Classic and Simple Christmas Porch Decorations

When you’re short on time at the holidays (and who isn’t!?) but want your home exterior to feel festive and welcoming, focusing on simple Christmas porch decorations is the way to go. Maybe you’re wondering what to put on your front porch for Christmas? Or perhaps just need a little inspiration on how to make your front porch look and feel nice?… No matter your dilemma, this post breaks down exactly how I decorated my front porch for the holiday season so you can implement the same classic look for your home. With a few basic decorations, your porch will be ready to greet loved ones all season long!

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This post is about simple outside Christmas decorations.

Christmas Porch Decorations

Your Christmas porch decorations do not need to be complicated. Stick with the basics. You might be surprised how much impact even the simplest decorations have.

There are four essentials I recommend as your starting point:

Front door wreath
Planters with fresh evergreen
Lanterns
Welcome mat

This is the combination I have used for years. Tried and true!

Next, let’s dive into each of these essentials.

Front Door Wreath

A front door wreath is an essential component of your porch decor. There are some questions to consider when choosing your front porch wreath:

What color(s) wreath will best suite your door? My red door works perfectly with an evergreen wreath and red bow. But this would not work on everyone’s home exterior. For instance, neutral wood doors may work better with a cream or brown velvet bow – or no bow at all.
What size wreath is the correct scale for your door? If you have a huge double door, you’ll want to choose a larger wreath (or even two wreaths). Or if your door and porch is on the smaller side, you’ll obviously want to pick a more petite wreath. A good rule of thumb is the wreath should fill approximately 1/3 of your door.
How will you hang your wreath? I recommend an over-the-door wreath hanger rather than a nail in the door. The hanger I use is less than $10 from Amazon!

Christmas Planters with Fresh Evergreen

Finding a source for enough evergreens to fill a planter or two can be a bit of a challenge.

The Christmas tree farm where we have gone the last several years is kind enough to let me grab a bunch of cast-off boughs for a reasonable price. But if you don’t have that as an option, many florists and grocery stores will sell bundles of evergreens.

Getting at least two varieties of evergreen will help your planters look more dimensional. I also like to forage in my backyard for a few twigs to add to the center.

To make the planter arrangement, simply layer in one medium or small piece of evergreen at a time. I like to start with a few medium pieces, and then fill in with small.

I leave the planters mostly filled with dirt so the branches have something to hold them in place. By the way, I’ve had these planters, which are from Home Depot, for two or three years. I love the clean, modern shape. And the height gives them a lot of presence. 100% recommend!

But back to arranging evergreen. Overall, the goal is to have a fairly balanced arrangement.

Honestly, it’s an art, not a science. You’ll need to step back, evaluate, edit, repeat.

Just keep working on it. Eventually you’ll get to a stopping point when it seems right. 🙂

Outdoor Lanterns

Instead of outdoor Christmas lights, I like to use candles in the window (battery powered, over course!) and lanterns on the porch. The combination gives a nice cozy glow.

These lanterns are one of my favorite home decor purchases this year! Such a pretty copper tone. They look and feel way more expensive than they actually are. I bought them this fall at Target, and they are still available in three sizes! Yay!

Welcome Mat

Lastly, add a welcome mat to your front porch Christmas decorations. Another Target purchase, this welcome mat is larger than most. Honestly, you won’t believe how reasonably priced this is. I appreciate the classic design, which flows easily from the holidays to winter and beyond.