Decorating the Front Steps for Christmas
From year to year, I like to keep our Christmas decorations pretty steady. I’m a huge fan of tradition when it comes to the holidays. There’s something I love so much about pulling out the same decor every year and feeling all the nostalgia. But, I do work on adding a few things here and there each year – and this year, my main focus has been adding to the exterior!
We’ve never been very, um, focused when it comes to our outdoor Christmas decorations. We tend to just throw some things out there (inflatables! lights! lit-up reindeer!) and hope for the best. But I declared that this is the year we make some progress on our outdoor decorations… starting with decorating the front porch steps a bit.
Last year I really struggled to know what to do with our (brand new at the time) front porch steps for Christmas, but I think I hit my stride this year! I really wanted it to feel as cozy and full as it does during the fall season, and I’m so happy with how it turned out.
The best part? This is SO SIMPLE, and anyone can re-create it. I often see outdoor decorations that I’m so inspired by, but they’re often things that I can’t (or don’t have the time, energy or budget, to) recreate. This, however? It’s affordable and easy enough for anyone to replicate! You’re welcome.
Let’s break it down a bit.
Christmas Front Porch Decor: The Greenery
I bought two of these little trees last year for our front porch, and I loved them, but I knew two wasn’t going to be enough. I wanted a more lush look, so this year I decided to order a couple more – and this time, I grabbed some taller ones to add in some height!
The key here? Fauuuuuux plants, y’all!
Listen, I’m a huge fan of a real plant. I talk about my love for plants all the time. But if I’ve learned anything about my plant preferences over the years, it’s that I am great at keeping indoor plants alive, but outdoor plants are a whole different story. I kill every plant I try to put on my front porch. I don’t know why, but it’s a fact at this point and I just need to accept it. So, I stick to fake plants for my front porch decorating.
And you know what? It’s easier, it’s cheaper in the long run, and I can swap things out seasonally without having to throw a plant away. I see no downsides!
I’ll also note that I only purchased two new planters for this setup this year, but I think next year I want them all to match! My original plan was just to use the planters I have with a couple of new ones mixed in. I think it looks great, but I think I’d like it more if all of the planters were those classic black ones!
I love how those planters look with the evergreen trees, and they were shockingly affordable. So, I’ll be grabbing two more for next year!
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Christmas Front Porch Decor: The Lanterns
Now let’s talk about the DIY portion of the front porch steps – the DIY wood lanterns!
This is actually a project from a couple of years ago. I first made these lanterns for the 2021 Christmas season, and I’ve loved them so much ever since. You can see the full tutorial here – they’re very simple.
I had three of them but from a series of unfortunate accidents, two of them broke. I left them out year-round, so they’re prone to kids knocking them offer, getting bumped by packages, etc. So, I set out to make a few more this year.
The candles in them are solar powered and have a rechargeable battery too. So, they turn on around dusk every night and stay all cozy and beautiful all night long!
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I’m still working on my exterior Christmas decor, so you’ll have to stay tuned for more. I still have a lot of ideas, and I’m honestly not sure I’ll even have time to actually do everything I want to out here. But, I’m gonna get as much done as I can and you know I’ll share every project with you here!