Christmas door decorating ideas - 13 stylish ways to make your home festive right from the start

Christmas door decorating ideas are a surefire way to get in the holiday spirit. Is there anything more festive than wrapping up and getting outside to adorn your front door in greenery, light up the steps with lanterns or string ribbon around your banister? And while we love a traditional wreath, there's so much more you can do to get your door dressed up for Christmas. 

'A favorite trick of ours is to hang a small cluster of bells from a handle on the front door so they gently chime each time the door’s opened.' says  George Miller, Home Designer at Neptune. 'Don’t forget to consider your windows too, they’re just as important in making a warm welcome, so hang lights and place candles inside so they can be glimpsed through the glass, or even adorn each window with a wreath of its own.'

'If you have lights on either side of the front door, attach a swag of fresh foliage or remnants of the Christmas tree, add red berries, fresh or fake then red and white striped ribbon and leave it long, or choose wired ribbon so it curls. You could add baubles or small decorations too if you wish.' advises interior designer Emily Dawe.

So this year up your Christmas decorating ideas, and turn your front door into a showstopping festive masterpiece that perfectly reflects your holiday style...

Stylish Christmas door decor ideas to inspire

1. Choose a minimalist metal wreath

(Image credit: James Merrell)

While less is more is not a term we use to often when it comes to festive decor, there's a lot to be said for a minimalist approach to a Christmas door. We love the contrast of the deep navy blue door and the Scandinavian style white wreath, and how it really pops against that dark backdrop. 

The simple look is added to with the beautiful snow-encrusted twigs and dried cotton stems. The natural textures give the minimalist look more of a rustic twist, adding a softness to the stark colors.  It's a look you could easily recreate too and these oversized twig collections look lovely propped against a door frame, adding a subtle festive feel. Get foraging in your garden for a cluster of branches and twigs and either leave them bare or give them a quick spray with glitter to up the holiday vibes. 

2. Make a bright color scheme festive

(Image credit: Annie Sloan)

Yellow isn't a color you see all that often when it comes to Christmas color schemes, but this bold setup proves that even a boldly painted door can feel festive when you hang the right wreath on it. A traditional fir and holly wreath was never going to work against the yellow, but this unique wreath made from a mixture of grasses and thistle really works, adding beautiful natural shape and texture. Note the gold baubles too which add extra warmth and a touch of glamour to the rustic design. 

3. Go for a classic pop of red berries

(Image credit: Farrow & Ball)

Nothing says Christmas like red berries. Keep it traditional this year and go for a classic red wreath with beautiful glistening berries and sprigs of evergreen or for a more contemporary look add in some tendrils of eucalyptus. DIY the wreath with forage berries or ask your local florist for an assortment of berries and red tinge foliage, then just use a wreath base (natural willow has always worked best for use) and floral wire to create your design. Remember the fuller the better!

And that bright, bold red looks so beautiful against this light blue we'd be tempted to get the paint out too and recreate this lovely color combination. 

4. Try something new with a door bow

(Image credit: Emma Lee)

Door bows have been a huge Christmas trend the last few years, and while it might sound a bit gimmicky, as this front door proves, it can look really elegant if done right. We'd say keep it simple, go with a classic red and opt for a lovely tactile fabric that falls beautifully, is really full and theatrical but doesn't look too 'done'.

5. Christmas trees aren't just for inside

(Image credit: Future)

For a lovely, natural, entering Narnia vibe bring the Christmas trees outside. And we aren't talking small spruces lining the steps (although that can look sweet too) we mean full sizes firs. Keep them bare with just a string of fairy lights wrapped around for a lovely rustic feel and complete the look by dotting a few hurricane lanterns around the base to create a soft glow of an evening.

6. Get creative with stylish stickers

(Image credit: Lisa Looker)

A pretty look with a fresh foliage wreath and pink roses to match the door. Instagrammer Lisa Looker has stuck gold stars on the door and a ho ho ho message then dressed the step with a wooden sled, wrapped presents decorated with more stars, a fake sheepskin rug, paper stars, and a small, real Christmas tree. Then small lights around the door entrance and on the tree give it all a lovely glow.

