14 outdoor Christmas decor ideas to bring chic holiday cheer to your neighborhood

One of the best parts of the holidays is walking around your neighborhood and taking in all the beautiful outdoor Christmas lights. Seeing how everyone has chosen to decorate for the season is a holiday activity in itself. And of course, how you decorate inside your home is equally important, but so many more people are going to enjoy how you decorate the outside and it creates the perfect festive welcome for guests you host over the holidays too.

And it doesn't take much to make a statement with your outdoor Christmas decor ideas. A wreath and some sparkling lights can be all it takes to create a beautiful festive entrance. Of course, you can go all out with outdoor garlands and lawn ornaments, the options get more and more impressive every year.

Here have rounded up some of our favorite ideas for the holiday season that will suit all styles from chic and minimalism to colorful and eclectic.

How to decorate your home's exterior for the holidays

From classic Christmas traditions, such as wreaths for Christmas door decor and foliage for Christmas porch decor, to more unique and modern lighting displays, our outdoor Christmas decor ideas have something for everyone – no matter the style of your outside space.

1. Create a classic focal point with a beautiful wreath

'Christmas wreath ideas are among the easiest and most effective ways to spruce up your outdoor space – and you can have even more festive fun by setting aside some time and learning how to make a Christmas wreath,' says Jennifer Ebert, Homes & Gardens' digital editor.

You can forage your own foliage to create a wreath from what's growing in your own backyard. This not only means it's an almost free way to make your Christmas decor, it also creates a lovely cohesive link between the colors and textures of your backyard and the wreath on your door.

If you don't fancy getting crafty and making your own design, then there are plenty of shoppable options to consider – both real and faux. Explore some of our favorite wreath picks below, perfect for adding a beautiful, natural accent to a front door.

2. Deck your doorway with garlands

If you want to extend your Christmas foliage decorations to beyond your front door, then Christmas garland ideas are perfect for using outside.

Garlands are a great way to continue a festive theme over a wider surface area. Pin them above the doorway or across a porch roof, or wrap them around porch columns, beautifully shown above with a garland that features pine cone decorations, dried oranges and cinnamon sticks.

Similar to a Christmas wreath, you can make a Christmas garland out of fresh foliage and flowers, or you can shop for some pretty realistic faux designs.

3. Enhance foliage with colorful ribbon

Designer Shea McGee always creates fabulous seasonal displays both inside and outside of her home, and we love how her outdoor Christmas decor combines traditional foliage with more modern, colorful ribbon, adding eye-catching movement and tactile, soft texture to the outside space.

The garland and hanging ribbon on the porch also perfectly mirror the design of the wreath, creating an overall simple yet stand-out design that utilizes the architecture and that feels wonderfully festive.

4. Create an alluring lighting display

Turning your home into a bright, twinkling grotto, you can never go wrong with outdoor Christmas lights, and every year many of us adorn our hedges, trees and exterior walls with all kinds of lighting designs.

We love how the area surrounding this front door has been transformed with lighting, from the candles and stars in the windows, like these star lights from Amazon, to the lanterns, trees and wreath; all work as one to create an eye-catching lighting display.

5. Set the scene with fun, festive props

If you really want to go above and beyond with your outdoor Christmas decor this year, why not collect a fun collection of festive props and use them to style a Christmassy scene in your outside space?

In this front yard, featuring decorations from Layered Lounge, the props, ornaments, and toys make for a magical, almost theatrical display that playfully invites you into the home.

However, this merry scene is not the most practical, so save your show-stopping design for the day that your guests arrive if you are using decorations and ornaments that cannot be left outdoors for long periods of time.

6. Decorate with a collection of festive figures

Another popular choice for outdoor Christmas decor ideas are eye-catching festive figures. And we aren't talking garish light up Santas or blow-up elves, you can get incredibly tasteful outdoor decor that sets a festive, yet tasteful scene.

These Deer Figures from Pottery Barn have not only been crafted from beautiful rattan, but they light up too; adding stylish decoration to your space throughout the day and night. There's also a delightful gingerbread collection too if you want something slightly more whimsical.

