Nothing says Christmas like a front door beautifully dressed for the festive season. But decorating your front door for Christmas doesn’t have to be limited to a traditional Christmas wreath. Whether you prefer a more understated and classic approach or love to go all out with your front door Christmas decorations, there are lots of options to choose from. Here are some ideas to sprinkle your front door with Christmas cheer and make sure your house turns heads this holiday season.
Keep it Simple
If you prefer a more pared-back look at Christmas time, one way to dress your front door is with an understated door wreath. This is something that you could have a go at making yourself with some seasonal foliage like eucalyptus or a combination of spruce & pine wound around a simple metal hoop. For a touch of luxury, decorate with a pretty velvet ribbon in a seasonal red or green. This kind of minimal homemade wreath looks especially beautiful against a brighter door colour like a white or light grey.
Another lovely simple way to dress your front door is with a single garland or swag. Stick to a pared-down colour palette such as all green for an elegant and streamlined look.
For something more contemporary, you could go with a giant red ribbon and bow. These come as a kit that is easy to install and make your front door look like it’s been tied up in a bow. This kind of front door decoration is especially effective on a contemporary or composite door style.
Light it up
With the days getting dark at around 4 pm at Christmas time, you’ll want to make sure that your front door decorations look as good in the dark as they do during the day. An easy way to do this is to introduce some lights to your chosen decorations. Battery or solar-powered fairy lights are an excellent investment. Many of them come with a timer that means they will come on automatically at the same time every evening.
These lights are ideal for wrapping around a wreath or dressing up a garland. They are also perfect for decorating any plants that you might have in pots on either side of your front door.
Mix Fake & Real
I love Christmas wreaths. I have a fabulous fake version which I take out every year. I dress it up a bit differently every Christmas. In the past, I’ve used pine cones that my boys had collected from the park. Other years I’ve used a mix of cinnamon sticks and faux red berries. And more recently, I’ve kept it simple with some gorgeous golden bells which jingle merrily every time the door is opened.
Combining artificial and natural foliage is a great way to make your doorway Christmas decorations last a bit longer. Look to the garden for festive foliage to embellish your artificial wreath or garland. Scented greenery, like pine or eucalyptus, woven into wreaths or garlands can be visually and aromatically stunning.
Have some fun
If you have an overhang or open porch, you might consider hanging some decorations from the ceiling. Use colourful satin ribbon threaded with baubles in varying sizes. When it comes to your colour scheme, don’t feel you have to be traditional. Vibrant shades like cobalt blue, hot pink or even bright orange are all great choices and will create an eye-catching display.
Not just for Christmas
Invest in some lanterns for either side of your front door to offer a lovely festive welcome. This simple addition to your front door is the perfect way to create an intimate, inviting and mellow atmosphere during the busy holiday season. It’s also the simplest way to make an elegant day to night look and one you could keep all year round. Many different lanterns are available, from oversized versions that hold real candles too solar- powered battery-operated versions that light up automatically once the daylight starts to fade.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Managing Director Optimise Design, B.Arch. RIAI RIBA
& Senator’s Expert Design Consultant
This blog post is sponsored, but the views expressed by the author are her own.
