You spend the entire year planning your interior design strategy for Christmas. But come every December, you scramble to get your home’s exterior looking similarly stylish and dreamy.
During the holiday season, you want guests to your home to feel transported to a world of beauty and grace, and that experience should begin as soon as they lay eyes on your property — which means the decoration of your front elevation deserves more of your time and attention.
However, not everyone is adept at imagining interesting ways to decorate the outdoors. Here are a few ideas that might inspire you during your exterior decorating for the upcoming holiday season.
Match Your Indoor Theme
Your home’s exterior should set your visitors’ expectations for the aesthetics of the rest of your property. This is true all year-round, but it is especially true when your home is bedecked for the winter holidays. You should strive to align the theme and intensity of your outdoor décor with the decorations you use to adorn the inside of your home, so when guests move from your yard to your interior, they can seamlessly transition from space to space.
When considering decor for your front door, it’s essential to extend the theme and style you’ve embraced inside your home to create a cohesive and welcoming entrance. Whether it’s a rustic wreath made of natural elements that echoes your love for the outdoors or an elegant, shimmering garland that adds a touch of glamour, your front door decor serves as the initial greeting to your guests, setting the tone for the festive cheer that lies within. It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about making a statement that reflects your personal style and the warmth of your home during the holiday season.
Make Illuminated Decorations
During winter, the world becomes dark and cold. Illuminated Christmas decorations can combat these feelings and make the outdoors seem bright and cheery, so you should find ways to integrate twinkling lights into your exterior décor theme. In addition to hanging Celebrations platinum Christmas lights from your home’s eaves, you can DIY a few illuminated decorations to bright light and life to your landscape. Some ideas include:
- Luminaria, or paper lanterns traditionally placed along walkways to guide guests to your front door.
- Light balls, which involve winding string lights around chicken wire spheres of different sizes.
- Lighted candy canes, which consist of painted PVC pipe with holes drilled for light to shine through.
- Lighted Christmas trees, which can be more modern in look or have a traditional flare.
Use Advanced Electrical Tools
Unlike your indoor décor, your outdoor Christmas decorations will be subject to the natural elements. Freezing temperatures, moisture, animals and more can wreak havoc on your décor in just one season — but by far the biggest danger not just to your decorations but to your entire home is an electrical fire. Outdoor decorations that rely on electricity, like lights or inflatables, must use the right electrical tools to protect them and your home from unnecessary and exceedingly dangerous damage. Some the most important electrical components you must use in your outdoor décor include:
- UL ratings on lights and other electrical products
- GFCI ratings and covers on outdoor outlets
- Light clips to secure wires to your property
- A timer to manage illumination safely
Festify Your Front Porch
When your guests visit for the holidays, the most time they will spend outside is on your front porch, waiting for you to answer the door and let them in. As they wait, they will have plenty of time to take in your décor, which means you need to devote a significant amount of attention to decorating this space appropriately for Christmas.
As with the rest of your outdoor décor, your porch should match the theme and tone of the rest of your holiday décor. However, you can smooth the transition between outside and inside even more effectively by integrating a few key decorations in this space. For example, if your front porch is sufficiently large, you might place an outdoor Christmas tree with weather-appropriate decorations.
You should certainly hang an oversized wreath or some other large and festive décor on your front door. If you have outdoor furniture on your porch, you might cover them in cozy textiles like blankets and seasonal pillows. All of these decorations serve to prepare guests for feeling welcome during your Christmas celebrations.
Your exterior deserves as much attention as your interior during the Christmas season. This year, you should put extra effort into bringing the spirit of the holidays to your front yard.
