Decorating your doors for Christmas is a great way to create a warm and welcoming entrance to your home throughout the festive season, and there are a lot more ideas than classic front door wreaths.
Christmas decorating ideas should be a fun way to celebrate the season, and doors, whether inside or out, can range from traditional to more minimalist displays. Below, we've rounded up our favorite Christmas door decor ideas, to provide you with some stylish inspiration.
Interior designer Monique Tollgard says that a beautifully decorated door at Christmas is also a prelude for the style that lies within – ‘The entrance is the first encounter for you, your guests and your home this season. The materials and colors we use allow us to introduce the "red thread" or guiding motif of the house immediately.’
Christmas door decor ideas
First impressions are everything, so make sure your door is a good one – outside and in – with our favorite Christmas door decor ideas.
1. Dress your front door with a traditional wreath
Christmas wreath ideas are one of the most versatile and popular Christmas decorations – for decorating both the inside and the outside of the home, and every year, many of us adorn our doors with a beautiful arrangement of festive foliage.
In this case, where the house is lucky enough to already have a swathe of glorious ivy framing the doorway, the simple addition of a classic front door wreath, spiked with fragrant dried oranges, red roses, and red berries, is all that is required to give the space a fabulously festive feel; a beautiful example of a more simple design for outdoor Christmas decoration ideas.
Suitable for use outdoors so long as the area is sheltered, this faux wreath provides a classic look with its subtle decor.
2. Create a colorful and coordinated look
An easy way to create a stylish look for your Christmas door decor ideas is to take the lead from the existing design of your front door.
Whether your door is crafted from warming timber, or sleek glass, or is painted a bright color, using decorations that complement its color and material will only make for a cohesive and well-thought-out feel.
A lovely example of front door color ideas, this beautiful entrance, featuring exquisite stain-glass and paint in elegant Amsterdam Green by Annie Sloan, has been decorated with a traditional green wreath.
Enhancing an already festive green entrance with further natural tones and rustic textures, this wreath may be simple, but it still makes an impact and achieves a colorful and coordinated look.
3. Hang a festive garland around a door
It doesn't get more versatile than a festive garland. A garland can be placed pretty much anywhere, and they make for great decorations that can frame doorways both inside and out.
In this modern hallway, the ornate internal doors and windows have been decorated with a garland created from pine cones, red ball ornaments, and green foliage, making a festive feature of an already impressive and striking entrance.
Add this faux garland to the doorway of internal doors for an instantly festive look.
4. Make your front door as pretty as a present
Ribbon is not just for Christmas gift wrapping ideas and for decorating a Christmas tree with bows, it can be used to 'wrap' your doors and make them as pretty as a present.
We love how these two pieces of red ribbon make such a bold and impactful look on this front door from Christmas door decor ideas. Working with the light green painted front door to create a fun and festive feel, this idea can be used across the doors in your home.
5. Keep things simple and sophisticated
Small yet full of festive charm, this hanging design stands out beautifully against the black door and contains a mix of some of the most classic Christmas ornaments and decorations.
Created from a hanging glass star lantern, ribbon, and foliage, a design like this can easily be made at home and makes for a fun crafting activity in the lead-up to Christmas.
We love that each element of this design can also be used independently for Christmas door decor ideas; from a drape of colorful ribbons to a single piece of hanging foliage; the less is more approach can still make for an elegant look.
6. Make a statement with your outdoor lighting
From lights on the Christmas tree to candles and twinkling fairy lights, for many of us, our homes are transformed each year with an abundance of indoor Christmas lighting ideas, and our doorways provide a great location to get creative with all kinds of lighting.
Whether it is a set of string lights positioned around a doorframe indoors, or statement festive decorations placed beside an outside door, such as this Lighted Christmas Deer Family Set from Amazon, the right lighting can help to create a warming, inviting atmosphere and a show-stopping festive display.
7. Don't forget to decorate your inner porch
'With Christmas decorating in full swing, it’s important to think about every aspect in our homes as the more really is the merrier after all,' says Sam Hood, founder of AMARA.com.
At this country cottage, the gable porch has been decorated with a beautiful wreath, a small Christmas tree, and candles, with the decorations working wonderfully with the lanterns and foliage placed outdoors. The collection of decorations establishes a picture-perfect Christmas entrance, and makes you feel as if you are about to step foot into a magical, festive grotto.
Add these lanterns to your porch display, teamed with other festive pieces for a layered look.
8. Use symmetry when doorscaping
Symmetry in interior design is a trick used by experts to create smart-looking rooms – but it can also be used to create enchanting front door ideas for Christmas.
The best way to use symmetry for your outdoor Christmas decor ideas is by having an architectural feature as a starting or center point, such as a door surround. If you don't have an architectural element, you can use another visual anchor, whether that's a pair of identical planters or twin wreaths hung on a door.
Get symmetry right and you can create harmony in the front of your home – and make this space look like a picture-perfect scene.
9. Create your own minimalist wreath
A DIY festive wreath can be made with just-picked flowers, but it’s also a great way to use up ones that are on their way out – blooms that are wilting but still have pliable stems can be braided and will dry nicely.
