a Holiday Housewalk (hosted by Jen Rizzo) where you will find endless inspiration.
I’m stop no. 3, and the stop before me on the Housewalk is Golden Boys & Me. If you came over from Courtney’s…welcome!
Where To Start
There are two things to consider when it’s time to choose your outdoor decor for Christmas. First, make sure to reflect your own personal style when making your design choices. This is where I sometimes struggle, because I tend to go for the same look every year. In order to makes things look fresh and updated, my goal is always to keep the main elements (furniture, door color, etc.) and change the accessories.
Even then, it seems like my accessory categories are always the same. I change my pillow covers, table decor, door wreath, the planter contents, and the doormat. Sometimes I wonder if that’s enough, but like most of you, I can’t reinvent the wheel every time the seasons change. So I choose what I love, do my very best to make it all look festive, and leave it at that!
Second, think about the overall aesthetics of your home. If you have a farmhouse or cottage style home, don’t decorate with bright metallics and neon colors. If you have a home with modern architecture, choose understated and natural decorations. No matter what your style, there are so many possibilities to make your porch look stunning for the holiday season.
Trees + Lights In Planters
You might remember when I shared my holiday decor plan that I fell in love with these expensive faux basket planters. Since they were not in the budget, I looked for something similar, but affordable. After quite a bit of looking, I found large hyacinth baskets, and decided to see if I could make them work. Even I was surprised when they actually did!
How To Assemble the Planters
- The trunks of my mini faux trees are in small planters instead of a normal stand. But I knew I needed to raise the trees up in the baskets, so the first step was finding a way to do that.
- I had 16 inch round planters left over from summer, and they still had the potting soil in them. I placed these planters in the baskets. They helped weigh down the baskets, and they provided a way to raise up the trees.
- I basically “planted” the tree containers in the potting soil. After that, I placed pinecones under the trees so the potting soil wouldn’t be visible.
- The last step was adding lights.
- This whole process took less than 30 minutes, and I love the way these baskets look!
The Front Door
After the planters were in place, I turned my attention to the rest of the front door area. Even though this is the third year I’ve used this particular wreath, I love it as much as the first day I hung it shortly after we moved into this house.
To change the wreath up a little and make it look new, I added a multi-ribbon bow, and some vintage-style gold bells. The wreath and the bells are hung on a Command hook, which made the whole process super simple.
The last must-have item for the door area is a new doormat. My favorite Christmas saying is “home for the holidays,” and I was lucky enough to find a doormat with those sentiments. There was no hesitation when I added it to my cart, and checked out!
OUR TWO BLUE
FRONT DOORS
Get all the paint color information for our blue front doors…at the house on Sutton Place, and at our current home on Sugar Maple Court.
Cozy Seating
This holiday season, our porch sitting area was decked out with items I already had, with the exception of the inexpensive green pillow covers, and the holiday greens buckets. (Which I couldn’t resist!)
Festive Accessories
I used galvanized metal to add a vintage vibe to the sitting area. Fresh pine fills the watering can that’s on the wooden garden stool, and the holiday greens bucket set holds birch logs, faux greenery, and a string of rusty bells.
Other Christmas Porch Decorating Ideas
Add warmth, ambiance, and holiday cheer to your outdoor Christmas decorations with these additional ideas!
- Add fresh or faux pine garland to railings, porch posts, or the light post. Include string lights for an added bit of twinkle.
- Incorporate vintage sleds or sleighs as decorative elements. You can place them on your porch and adorn them with wreaths or greenery.
- Hang or display Christmas signs with welcoming messages or holiday-themed sayings.
- Place nutcrackers or toy soldier figurines on your porch for a nod to the classics.
- Stack oversized wrapped boxes or faux presents near the entrance for a charming touch. Coordinate the wrapping paper and bows with your overall color scheme.
- Place battery operated candles in lanterns.
- A budget-friendly idea is to pile pinecones in galvanized buckets or baskets.
- Add fresh greenery to large mason jars. A very fun extra step is to float fresh cranberries or faux red berries in the water.
- For an asymmetrical look, place a grouping of mini trees on one side of your front door.
- Use faux reindeer in various sizes as accessories.
