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58 Best Outdoor Christmas Decoration Ideas of 2023
All I want for Christmas is a beautifully decorated home.
It's time to pull out the ugly Christmas sweaters and turn on your favorite holiday movie: Christmas is fast approaching! Once the halls are decked and the tree perfectly trimmed, don't forget to give your porch a little bit of love. Outdoor Christmas decorations can get overlooked in the hustle and bustle of the season, but don't worry: With our list of the very best DIY outdoor Christmas decorations—including ideas for easy DIY wreaths and other crafty Christmas projects—you'll be inspired to upgrade you Christmas curb appeal.
Outdoor Christmas decorations can be as simple as hanging garland or as grand as creating a show-stopping light display. Whatever your time or budget, this list is guaranteed to turn your yard into a winter wonderland. You might even give the Candy Cane Forest a run for its money! And yes, while singing may be the best way to spread Christmas cheer, decorating might just be the second.
Outdoor Christmas Tree
“I love the idea of having an outdoor tree, and this is a perfect way to do it,” says designer Heather Taylor of the 10-footer on the screened-in porch of her Idyllwild cabin, where—yes, even during the winter—the family bundles up and gathers to enjoy the view under the glow of a moonlike light fixture.
Fraser Fir Garlands on the Porch
This couple wrapped the porch pillars of their farmhouse in the Catskills with Fraser fir garlands—a perfect pairing with green wreaths and festive red bows.
Window Wreaths Hung from Ribbons
Kaley Cutting's Connecticut farmhouse makes a merry first impression thanks to wreaths hung with layered ticking-stripe ribbons.
Buoys in Christmas Colors Hung on the Barn Door
Photographer Tiffany Mizzell turned to her coastal surroundings when decorating her Kennebunk, ME barn. When paired with a simple evergreen wreath, colorful buoys pop with Christmas cheer against the all white surroundings.
DIY Tobacco Basket Wreath
A rustic tobacco basket makes for the easiest DIY wreath! Just add floral wire to fasten greenery, plus a few pine cone accents, some bright berries, and maybe a gingham ribbon to finish it all off.
DIY Layered Garland
If they don't immediately comment on this DIY garland beauty, your guests are sure to comment on the gorgeous aroma that wafts from it. It's made with an easy-to-source combination of cedar and grapevine twigs.
Make the Garland: Bundle 12-inch lengths of fresh cedar and grapevine twigs and use green metal wire to hold them together. Repeat until you have enough to go around the doorframe. Affix bundles together in an overlapping pattern with green wire. Hang over the doorway using nails or hooks. Add berries and pine cones.
DIY Dried Citrus Wreath
Is there a more beautiful—or more Christmas-appropriate—pairing than dried oranges, pine cones, and greenery? We don't think so! Add a burlap ribbon, and you've got yourself an eye-catching front door decoration.
DIY Ice Skating Wreath
As if fur-embellished ice skates weren't wintery or glamorous enough! In this innovative DIY, they're filled with evergreen and finished off with a fluffy pom-pom for a unique "wreath" that will have all your holiday guests buzzing. A few silver jingle bells or miniature ornaments make things even more festive.
DIY Spool Wreath
Have any of those lovely-looking vintage wooden spools laying around? You'll want to use them to create this adorable wreath. Simply wrap them with an assortment of thread, baker’s twine, ribbon, and rickrack, then attach them to a wreath form.
Wood Pallet Tree
Paint this darling tree design on a shipping crate or other wood pallet, then embellish the slats with pom-poms. It's easy, fun, and perfect for a rustic aesthetic.
Easy Advent Calendar
Here's a fun way to bring your advent calendar outside! Simply string together some mini galvanized pails, fill them with trinkets, and affix to a garland.
Birdseed Ornament
There's nothing better than a decoration that doubles as a practical addition to your backyard. This birdseed ornament looks pretty...and it attracts goldfinches to your yard! Adapted from Ernst Kirchsteiger's Swedish Christmas Traditions, it's just the thing your house needs this year.
Joy Door Letters
Spread cheer out loud with these oversized letters. You can customize this word to spell out whatever you'd like.
Get the tutorial at Uncommon Designs.
Shiny Brite Wreath
Start with a basic Styrofoam wreath. Cover it with ribbon to hide the color of the Styrofoam, then add hand-me-down ornaments or vintage finds one by one with greening pins.
Rustic Entrance
A simple bouquet of pine branches on the door of Mark and Jenny Bretheim's 1879 Wisconsin farmhouse makes for a lovely, welcoming first impression.
Red and Green Front Porch
Now, here's a home that incorporates the colors of Christmas in a seamless, beautiful way that doesn't interrupt their existing decor scheme. These Tennessee homeowners incorporated the merry hues using a swath of cedar branches tied together with red ribbon, a small tree, and other color-coordinated decorations.
Galvanized Planters
Mini trees—real or fake—plus galvanized olive gathering baskets make for a delightful entryway view. They'll flank your front door with serious charm.
Get the tutorial at On Sutton Place.
Berry Wreath
This is no ordinary wreath—but it doesn't take a ton of elbow grease to create it either. A simple spray of wheat stalks, a strand of pretty ribbon, and a few artificial berries make for a gorgeous final look...and don't forget the tiny silver bells.
Tomato Cage Tree
How's this for an all-weather Christmas tree? You can get a tomato cage at nearly any garden center. Next, dress it up with shiny ornaments, a colorful bow, and a touch of greenery at the base.
Anna Logan is the Senior Homes & Style Editor at Country Living, where she covers design and decorating trends, home features, and gift guides. She also produces home features and styles content for the print magazine. When she isn’t working, can often be found digging around antique shops for the perfect find. Follow her adventures on Instagram!
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