21 ideas for outdoor Christmas decorations to spread the festive joy
What better way to welcome guests to your house at Christmas than with twinkling lights, a beautiful display of foliage and a wreath on your door? Christmas decorations are key to getting into the spirit of the season, and the decorations outside your house should set the tone for what’s to come inside. After all, it is these decorations that will make a lasting impression on both visitors and passersby – get it right and your house might even become something of a local attraction.
Though you can never go wrong with a classic wreath – as many of the following examples will show – there is so much more you can do to enhance your outside space. Why not experiment with some outdoor lights, garlands or even some weatherproof decorations on an outdoor Christmas tree? If you’re lucky enough to have a back garden, or even a balcony, you can create a magical set-up to be enjoyed through the window – or outside under a blanket – all season long. You could even leave your lights up a little longer to help brighten the long January nights. And if you’re a keen crafter, this is the perfect opportunity to get creative by making your own outdoor Christmas decorations, wreaths and arrangements.
Christopher Horwood1/20Don’t forget to decorate any outdoor buildings or structures you might have in your garden. The pergola in Richard E Grant’s garden is a room in its own right, filled with lanterns, rattan sofas, an 18th-century Italian fountain and a Chesneys fireplace and decorared with Christmas lights and garlands. Eating out here has become a family Boxing Day tradition.
Christopher Horwood2/20Also in Richard E Grant’s garden is a theatrical stage set used in one of his most recent films, Saltburn, decked with silver baubles from a Jo Malone Christmas window display. You could try searching for hardy, weatherproof baubles online to recreate this look – albeit without the set.
Christopher Horwood3/20It’s always important to consider how your outdoor Christmas decorations will work with your schemes indoors. On the front door of this country house in Wiltshire is a wreath dotted with berries, which is echoed by an arrangement on the sideboard. Their rich red tones also tie in perfectly with the door curtain and the rug.
Dean Hearne4/20Flower grower Kimberly Fleming creates her own natural wreaths at her Berkshire farm, and leads courses for those who want to learn this festive art. This one looks particularly good against the wooden wall of one of the outbuildings – you could steal this idea for your garden room or even your garden shed.
Owen Gale5/20In the back garden of her Oxfordshire home, writer and former shopkeeper Amanda Brooks has created a magical area for outdoor gatherings. The fire pit is the focal point, providing much-needed warmth and light, while the shed is strung with colourful lights. Look closely and you’ll see that the tree has been decorated with charming toadstool decorations as well red lights.
Owen Gale6/20Elsewhere in Amanda Brooks’ garden, against one wall of the house, is an espalier pear tree cultivated by her husband over the past 30 years, wittily decorated with glass pear baubles for the festive season. It is such a sweet and charming way to bring a little bit of festive magic to an unexpected corner of the garden.
Owen Gale7/20Amanda Brooks and her husband have transformed a former piggery on their Oxfordshire farm into a charming guest cottage. At Christmas, she decorates the entrance porch using garlands of evergreen, a wreath and twinkling lights. The rattan armchair would be the perfect spot to enjoy a warming glass of eggnog or mulled wine, wrapped up in a cosy blanket.
Owen Gale8/20At the back of Amanda Brooks’ guest cottage, the veranda is modelled on those found in the Adirondacks in Northeastern New York. Here, there are more evergreen swags along with dried hydrangeas, hanging heat lanterns and more fairy lights.
Martin Morrell9/20The lovely wreath on the door of this snug 17th-century farmhouse in the Lake District was made by artist Belinda Worsley. An arch, which is covered in small white roses in the summer, frames the view of the front door.
Dean Hearne10/20We might not all have our own cloisters to decorate, like Alice and Julian Kennard at Forde Abbey, but a smaller-scale display of greenery like this would translate well to any indoor-outdoor space, such as a conservatory, garden room or covered porch.
Paul Massey11/20Floral designer Paul Hawkins fills his Chelsea mews house with his signature sophisticated arrangements for the festive season. On the front door is a wreath primarily made of Magnolia grandiflora, which is complemented by potted trees and plants including two scented geraniums.
Paul Massey12/20Garden designer Alexander Hoyle has decorated the front door of Francis Sultana’s spectacular 18th-century mansion flat in The Albany with mistletoe and Cornus flaviramea twigs. For Francis and gallerist David Gill, decorating their apartment is an occasion in itself. ‘We put on Christmas carols sung by Frank Sinatra and open the Champagne and the crisps,’ says Francis. ‘And, later on, we call in sushi from our favourite restaurant round the corner. The decorating can go on until 11 at night.’
Paul Massey13/20The tall double doors of this glorious Regency house in the West Country, with interiors by Henriette von Stockhausen, lend themselves to these two trios of wreaths hung from red velvet ribbons.
Mark Anthony Fox14/20Remember that wreaths are not just for front doors. This festive arrangement adds a splash of colour to the black metal door of a barn next to Luke Edward Hall and Duncan Campbell’s cottage in the Cotswolds.
Dean Hearne15/20Proving that the warmth and light of a log fire need not be confined to the house, former fashion designer Pascale Smets and her family have positioned a brazier on either side of the porch of their Suffolk home. This idea could work just as well for any winter celebration, from Diwali to bonfire night and New Year’s Eve. A traditional wreath on the door completes the festive look.
Jake Curtis16/20House & Garden’s former retail editor Carole Annett’s late-Victorian manor house provides an elegant backdrop for festive celebrations. This beautiful wreath on the front door sets the tone perfectly.
Line T Klein17/20Renowned London florist Philippa Craddock made this wreath using a combination of ivy, spruce, berried eucalyptus, asparagus ferns, flowering jasmine, blue thistle and fir cones. ‘I wanted these decorations to have a gathered feel, as if all the woodland ingredients had been collected on a cold country walk. The trails of the wreath are what make it special – they create the idea of flow and natural growth.’
18/20As the founder of specialist haberdashery shop V V Rouleaux, Annabel Lewis knows a thing or two about decorating. At her restored farmhouse in Cumbria, the steps up to the front door are flanked by baskets adorned with ribbons and baubles, and the rails and pediment are festooned with garlands. What better way to make a festive first impression?
19/20Don’t forget the back of your house when decorating – even if you’re the only who will see it. Annabel Lewis has decorated this staircase next to the car port with balls of blue pine wrapped with fairy lights and colourful German gazing balls. Even the log basket has been treated to some pretty ribbons from her collection.
Paul Massey20/20Wreaths are certainly not the only option for a front door. Haberdasher Annabel Lewis has created a decorative confection for her door knocker using oversized curtain tassels and ribbon.
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