Make the Doors to Your Home Sparkle This Christmas

Breathe life into Christmas this holiday season and make the doors in your home sparkle! Nothing says Merry Christmas more eloquently than when you deck your doors and entrances with thick green garlands, trimmed with gobs of sparkling Christmas ornaments, and tons and tons of glittering faux flowers and gold flecked instruments. To complete the look, wrap everything up in an array of eye-catching ribbons and bows!

One of the most important aspects of keeping the Christmas holiday festive is to be creative when it comes to decorating the doors to your home. Garland made of fresh greens, trimmed with sparkling Christmas bulbs, will go a long way in making the season bright for loved ones as well as passersby who just won’t be able to resist a double-take as they drive through your neighborhood.

Entrances Are Special

The entrance to your home is the very first thing a guest sees. It gives them their first glimpse of who you are, and provides the first indication of whether there is whimsy within the walls of your home or seriousness. The threshold offers the perfect opportunity to present your very own “Merry Christmas” statement for the holidays.

Elegant Entrances

For elegance that just won’t quit, mix silver and gold ribbons and bows, faux gold-flecked instruments—such as large Christmas ornaments—and glittery faux poinsettias, and other foliage, in with the greens that trim your doorway. Make sure both the garland and the Christmas wreath at the front door are made of the same base ingredients and both follow the same pattern. For instance, if you prefer thin garland but a thick wreath, that’s fine. Just make sure you use the same ingredients when you create the two. The thicker, fuller Christmas wreath will compensate as well as compliment the thin garland. A variety of trims can be incorporated into the garland and matching wreath that will not only catch the eye but will also “pull” the doorway together under one theme and make it “pop” for the holidays. Another great example: the huge pieces of sugared or beaded faux fruit—tastefully trimmed with ribbon in a complimenting color, of course.

Some beautiful greens that are easy to find during the holidays and even easier to incorporate into garland and Christmas wreaths for your doors and doorways include holly leaves, balsam, white pine, red cedar, and Douglas fir. Blue spruce, while beautiful, is the hardest evergreen to work with as it has short thick needles that are very stiff and downright painful to handle. Cedar is soft and offers a lacey texture, but cedar also tends to dry out easily and can crumble. Cedar is best when used as an accent color and texture. Balsam is hardy and offers the perfect base for garland or wreaths. The long thin needles of white pine will provide great texture and contour to any Christmas wreath or garland.

Playful Porches

For a front porch that will act like a “child magnet” all you have to do is add a sleigh stacked high with presents and a sign from Santa Claus himself that reads: Merry Christmas! Don’t forget tags with the names of the special children in your life. The kids will love it! (If you have several doors on your house, you may want to decorate each in a different theme.)

Dazzling Doors

Sparkle, glitter, and glitz can all be yours with the flip of a switch. A multitude of miniature lights will transform the doors on your home from drab to dazzling! Hundreds of miniature white lights create a sophisticated atmosphere in seconds. Add a few white poinsettias—tuck in a dozen or so white ribbons edged in silver or gold—and you have the makings of the most dazzling doorway on the block!

Feeling Whimsical

Create an entrance spilling over with whimsy! Trim your doors with thick garland made of fresh greens, and incorporate snowmen and candy canes. If you’re looking for a childhood Christmas theme, add teddy bears or antique dolls. For a nostalgic Christmas, incorporate the ever popular Disney characters—such as Rudolph and Santa Claus—into your wreath, garland or swag, and watch the children gather. For a hint at the magic to be found on Christmas morning, include a large red sack spilling over with presents. Add a couple tin soldiers to guard your front door and to keep an eye out for Santa.

~Helen Kay Polaski