This holiday season is full of firsts for our family. Clara can now shout “I love you Santa!” at the inflatable displays at the hardware store, we finally picked up a real tabletop tree, and this is our first full Christmas in this house since last year’s move. But the biggest new tradition for us has been decorating the exterior of the house. We’d never done it before, and stepping back after plugging everything in and letting the lights come on felt like discovering a small, cozy kind of magic.
We kept the outdoor decorating simple and approachable for our first attempt. Highlights include:
- white candle lights in every window (from Ben Franklin)
- three glowing stars hung at varied heights from the porch (from amazon.com)
- transforming a small evergreen beside the driveway into an outdoor Christmas tree with red-and-white lights (Target clearance buys from last year)
- draping red-and-white “candy cane” lights over the bushes that lead to the front door
- filling three oversized red metal lanterns with white lights on the porch (Ikea)
- placing two glossy red reindeer in a window (found at Ben Franklin and refreshed with spray paint)
- making a simple square wreath from four sticks and a faux boxwood garland
Here’s a close-up of the porch: the glossy red reindeer frame a window candle, the little tree glows in the background, and one of the hanging stars is reflected in the glass.
From a slightly wider angle you can see more of the porch stars and the red-and-white lights woven through the front bushes. Hanging the stars at different heights in front of the picture window creates a double-image effect in the reflection, so from some viewpoints it looks like six floating stars instead of three—an easy trick that adds visual depth.
One quirk: in photos the white lights pick up the greenery and appear slightly green-tinted. In person they read bright white next to the shiny red accents, which gives a retro, bold feel against our little ranch-style house.
From the curb you can see our tiny evergreen-turned-Christmas-tree near the carport. Adding red-and-white lights to the path-making bushes balanced the display and tied everything together.
Here’s a closer look at that tree — small but cheerful.
And the tree from the side. The lights really glow in person.
On the porch we grouped three large red lanterns (Ikea finds) and filled each with a generous string of white lights. We considered using pillar candles but liked the warm, even glow that the lights created inside the metal lanterns. To power them, we linked the three light strands together and ran an extension cord from an outdoor outlet.
A sweet neighborhood surprise: someone left a thank-you note in our mailbox from the community’s “Secret Neighborhood Spirit Elves” to say thanks for decorating. It was an unexpected and heartwarming gesture that made us smile.
We hung the three star ornaments from plant hooks inside the porch’s scalloped header. They’re lightweight plastic stars you assemble by snapping the spikes together—commonly called Moravian stars—and they look especially pretty when lit and reflected in the window.
Close-up of the candy-cane red-and-white lights—charming and cheerful, even if the camera captured a hint of green from the shrubs.
Now about the square twig wreath: I gathered four straight sticks, snapped them to matching lengths, and wired the corners together with floral wire. Then I wrapped a faux boxwood garland around the frame. The whole thing was inexpensive and rustic in a modern, angular way—perfect for our door. A small red “kissing ball” I already owned sits in the center, and the wreath rests over the door knocker without any adhesive hooks.
Those red reindeer were a thrifty find—two feet tall and originally a dull brown. A single can of glossy red spray paint transformed them into bright, almost ceramic-looking silhouettes that Clara adores. Now she points, says “red reindeer,” and happily announces “Santa’s coming!”
Have you decorated your home’s exterior yet? Ever made a wreath from sticks? I’m fond of the square shape—modern, simple, and a little whimsical. This first effort at outdoor lighting and DIY wreath-making felt doable and festive, and it’s made our street feel a touch brighter this season.
Update: We’ve collected our favorite holiday decor finds in a list of budget-friendly picks if you’re looking for inspiration for your own outdoor Christmas decorations.