Wreaths don’t always have to be laden with foliage either. For a delicate take on the tradition, choose a simple brass hoop adorned with a single sprig of fir. You can even throw in a faux candle for added glow.
10. Showcase a wreath on a kitchen cabinet door
The classic Christmas wreath can often be far too beautiful to be left out in the cold, so if you decide to display one inside always consider how its foliage will work with your interiors.
Are you a purist at heart? Eucalyptus, ivy, holly, and box will bring a sense of tradition to your Christmas door decor ideas. Frankly, you can decorate your wreath with anything from flowers to seed heads, pinecones to cinnamon sticks.
Hang this faux fern and olive wreath on your kitchen cabinets to bring a festive look to the heart of the home.
11. Display an advent calendar on your door
Forgo the tradition of hanging a wreath on your door in favor of an advent calendar. Whether you take a minimalist or maximalist route, when shopping for a ready-made advent calendar or making your own, you're sure to find a natural fit for your door.
The first advent calendar supposedly dates back to late 19th Century Germany, when a mother fixed 24 individual sweet treats to a sheet of numbered card so that her son, a boy called Gerhard Lang, would have something special to open every day in the run-up to Christmas. These days, more and more are finding creative ways to display their countdown to the big day.
This advent calendar is a stylish choice with its neutral color, and can be used year after year.
12. Take your wreath indoors
'Why have one when you can have 9? It's easy to 'collect' wreaths over the years especially if you're a fan of faux designs. Display them all together to create an impactful arrangement inside your home near the door, vary the sizes and styles for added interest,' says Lucy Searle, global editor in chief of Homes & Gardens.
Be sure to incorporate a wealth of Christmas wreath ideas into your holiday decor to spread cheer and welcome guests – hanging one on your exterior door is a tradition that dates back centuries.
But don’t stop there – do away with tradition by hanging one on an interior door. You'll be able to admire its beauty from the comfort of your sofa.
‘There are the obvious, traditional spots like the front door or framed in a window,’ says Jen Derry, Balsam Hill Vice President of Product Merchandising. ‘But you can also add color to a bare entryway by hanging a wreath, or ribbons, on an interior door.'
Keep things classic with this faux pine wreath, which you can adorn with your own decor.
13. Deck out the porch this Christmas
Decorate a mini tree (real or artificial) with twinkling lights and sturdy baubles, fill vases or urns with festive foliage, and cluster groupings together with lanterns and votive holders – et voila!
Vary the height and size of the objects in the display to create a well-balanced vignette and dress the Christmas front door with two coordinating wreaths for a cohesive and harmonious look.
14. Go all-out with your flora and fauna
Christmas wreath ideas are often the most effective way to spruce up your outdoor space – but why should you stop there?
Treat the front door as an extension of the home, and dress it for the holidays as you would your rooms inside. Here, a hanging basket filled with seasonal flowers and sparkling decorations adds real curb appeal. Plus dazzle guests by tying an oversized ribbon around the door. After all, your home, family, and friends are the greatest gifts at Christmas.
15. Use festive props to set the scene
A host of Christmas-themed props – like ribbon-wrapped boxes and a sack of Christmas presents – can raise a joyous look from great to gorgeous. Much like a stage set, together these decorations can tell a fun Christmas story, and make the perfect backdrop for your celebrations.
Small tealights in glass holders add a festive twinkle while garlands made of fresh foliage and a simple wreath complete the look.
16. Decorate around a door with oversized bows
Big bows are huge when it comes to Christmas decor trends. From front doors tied up in a single oversized ribbon to large red bows that pepper an entrance–framing garland, they take the act of decorating a doorway to a literal level. What's more, they serve to enhance the curb appeal and never fail to raise a smile.
17. Arrange a cluster of wreaths
Arranging a cluster of wreaths outside your front door is a great way to elevate a typical singular wreath. As seen here, this creative approach creates a welcoming feel to the home with varying styles and sizes of wreaths.
And if you want to carry this out in a budget-friendly way, you can get hands-on and make one yourself, says Victoria Fletcher, Senior Buyer, Garden Trading.
'Feeling creative this Christmas? Start with a natural wreath and add your personal touch with trailing ivy, eucalyptus, faux or dried flowers, natural stems, ribbons, or delicate fairy lights – a budget-friendly alternative to built-in light-up wreaths.'
18. Add lanterns to your front door display
'For a front door that truly shines, let outdoor lanterns take center stage,' suggests Jo Plant, Head of Design at Pooky.
'Arrange them in varying sizes along the steps or flank of your doorway for an inviting glow that welcomes guests. To add a festive touch, place sprigs of greenery, berries, or pinecones around the base of each lantern or use a garland to frame the lantern. For a finishing touch, intertwine small fairy lights or pair the lanterns with a simple wreath to create a beautifully warm and festive entrance,' adds Jo.
This brass glass lantern would elevate your Christmas front door while adding charm year long.
There are lots of ways to bring a festive feel to your door this Christmas, whether you opt for a classic wreath or get more creative with a festive porch display.
