Create a lasting first impression with outdoor Christmas decorations

For a doorway that adds elegance to your entry, spruce it up with evergreens, white lights, sticks and berries, finished off with a fine dusting of snow.  For a sense of ceremony as your guests arrive, add a garland arch dressed with Christmas ornaments and symmetrical urns overflowing with eucalyptus leaves, holly berries and magnolia.

For symmetrical balance and to frame an entrance door, place lanterns to follow the lines of the steps and create a cascading effect, and add colour with evergreens and red bows.

[photo via Home sick designs]

[photo via Be different, Act normal]

If you are looking to make a more modern impression, fill simple planters with pine and illuminate them with warm white lights, accentuated by reflective Christmas balls. Instead of the arched garlands, multiple wreaths can be used to dress up a front door.

[photos via house and homes]

Your decorative investments will go a long way, for your arrangements will add vibrancy and richness to your front entrance well into the new year. 

You certainly know a wealth of ways to dress up outdoor Christmas trees, from traditional strung lights and reflective Christmas balls to white shimmery snowflakes and tinsel, but why stop there when you can truly stand out on your block? Try an assortment of natural garden plants: a bright combination of berries, dried artichokes, pear gourds, dyed eucalyptus, caspia, astilbe seed pods, dried hydrangea blooms and a pinecone garland.

[photo via House and Homes and BHG]

Window boxes are yet another way to introduce a splash of holiday colour. Achieve a bountiful effect by overflowing them with evergreens like cedar and boxwood boughs, and add baby’s breath stuck into dry blocks of florist’s foam or apples, pinecones and berries.

[photo via Shine your light]

[photo via BHG]

Glowing frosted globes, oversized piles of Christmas balls and neatly lit presents invite a sense of warmth to chilly winter nights. This type of ornamentation adds a touch of holiday spirit that can be enjoyed from the street as well as the home.

[photo via BHG]

[photo via Martha Stewart]

[photo via Room Service]

Every holiday front door needs a wreath, and there are certainly many store-bought variations available.  Why not personalize your first impression, by buying one without ornamentation and dressing it to match a particular colour scheme? Or why not buy three? Tie them together with a ribbon to dress a door, and know that you are respecting the decorative “rule of threes”.

[photo via House and Homes and BHG]

[photo via Home DIT]

[photo via Jenny Castle Design]

Outdoor decorating should be a fun experience and create warm, lasting memories. Shooting stars made from strands of white lights create a unique and whimsical experience. This kind of decoration definitely wins points for originality and effort.

[photo via Martha Stewart]

For something a little simpler that adds a rich texture, grape vine balls seem to be gaining popularity. Lace them with mini tree lights, or use them to dress up your hedges.

[photo via BHG]