5 DIY Ideas for Christmas cheer on your doorstep
From a classic wreath of winter leaves to twinkling lights and Santa decorations, there are lots of ways to set an inviting scene and a festive impact that you can continue on through your home, for the perfect festive effect. And the great news is, you can personalise your door decorations however you want, and have fun making them, with a little help from the kids. And while you’re at it, why not find out how you can make your guests feel really welcome once they’re inside, with one of our delicious Warming Christmas drink recipes?
1. Tell a Christmas Tale
Let your home be a book! Display a favourite Yuletide story with your front door as the first page, and follow the story through into hall decorations and Christmas tree hangings. Get the children to help you choose a theme – get the children to make a gingerbread Hansel and Gretel and draw a pretty sweet-covered house on card. Or perhaps Santa and his elves are making toys?
Why not try this? Use homemade models or cut-outs attached to the door with a light adhesive, or adorn a simple green wreath with miniature toys or figures usually used for cake decorating to tell a charming little Christmas story.
2. Greet guests with a ‘gift’
Wrap your door like a big Christmas present. Cover the door with a long roll of seasonal wrapping paper. Add one wide vertical and one horizontal strip in paper of a contrasting colour to look like a ribbon. Use your wreath as the centre of the gift box with a large bow attached to it, in the same colour as the paper ribbon.
Why not try this? For a fun variation you could cover the door in white paper with wide diagonal stripes of red across it so it looks like the stem of a big peppermint candy cane.
3. ‘Our house’ wreath
Buy a simple wreath and adorn it with little details that represent your family, perhaps adding bows or baubles that match the colour scheme of your Christmas decorations inside.
Why not try this? If your home is very sleek and white, why not spray paint the wreath white to appear snowy and hang it with sparkling paper snowflakes or little silver star-shape cookie cutters? Or get the kids to draw their favourite film or book characters and tuck them into the leaves.
4. Christmas Card Tree
This year, show everyone what lovely Christmas cards you’ve received by displaying them on your front door. Alternatively you can use last year’s cards to make your charming scene. Projects like this are a perfect job for the children; click for more Christmas tasks the kids can do.
Why not try this? Make a triangular Christmas tree shape on the door with ribbons and attach holiday greeting cards. Add a seasonal message in cut-out letters from some of the cards: “Peace & Love” or “Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!”
5. Frame your welcome
Transform an old picture frame with a fresh coat of gold or shimmery silver paint and hang it up on your door instead of a regular wreath.
Why not try this? For the centrepiece, create collage of festive detailing around a family photo or get your child to draw a Christmas picture and use this to greet your visitors. Alternatively, string ornaments at different lengths from ribbons attached to the back of the top bar of the frame so they hang down inside it.
Be daring!
There’s no need to stick with tradition. You could make your wreath from all kinds of things, like seashells or feathers, attached to a simple wire wreath frame. Or make a nature-walk wreath from items found by your children on a walk in the park or on a trail in the woods – leaves, pinecones, acorns, holly, berries and sprigs of spruce.
Yummy decorating with the kids
Getting ready for Christmas is a great excuse to spend time together. Children and teenagers love simple cooking projects, so have a look at our ideas for making your tree as tasty as it is pretty with Christmas biscuit decorations.