Christmas door decorations are an eye-catching way to adorn your front door or porch with joy this festive season. Nothing screams Christmas quite like a big red ribbon and a beautiful wreath! They will create lasting first impressions and impress your guests too.
It's simple to achieve. You can get crafty with hot glue and a wire coat hanger, or purchase lovingly crafted door decoration items and ornaments in time for the season. Follow our guide below to plan and implement a Christmas front door in seven steps. Merry Christmas!
Perfect your Christmas door décor in seven steps
Let's dig in and explore Christmas door decorations! Your front door can become a hub of festive cheer with a door wreath, faux garlands, pine cones aplenty, and bright festive lights for extra sparkle. The entrance to your house can be extravagant or you can opt to keep things simple - just stick on a cheery and bright wreath made from off-cuts of your Christmas tree.
Our step-by-step guide to decorating front doors will help you choose décor and give your house a Christmas makeover.
1. Set the tone
The first step when planning the door decorations for your front door is to think about the display - do you want to match other front doors in your neighbourhood or create a unique and welcoming entrance to your home? Are you dreaming of red ribbons or a traditional wreath look?
One easy way to attach some greenery to your door is by building and attaching a garland. A garland is a long strip of overlapping foliage, like holly, fir tree branches, or faux branches. You will typically see garlands hanging over a fireplace or wrapped around bannisters, however, they also look gorgeous draped around your front door.
The first step is selecting a material. Faux garlands can be used over and over again, but you can't beat the luxurious feel of real foliage. That's why we are big believers in getting a live fresh cut Christmas tree too! To build your door-framing garland, hammer nails directly into the door frame (top and sides) at 30cm intervals. You can then hook your garland onto these nails.
2. Christmas door decorations (AKA, the traditional evergreen wreath)
With your garland, ribbons and foliage selected, it's the perfect time to move on to the most important of all the Christmas door decorations - the seasonal wreath. A door wreath is a loop of green foliage (typically the same green pine or fir branches as your Christmas tree) decorated with a giant bow, bells, pine cones, dried fruit, and numerous other decorations. Read our Guide to Christmas wreaths and garlands to learn more about the history.
The bow should go at the bottom... or you could replace it with another statement centrepiece, like a pair of ice skates. If you are DIYing your wreaths for the holidays, use plenty of hot glue to make sure everything you craft stays firmly in place - make sure your kids are supervised to prevent burnt fingers. When it comes to hanging your wreath, you can use a small nail that's hammered into the door centre and hook the frame of the wreath onto it. Traditionally, the wreath is placed over the door knocker or small window at the centre.
A guaranteed way to make sure your wreath looks lovely and full of festive joy is to colour-match it to the door. A green wreath with a red bow to match a red door, or cool blue colours to match a grey door. If you have a white or black front door, you can create any wreath you like to match it - wrap some ribbon around it to finish the look.
3. Lighting
With your garlands and wreath sorted, it's time to brighten your Christmas front door display with lights. You don't need a porch for hanging lights and lanterns. Although this is the traditional Christmas door décor scene, you can also attach LEDs to your garland or wrap them around your wreath directly.
All you need to do is make sure there is a power supply near the entrance of your home and securely attach all ornaments. Whether you have festive balloons, green holly, or one of our classic wreaths, all decorations should be securely attached so they won't trip you over as soon as you step outside of your home.
Another thing to consider is the community. Not everyone feels the festive cheer, so going overboard with hundreds of lights and flashing signs can be a little intrusive (not to mention draining for your energy bill). Instead, keep your lights to a minimum for the front door for a classy look. Cool white fairy-style lights never go out of style. Opt for LEDs to keep the power usage down too!
4. Festive plant
Next, add some festive plants on either side of your door. This looks particularly pleasant if you have a porch or a pleasingly symmetrical house front. If you have several doors, bay windows, or French doors at the back of your house, try using several plants to line the doors and windows here as well.
For your front door, we recommend two gift-wrapped Laurus Nobilis patio bay trees to stand on either side of the door. These Christmas door decorations are super versatile - wrapped in festive cheer with a ribbon to match, they add greenery with lush foliage in the winter. You can even string some fairy lights around them. However, a festive plant isn't necessarily just for Christmas! The gorgeous green colour will greet guests and frame the door all year - just take off the decorations to create timeless door decorations instead.
If you aren't sure about the bay trees, you can create a similar effect with small pine trees or shrubs that match your wreath. You could even glue on some pine cones!
5. Doormat
Give your Christmas door a festive welcome! Besides absorbing any splash of mud or water from your boots (or hopefully, snow stuck to ice skates), a festive doormat at the entrance can create a little more festive fun for your front door or porch.
Like the other decorations and ornaments that adorn your house, a Christmas doormat can be stored in the loft to be used every year. As soon as the festive season is upon us, create instant fun with doormat décor. This is a great way to personalise your décor as well.
You can opt to craft your own - use old clothes or buy the materials to weave one yourself. Paint on a green Christmas tree for a classic theme or get creative. You can also find places online to customise a doormat to be sent to your home.
6. Outdoor potted Christmas tree
While you are decorating your Christmas front door with a wreath, garland or other festive décor, why not add some additional greenery outdoors? A Christmas tree can thrive outdoors, adding some green festivity to the season. Decorate it with outdoor lights and durable hanging bells and baubles.
Keeping a pine or fir tree outside during the winter season can be a good way to reduce needle shedding and keep the tree healthy until it is time to bring it indoors. This can also save money - you can use the tree as your outdoor decoration, then bring it inside on Christmas Eve for your indoor decorations on the big day.
Whether you hang decorations when it is outside or inside, it is always a fun experience. Any off-cuts from the Christmas tree could also be used to decorate the front door. If you are good at craft projects, you can stick the off-cuts into a round wreath base to hang over the door knocker.
7. Make it fun!
Decorating your front door at Christmas is always best when it is a fun experience. Don't worry about what the neighbours are up to or try to outdo the best-dressed house. Instead, get the kids, entire family and guests involved. Choose lights, ribbon colours and greenery that bring you cheer - lavish your door with all the bells and whistles you fancy.
The holidays are a time for family, so when you are selecting a wreath, tree, or décor from Christmas Trees Direct, make sure to get the kids to select them with you. Pinning the last bow to your front door is just as important as placing the star or fairy atop the tree. You can even time the wreath hanging alongside switching on those Christmas lights for the first time. Make some mulled wine and spiced apple juice, get the whole family outside, and say 'Merry Christmas' with some beautiful front door decorations.
FAQs
How can I decorate my door for Christmas?
To decorate your front door, select a Christmas wreath with a ribbon that you love (or in a colour that matches your theme). You can weave lights around it or encompass your door with lights and pot plants instead. You can get creative with many different decorations.
What are Christmas door decorations called?
The most iconic Christmas decorations - wreaths - are made from a circular loop of green tree branches, often secured with a bow in the centre and other decorations. You can make a wreath from Christmas tree off-cuts or buy a professionally made wreath instead.
How do you dress a door for Christmas?
To dress your door for Christmas, consider the theme you are opting for and the exterior of your home. The simplest way to dress your door is with a Christmas wreath, however, garlands could look nice on a traditional house and lights could add some glitter and fun to a modern front door. Get creative!
What do you put on your front door at Christmas?
The traditional option is a simple Christmas wreath, however, you can also use garlands, ribbons, lights and other decorations to make your door unique.