7. Adorn a door frame in luscious greenery

(Image credit: Dobbies)

If you’ve got an arched door entrance, it’s a great starting point for foliage. Drape fir branches, silvery leaves, ferns, anything you can lay your hands on, the fuller the better then add outdoor pin lights. Place a pot on either side of the door with an evergreen plant to continue the shape, then make a wreath for the door with leftover bits of foliage and pine cones. Lanterns with LED candles are the finishing touch.

8. Go For Glamour

(Image credit: Cassandra King)

For a Las Vegas showgirl vibe like Cassandra King's front door, create a stunning display using big fern and palm leaves, pampas grass, all sprayed in different colors and make it big for impact. Then spray paint a large wicker wreath in black and add more colored leaves, and choose baubles in animal sprints on one side. That’s what you call a showstopper.

9. Be inspired by wintery scenes

(Image credit: Rtfact Flowers)

For a sophisticated look, use frosted branches, twisted wood, and copper glitter cones to make the wreath shape, which gives it an almost fairytale look, then fill in with fake snowberries, keep adding until it’s really full for opulence. And as it's all faux, you won’t find berries all over the doorstep.

10. Keep it simple with a collection of stars

(Image credit: Future)

If you are short on time, make life easy on yourself and dress the door with a cluster of hanging stars. They could be cardboard or metal and add a lit one for a bit of a twinkle. Gold, silver, anything goes, then place oversized black and white baubles piled up in the corner – and a cute dog, obviously…..

11. Stick with a classic color scheme

(Image credit: @homehydrangea)

Dark doors suit bold colours, so choose a large wispy wreath and add white baubles, red berries, and pine cones. Place a black urn on either side of the door with faux Christmas trees in them and add red and white baubles, then add red and white lanterns with frosted pine cones inside. A Christmas doormat is an easy addition. This was designed by Instagrammer @homehydrangea. An aficionado on all things Christmas.  

12. Think outside the box

(Image credit: Future)

OK, you may not have pillars outside your house like this, but isn’t it fabulous? You could try something similar with poles wrapped in ribbon maybe with lanterns on hooks at the top of each one. The idea of three wreaths on the door is a great one, and easy to do. And check out those penguins! You could choose light up versions and light up stars can be dotted about.

13. Keep the festive spirit alive

(Image credit: Future)

And why should Christmas door decorating ideas stop on the big day? Keep the party spirit going - no matter if you're not actually hosting a party this year - by dressing the door for New Year. Such a lovely idea it makes us wonder if we should we start thinking about Valentine's and Easter door ideas, too?

How can you decorate a front door for Christmas?

There's a way to decorate a front door for every style, from traditional wreaths to bold-colored streamers and even disco ball additions. We'd recommend looking to your decorating scheme inside for inspiration, you want there to be a cohesive flow between inside and out, your front door should mirror the style going on throughout the rest of the house.

And then consider what you want your focal point to be. A wreath is an obvious choice but also consider hanging a festive swag, a collection of oversized decorations or wrap your door in a bow. Then consider how you'll decorate around the door. Keep it simple by lighting up the steps or porch with groups of lanterns or fairy lights. Garlands look lovely draped around door frames too, or go all out and bring Christmas trees outside too to stand either side of your door. 

How do you make Christmas door decorations?

Making a wreath is such a nice festive activity that can become a tradition year on year. Plus, if you're lucky you can find most of the evergreen you need in your garden too. To start making a wreath, collect your greenery – fir, ivy, and holly are all traditional foliage that you can easily get your hands on. You could also bring in eucalyptus, olive, and magnolia for a more modern look, that you can source at a florist. Then create a wreath base. We've always found either a willow wreath or a wreath ring covered in moss to work best. And then it's just a case of building up your evergreen, securing it with floral wire to create a wreath that looks full and has plenty of depth. 

An alternative door decorate is a swag – easier to create than a wreath all you need to do is gather up your foliage, arrange so all the pieces point the same way with the stems at the top, and then secure them all together first with floral wire and then a festive ribbon.