Dressing up your porch with festive Christmas decorations not only transforms the exterior of your home into a warm and inviting space, but also captures the spirit of the season. Whether it’s a classic wreath, twinkling lights, or a cozy sitting area, the simple act of decorating your porch adds joy to your surroundings, and creates a welcoming atmosphere for anyone who visits your home.
Shop + Source
*Affiliate links included. See my disclosure statement. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Every effort has been made to provide links to items that are still available. If something featured here is sold out, I tried very hard to find something similar.
- White Polywood rockers
- Red plaid throw blanket (similar)
- Green snowflake pillows
- Wood garden stool
- Galvanized watering can
- Set of 3 buckets (similar)
- Birch logs
- Rusted bells
- Door wreath
- Plaid ribbon (sold out)
- Gold bells
- Baskets
- Mini trees (sold out)
- Doormat
The next stop on the Housewalk is My Sweet Savannah. Melaine’s flawless style shines through, and her Christmas decor is lovely. Please stop by!
More Christmas Porch Decor Ideas
Your mini trees in the baskets are absolutely adorable! I love the texture and color they bring. Festive without being “over the top”. Just lovely! Merry Christmas!
Love this porch it looks amazing and welcoming. Some great pieces that could be used through winter too. Thank you.
Best Christmas porch I’ve seen this year! Especially love the tins and the type of evergreen in the mini trees and wreath.
Ann this is so beautiful! I love how cozy your porch is and I absolutely adore the trees in the basket. Super chic.
But we are not invited into the house?
I wasn’t quite ready…but it’s coming this Sunday so stop back!
I always love seeing your porch Ann! The blue of your door looks so good with all of the greenery! Great porch decorating tips – I’ll be working on ours this weekend! Wishing you a very merry holiday season!
So welcoming! I love the colors you used. It is breathtaking!
I just love your porch decorated for the holidays, it’s so welcoming and beautiful!!! Merry Christmas.
What a beautiful Christmas porch! I need those little trees. Happy Holidays
Charming Ann. A wonderful welcome for guests. Good helpful tips and reminders.
Good morning Ann
I love reading and now watching your inspirational ideas
Although I live in Brisbane Australia where it is summer many of your ideas are easily transferable to the hotter climate
Thank you
So fresh and simple! Love it!
The front porch looks very nice and festive! Love the wreaths you put on the chairs!
Have a great week!!
Your front porch is so inviting! :)
That is my challenge to myself every year, use the same things in fresh ways. Your porch is lovely.
Your porch looks wonderful in red and white!
First look at this new ite for me. Love what I have seen.
Hi Ann!, love your cozy, welcoming porch! Sipping a cup of hot chocolate would be so fun out there. Looks like I need to make another stop at Homestead to get some of those cute wreaths. Instead of a metal watering can, I use an old minnow bucket and put pine branches in it. The minnow bucket reminds me of my grandparents and Dad and our many fishing adventures at our Canadian cabin.
Your porch is one of my favorite spaces! Thank you for sharing!
I will be hanging small wreaths on the back of my porch chairs. Love it all!
Ann,
Everything you share is beautiful. Whenever I need some inspiration or want to look at lovely things/ideas, I visit you, including your older posts. You share great tips to help jump start my own decorating.
Hope you are having a wonderful holiday season… your decor looks like it.
Judith
Simple, crisp, festive
Always great ideas. Looks really good.
Since I lived in sorta your area for a long time you need to go to
Ashland Ohio and go to the Parsley Pot on Middle Rowsburg in Ashland. You would love it. Great products and just a fun locally owned store.
Gorgeous, and i adore the pillows.
Jane
I think your porch looks decidely like the perfect Christmas space! The addition of your red velvet pillows gives a warm, inviting look to your chairs. The more velvet I’m seeing in decorating, the more I’m loving it. The whimsical red and white wide striped ribbon really plays well with her red and white herringbone pattern of your throw. Ann, you are the “queen” of beautifully constructed vignettes and your little table is proof yet again, of your enviable style.
We spent Thanksgiving and the day after at my son and his family’s home. A wonderful cozy family occasion. On Friday, while I entertained the toddlers, my daughter-in-law worked tirelessly from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m and their home went from cozy Fall and Thanksgiving to an enchanting wintry, Christmas wonderland. I was humbled by her endurance and her quick decisions as to place the right decoration in the perfect spot. The children were awed each time another string of lights clicked on the mantels, and the long curved staircase. My son loves a house fully decorated for Christmas and he gets that each year, she does just enough that each room in their large home sings Christmas.
