20 Festive Front Entries

20 Festive Front Entries

Light Up the Night
Create a monochromatic display using simple white lights wherever you can place them. String lights along the fence (woven into fresh garland) and down the eaves. Dress a welcoming table with white pillar candles in hurricane vases.

Tip: When hanging garland along a fence, use string instead of wire, which can scratch the paint.

20 Festive Front Entries

Get Some Swag
The best-dressed home this season is wearing a great garland -- in this case, the greenery is doubled up at the bottom of each swag. We love the drama it creates when set against the simplicity of this all-white Jeffersonian cottage.

20 Festive Front Entries

Greet With Gifts
For a gift-giving display, put a brick (or other heavy object) in each bottom box to anchor the decorations. Then wrap the cardboard boxes, stack them, and tie them with a big bow.

Tip: Remember to place the boxes under a covered entry.

20 Festive Front Entries

Green Garland
Dressed with classic wreaths on every window and door, this cozy shingled home welcomes guests and carolers with a profusion of holiday cheer.

With a thick strand of garland and white twinkling lights, even the picket fence and front shrubs can't escape the merriment.

20 Festive Front Entries

Unique Wreath Shapes
Trees, squares, ovals, and stars offer unexpected takes on the traditional round wreath. Make your own using wire wreath frames and fresh garland, or check your local garden center and florist for creative selections.

20 Festive Front Entries

Brown Bag It
Illuminate your walkway with luminarias made from simple brown paper sacks filled with sand and battery-operated votives for a warm, glowing welcome.

This is a look that can transition from Thanksgiving straight through to the New Year.

20 Festive Front Entries

Floral Festivities
Go all out with an over-the-top display that will be the envy of the neighborhood. As with any grand design, start with chicken wire as the base. Add greenery, fruit, and flowers to cover the base entirely.

Tip: Keep nature's gifts fresh by using florist picks and florist foam.

20 Festive Front Entries

Bear a Torch
Your neighbor's 20-foot inflatable snowman can't compete with a façade awash in the gleam of firelight.

This cottage shines with two tall torches flanking the entry and a path edged with virtually windproof candles set in black iron stands.

20 Festive Front Entries

Inviting Entrance
To welcome guests (and keep them safe), line your walkway with luminarias for evening get-togethers. And create a cozy holiday room by purchasing an extra tree for the patio. Just make sure to use lights and electrical cords that are approved for outdoor use.

20 Festive Front Entries

Colonial Cottage
Let the style of your home dictate your holiday decor as it does in this cozy Colonial Williamsburg house.

Tip: Traditional decorating doesn't mean it has to be boring. These homeowners took a fun departure from the expected with colorful lights in the shrubbery.

20 Festive Front Entries