7. Enhance your windows

So these are not *technically* outdoor decorations, but creating an indoor Christmas window decor display using lights, ornaments, and even foliage, can make for an eye-catching, festive scene that can be appreciated from both the inside and outside of your home.

It's a traditional in Scandinavia to hang light-up stars in all shapes and sizes at your window. So simple, yet so effective adding a lovely glow both indoors and out. IKEA of course bring this style of light out year after year but they sell out fast, but Amazon does have equally affordable alternatives.

8. Christmas trees are not just for indoors

Christmas trees aren't just for indoors. Pot them up and place them either side of your door and either live bare and string with lights for a very natural look, or adorn with weather-proof ornaments for more of a statement.

'Whether you have natural firs growing in your yard, or buy some especially for the holiday season, decorating your outside space with Christmas trees is guaranteed to make your outside space feel festive. Leave them bare for a relaxed, rustic Christmas decor look, or get busy decorating with outdoor lights and ornaments,' suggests Jo Bailey, Homes & Gardens' Print Editor.

Dot about some lanterns on your step too – battery-operated candles mean you don’t have to worry about the potential fire hazard and they’ll last longer, too.

9. Decorate the plants and trees in your yard

Instead of styling your outside space with new Christmas trees, you can also make the most of the existing foliage in your yard by adorning them with inviting Christmas lights.

Plenty of lights are a dazzling way to make your garden glow from top to bottom. Wrap your trees in an abundance of golden string lights to create a display to delight guests or passersby.

Twinkling lights outside the front or rear of your home also create a magical atmosphere when glimpsed through the window from inside come dusk.

‘Outdoor Christmas lights make any space happier,’ says Dani Taylor, buying director at Cox and Cox. 'If you have a small patio or balcony just one or two sets can make a huge difference to the ambiance, and you can connect multiple sets to decorate a bigger space or trees in your garden.’

10. Go big on foliage

If you don’t have a porch to decorate, you can still go to town with real Christmas foliage ideas to frame your front door.

Wire fir and evergreen branches together to form a lavish, oversized garland, wrap with simple warm white string lights so it looks as good come nightfall as it does during the day, and hang the garland around the doorway.

Continue the theme with a wreath on the front door, made from the same foliage for a coordinated look.

11. Style with symmetry

For a festive touch that matches the elegance of a pillared stone portico, keep your outdoor Christmas decor display simple and restrained. A pair of identical tall hurricane lanterns in smart silver, like these designs from Pottery Barn, placed symmetrically either side of your front door can create an elegant effect, perfect for more minimalist Christmas decor ideas.

Continue the sense of scale with an oversized wreath on the door – real foliage or a frosted finish brings a sophisticated flourish.

12. Gift wrap your door

Stand out from the crowd and make a flamboyant statement by gift wrapping your front door theatrically in giant ribbon, created using a roll of festively cheerful red ribbon, like this ribbon from Amazon.

For extra flounce and flourish, finish the look with a luxurious bow or wreath.

13. Light up your hedges

Swap the classic net of string lights across hedging for something more striking.

'If your backyard has features you want to show off, use LED spotlights to highlight its best bits, giving a striking appearance to the area during the festive season,' says Michael Meiser, president of Lumilum. 'For a less intense alternative, weave warm colored bulb fixtures or lanterns into your plants or shrubs to create warmth that emanates from amongst them – giving your whole garden that warm, cozy feeling.'

Nestle classic star-shaped outdoor lights, into hedge foliage – if you have an opening, decorate around it so that it feels as if you’re stepping through into an enchanted wonderland.

Take your cue from professionally lit gardens by lighting trees and shrubs from below to give an ethereal ambiance.

14. Create a pretty festive porch scene

From garlands to string lights, Christmas trees to wreaths, a range of outdoor Christmas decor can create a truly wonderful festive display when used in combination.

Treat your porch, doorstep or back patio as an extension of the home, and deck it out for the holidays as you would your rooms inside. Vary the height and size of the objects in the display to create a well-balanced vignette and a harmonious look.

FAQs

Christmas outdoor decor is just as joyous to create as your indoor decor, and more people get to see how your adorn the exterior of your home too, so don't hold back.