After watching her and now viewing your lovely porch, I’m feeling the push to begin my Christmas decorating a bit earlier than usual (well, usual for me). When my husband asked me a couple of hours ago if we could start decorating today, the push felt like a shove, I feel I must begin.
I love the greens you’ve stuffed into your vintage watering can and used to make your baby wreaths for your chairs. Question: Do you have to change out your greens throughout the decorating season or do they stay that beautiful throughout?
I love your decorating ideas! I have a question. Where did you get your grapevine trees by your frontdoor with the lights on them?
Thank you!
Hi Maria! I have had those grapevine trees for years. I got them at a local farm market. I put the lights on myself…they did not come with the lights. Here is a link for a good site that has grapevine trees at reasonable prices. http://www.egrapevinestore.com/grapevine-trees/wide-grapevine-trees
Hope this helps…Ann
I just love your decorations. Now that Thanksgiving is over I can take down my fall decorations and decorate our porch. Keeping with the classic traditions, I too love the green and red. One request, can you show a picture of your front door decorations.
Thank you for all your wonderful ideas. Have a beautiful day!!
Hi Addie…yes I’ll be showing the front door and the whole porch next week. Thanks for your comment!
You have definitely inspired me to do something different on my porch this year. Thanks. I love your porch. Pine is something we have an abundance of in Northeast Florida!
Ann,
I just received 2 of your Christmas pillows and can’t wait to use them. We are moving to Denver right before Christmas into a little cottage home. I can’t wait. Your porch just reminded me a couple of rocking chairs out front would be perfect. Your decorations are perfect and my mind is racing! Thank you!
Kathleen
Love this, simple and classic!!!
Love your porch.it looks so welcoming.
I love the classic colors of Christmas and the fresh pines in the watering can made my heart smile:).
Kathleen in Az
So I live in Montana and the snow will blow up and drift sometimes on my porch….any ideas? I am not keep on frozen snow covered pillows.
I live in Ohio and some years we have a lot of snow by Christmas but our porch is covered and a bit protected so it doesn’t drift too much. You can still add pine, wreaths, berries, garland, pine cones etc. All that will survive ice and snow. Happy Holidays!
It is indeed a warm, inviting look. I always appreciate how you keep things simple yet beautiful, without a lot of overdone-fussiness! And I completely concur with your outlook that favorite things can be used from one year to the next just by arranging them in different combinations, or adding one or two new elements. Thank you so much for the inspiration!
Ann Your porch looks lovely & Christmassy & inviting.
I love your rocking chairs! Are you able to sit outside there? What’s the weather like?
Hi Shirley…I sit on the front porch in the spring, summer and fall almost every day. Right now it’s too cold so I’m not actually sitting out there!
Were putting the outdoor decorations up today. Love your porch and those little wreaths are so cute!
I’m doing new cushions on our chairs and shopping pillows from my collection. Then on my walk I’ll collect some pine cones for my lantern!
Beautiful as always!
Red and green,so classic and pretty.
Dear Ann, Lantern would be stolen as well as chairs and pillows. This is the non wonder of Cleveland, Ohio. I did put up across the porch white snowflake lights. Red and white swagged ribbon across the porch rails. My Santa flag, my newest tin can creation of snowman wind chime and my new tree made from tomato cage and garland. White lights of course. I must confess I put colored lights around living room windows back on the November day of 70 degrees because it did snow the next day. No frozen fingers. Hip hip hooray. I would love a genteel porch nut the stray cats would be in the chairs and cat hair on the pillows. I love to decorate and what I did works for here. I forgot the green prickly garland around the outside door and down the banisters with red bows on the ends. Even put a red bow to make the mailman smile on the mail box. there will be glass jars I made into candle holders with wire handles I will hang on my plant hangers in the front garden. they look very smart when it snows.
I do love to decorate for Christmas. Merry Christmas to you my dear Ann.
Well Jody it sounds like you have everything totally under control. Your home sounds very cozy and welcoming…Happy Holidays!