Festive outdoor Christmas décor is a delightful way to welcome family and friends to your home. It’s also a lovely way to spread holiday cheer to neighbours and passers-by. In this article, we share a few outdoor Christmas decorating ideas you can try this year.
Create a Décor Plan
Decorating for the festive season can be both exciting and a bit overwhelming. Before getting started, we recommend putting together a plan to help organise the process. Create a timeline, jot down a few outdoor Christmas decorating ideas, and keep the following in mind:
Home Style
Consider your property’s architectural style, colour palette, landscaping, and paths. Decide which areas you’d like to decorate—these might include the front porch, patio, lawn, garden, or back garden.
Pick a Theme
Outdoor Christmas themes range from a festive winter wonderland to an enchanted forest. Once you’ve chosen a theme, identify key pieces to tie the look together. A simple way to ensure a cohesive appearance is to match your outdoor décor with your indoor scheme.
Placement
When planning outdoor Christmas decorations, remember that lawn ornaments are often large to ensure visibility from a distance. Consider the size of your space and place items where they won’t obstruct paths or block your view of the drive or street.
Greet Guests With Festive Foliage
Christmas greenery is an easy and elegant way to refresh your home’s exterior for the festive season. Here are a few outdoor Christmas decorating ideas for your porch:
- Hang an outdoor Christmas wreath, garland, or both on your doors and window frames.
- Complement the look with matching foliage arranged in pots or hanging baskets.
- Attach window boxes to sills or place them on handrails or a bench.
- Wind outdoor garlands around columns or drape them along railings and fences.
- Brighten your post box with a festive decorative swag.
Set Up a Christmas Tree
There’s nothing quite like the magic and joy a Christmas tree brings, so why not share that festive spirit with others, including passers-by? Many artificial trees are suitable for use in covered outdoor spaces, making them a stylish choice for decorating the front porch.
If space is limited, opt for small or potted Christmas trees. Place them in clusters by the steps or position them symmetrically to frame your doorway. Leave them undecorated to highlight their natural charm, or dress them up to match your main Christmas tree.
Add Warm and Cosy Accents
Add warmth and a festive glow to your outdoor entertaining areas with soft textiles and lighting. Try these Christmas decorating ideas for your deck or patio:
- String up lights around the area to create an inviting atmosphere, especially in the evenings.
- Group candles of different heights and set them on the coffee table for additional lighting.
- Make outdoor seating cosy and comfortable with pillows and throws.
- Style a bar or beverage cart and fill it up with fixings for coffee, hot cocoa, and tea.
Design an Inviting Christmas Tablescape
If the weather allows, the back patio or deck makes a charming setting for hosting family and friends. Create an elegant Christmas outdoor tablescape with these easy layering ideas:
- Swap a traditional runner for a decorated Christmas garland running the length of your table.
- Add taper or pillar candles in varying heights nestled within the foliage to create depth and a calming atmosphere.
- Concerned about the wind? Opt for LED flameless candles or place real ones inside glass hurricanes, cloches, or small lanterns.
- Layer your tableware: start with a charger plate, followed by a dinner plate, salad plate, and napkin. Add a special finishing touch with a handwritten place card or personalised party favour.
Make It Dazzle at Night
Highlight your outdoor Christmas décor in the evenings by ensuring exterior areas are well-lit. For the porch and patio, use outdoor Christmas lights to frame doors, windows, and ceilings or to decorate nearby trees. Pre-lit Christmas trees, greenery, and potted plants also create a warm, welcoming glow after dark.
Lanterns and LED candles offer another elegant way to illuminate your exterior spaces. Versatile and safe for outdoor use, they can be placed along pathways, used to frame entrances, or styled as charming table centrepieces.
Insider's Tip
Ensure all wires are safely covered to reduce the risk of accidents. For added convenience and greater decorating flexibility, choose battery-operated foliage. This saves you the trouble of stringing lights yourself and removes the need for lengthy power cords and sockets.
The 10 Best Outdoor Christmas Decorations
Here are some of Balsam Hill’s most popular outdoor Christmas décor:
1. Outdoor Boxwood Foliage
Our neatly manicured boxwood foliage blends both modern and traditional styles, effortlessly elevating any setting. Pre-lit with warm white LED lights, each piece features realistic boxwood leaves with UV protection. Suitable for year-round use, just add festive accents when the Christmas season arrives.
2. Outdoor Berry Burst Foliage
With its classic festive colours, our Outdoor Berry Burst Foliage brings seasonal cheer to your exterior. Available as a wreath, garland, and potted tree, this collection pairs beautifully with lanterns and cone trees to offer a warm welcome to friends, family, and neighbours alike.
3. Outdoor Magnolia Ridge Foliage
Designed with lifelike magnolia leaves, faux succulents, red berries, and natural pinecones, the Magnolia Ridge range adds charm to your front door or garden. Hang the wreath and garland on your doorway and position the potted arrangements on either side. Use the matching window box to enhance windowsills or railings.
4. Greenwich Estates® Pine Trees
Classic and versatile, our Greenwich Estates Pine Trees can be secured into the lawn or placed in decorative planters for a refined look. Featuring lush foliage adorned with mini pinecones and clear LED lights, they’re perfect for grouping on porches or patios to create a festive grove.
5. Outdoor Merry Christmas Baubles Set
This duo of oversized baubles makes a bold festive statement on lawns, porches, or steps. Finished with a UV-resistant coating to maintain colour vibrancy through the seasons, each bauble includes a flat base for added stability.
6. Outdoor Festive Antiqued Deer
Craft an enchanting woodland scene with our Festive Antiqued Deer. Offered in two styles, each features removable foliage including cedar, buxus, red berries, and eucalyptus. Detachable antlers provide styling flexibility.
7. Outdoor Lit Wire Sculptures Set
Handmade from all-weather wicker, these sculptures, available as cone trees or orbs, are pre-lit with LED fairy lights to add a magical glow to your décor. Displayed alone or in groups, they bring elegance to any outdoor space.
8. Christmas Lantern with LED Candles
Featuring three flameless candles, these lanterns offer a warm Christmas glow. Choose from the black-finished Christmas Classic Lantern adorned with pinecones, red ribbon, bells, berries, and mixed foliage or the red-finished Red Berry Pinecone Lantern.
9. Solar Merry Metallics Pathway Lights
Illuminate your garden path or drive with our Solar Merry Metallics Lights, available in sets of four in red or gold. After six hours of sun exposure, they glow for up to 18 hours. Each set includes 40-inch metal stakes and a rechargeable battery.
10. Outdoor Cascading Micro LED Lights
Perfect for everything from quiet evenings to lively parties, these cascading lights create a warm, inviting atmosphere. Hang from ceilings, branches, or window bays and choose from flashing, cascading strobe, steady, or dim lighting modes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here we answer common questions about outdoor Christmas décor ideas:
How Do I Decorate My Porch for Christmas?
Begin with wreaths, garlands, and festive greenery such as potted poinsettias. Add warm, cosy touches like cushions and blankets on your porch bench or swing. Hang string lights to create a welcoming glow, and complete the look with themed decorations such as oversized baubles, Santa figures, and reindeer ornaments.
How Do I Protect My Outdoor Christmas Decorations?
Make sure your decorations are made from weatherproof materials and are suitable for outdoor use. Secure them using stakes, zip ties, or heavy-duty clips to keep them in place, especially during windy conditions.
Spread festive warmth and cheer all season long. With these outdoor Christmas decorating ideas, you’ll be well on your way to having the most inviting home on the street.
Learn More About Outdoor Decorations
Looking for more guides and decorating inspiration? Have a read of the articles below.