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7 Easy and Festive Ideas to Decorate a Small Porch for Christmas

Don’t have a huge front porch? Then you’ll love these easy ideas to decorate a festive small porch for Christmas.

Decorating an entry during the holidays welcomes not only the people who knock on your front door but also anyone who happens to drive by your house.

When my kids were little we’d pile in the car grab drive-thru for dinner and take a ride eating and enjoying all the houses lit up.

There are lots of people who love to drive around looking at Christmas lights during the holidays.

So don’t disappoint them…go ahead and light up your home…put on a show!

It’s so fun to add Christmas decor both inside and out during this time of the year, isn’t it?

Although I don’t have a huge front porch it’s big enough to add a pretty twinkling entryway.

If your porch is small like mine, larger like Anne’s, or somewhere in between there’s always a way to bring the magic of Christmas to your home.

No matter what size your entryway is, decorating it for the holiday season adds cheerful curb appeal and just makes everyone happy.

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What Do I Hang on a Front Door at Christmas?

close up of hanging basket on front door filled with greenery and red berries

Everyone has a front door no matter what size entryway you have.

And it’s the first spot you should think about when decorating outside since it’s the easiest place to add Christmas decor.

A beautiful wreath is always a simple option but I like to hang a basket on my door instead.

To keep it budget friendly I use fresh clippings from my backyard and mix in a few faux red berry picks.

S2M tip: a hanging basket is an affordable alternative to a wreath because you can use it all year long, season after season by just swapping out what you use to fill it up

front door with layered door mat and garland around door

Around the front door, I always hang a garland with lights.

I prefer to use fresh pine garland but honestly, it’s still warm through December here in North Carolina so it never does very well on my porch.

A few years ago I found this lighted garland at Costco and bought two to decorate around my door.

I liked how full it was so I didn’t feel the need to add more greenery to beef it up.

But if you use a thinner garland check out Anne’s tip for making inexpensive garland look more full here.

A fun doormat to welcome your friends and family is another way to style your doorway.

This coir outdoor mat that says “Merry Christmas” in red lays on top of a neutral black and white buffalo check throw rug.

S2M tip: layer two doormats for added texture and color to your front porch

Can I Use a Small Faux Christmas Tree Outdoors

faux Christmas trees with lights berries and ribbon in planter boxes

Adding a small faux Christmas tree on your front porch is a great way to decorate a small space.

As long as you have a covered porch and the tree is kept out of the extreme elements it should be just fine.

I made these wood planters last year and they’ve been great for real flowers and plants during the summer.

But they also look so much better than the dinky little pots that the trees came in.

S2M tip: put a faux Christmas tree in a larger planter box, basket or container to customize the look from the average pot the tree came in

red white and green tartan plaid ribbon on top of faux tree

Since the tree was pretty plain I added more of the same faux berry stems which gives them a pop of color.

A pretty plaid bow on the top of the Christmas tree brings even more festive color to the porch.

You can easily make these bows with classic tartan plaid wired ribbon in just a few minutes following these simple instructions.

What Do I Need to Make Outdoor Holiday Arrangements

plaid tin bucket filled with real and faux greenery on porch

The most economical way to make outdoor arrangements for your entry is to use clippings from your backyard.

Grab a pair of garden shears and cut a variety of stems from different shrubs and trees right in your yard.

If you don’t have anywhere to get fresh greens then you can absolutely use fake stems.

I’ve included a couple of beautiful faux greenery choices at the end of this post.

magnolia clippings in metal pail bucket with handle on porch

To bring more color to the arrangement don’t be afraid to mix faux stems with real greenery.

More red berries with my backyard clippings coordinate with all of the other Christmas decorations.

Using colorful metal pails in pretty holiday plaid patterns is a fun container idea for a small porch arrangement.

How Can I Decorate My Front Porch for Christmas on a Budget

transformed metal lanterns with mini Christmas trees inside

Think of ways to decorate your outdoor holiday spaces with items that you use during other seasons.

These old metal candle lanterns got a makeover last year when I saved them from going out with the trash and transformed them into unique planters.

It was a really simple DIY project and now these lanterns/planters adorn my porch all year.

In the summer a pot of petunias is displayed in the lanterns, in the fall mums, and at now mini Christmas trees.

vintage ice skates hanging on handle of antique sled leaning by  door of small front porch

Vintage sleds and ice skates are a nostalgic way to decorate a front porch for the holidays.

I know antique pieces may not be super affordable but maybe take look around your parent’s attic or basement for things you can use.

I may be dating myself but this sled was mine when I was a child.

And those ice skates?

Yup, they’re mine too!

So apparently at age 52, I’m officially an antique…vintage 1970!

In all seriousness, you can save lots of money if your family happens to have some items left from your childhood (or theirs) that you can use to style a Christmas porch.

How Can I Style a Cozy Christmas Entryway

Christmas throw pillows on bench on front porch

We were able to squeeze a bench on the side of our small porch and we love to spend time out there now.

A few comfy throw pillows like this red tufted pillow that reads “Joy” and a pretty cable knit sweater pillow dress up the black bench.

Christmas front porch at night with lights

Depending on where you live the weather may be mild during the holiday season and you can do some porch sittin’ under the twinkling outdoor Christmas lights.

So don’t forget a blanket for those chilly evenings.

This cozy fringed tartan plaid blanket in classic Christmas colors is just perfect.

How to Decorate with Festive Holiday Colors

red metal candle lantern on small holiday porch

Since my front porch is neutral with the various shades of white paint colors and the tan natural stone, I decided to add some color for the holidays.

This small red metal candle lantern is a super fun pop of color.

Isn’t red such a fun and festive choice, especially for Christmas?

Pops of red can be found in most of the greenery pieces with red berries that are repeated around the front porch.

The pillow on the bench in addition, to the buckets, ribbon, and blanket brings in even more red color to the outdoor space.

S2M tip: when decorating any area of your home whether outside or inside keep in mind the color scheme so that everything looks cohesive in the space

small front porch decorated for Christmas

I hope I helped to give you some inspiration to decorate your front porch or entry this year, no matter what size it is!

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collage of product images used to decorate AnnMarie's front porch

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