We already know to deck the halls with boughs of holly, but what about front porches and windows? With a few strands of garland, a wreath, and a bit of creativity, you can deck out the exterior of your home. These easy DIY outdoor Christmas decorations will convince you to go all out this holiday season. Here's betting your neighbors will be impressed and inspired.
1. Mix DIY crafts with store-bought decor.
Video of the Day
Ann from On Sutton Place is known for her annual Christmas porch scenes and for good reason. She livened this one up with plaid pillows, faux gifts, and mini DIY lantern toppers. Create your own levels of visual interest with decor of varying heights, from tall rocking chairs to mini potted trees.
Video of the Day
2. Try this garland trick.
Want to go big on garland? Lucy Akins of Craftberry Bush has a trick for going all out without blowing your budget: She buys inexpensive faux garlands and then attaches several pieces of real greenery to it. (Lucy says it's a little like adding hair extensions.) And how pretty is this foliage-heavy holiday porch, anchored with lanterns and planters? The cute dog is a bonus.
3. Bring J-O-Y with a DIY sign.
DIY blog Fynes Designs created this oversize outdoor "joy" sign with a couple of handmade letters, a coat hook, and a real wreath. If you're not so handy with a jigsaw, you can easily find similar letters in craft stores or on Amazon. The best part? You can reuse the board year-after-year with a different wreath for a sustainable and slightly varying decor piece.
4. Create easy oversize ornaments.
Jill Nystul of One Good Thing needed just half an hour to create these easy oversize ornaments, and they're perfect for hanging in your holiday windows. A simple list of materials — red inflatable balls, empty yogurt containers, and wire — and a few quick steps will get these going. Hang the holiday bulbs at varying heights for a festive display.
5. Arrange a minimalist tree moment.
For a minimalist holiday look, arrange pint-size trees of different shapes along your front steps. It'll be cheerful without screaming, "I love Christmas!" And the setup can live long past December 25th. Here, Caitlin and Manda from The Merrythought organized their trees in baskets and planters they already had around the house, so the look is coordinated without being matchy-matchy.
6. Go for simple and stunning.
A Piece of Rainbow breaks down the step-by-step for making this magnolia leaf wreath. It's as simple as spray painting the leaves, hot gluing them onto a cardboard circle, and hanging the creation on your door. This DIY is easy and inexpensive.
7. Take advantage of cold climates with snowball lanterns.
If you live in a cold, snowy climate, consider creating these snowball lanterns from Little Green Fingers. Simply roll a few snowballs and place them in a circle. Then add more layers, each one smaller than the last, until there's just a small gap at the top. That gap is important, as it lets the heat escape. When nighttime falls, place a tea light in the center hole and light it with a long taper.