Christmas on the Front Porch

Welcome to our home for the holidays!  The front porch is dressed in a natural winter wonderland theme this year.  It is a serene and simple décor greeting visitors with the fresh scent of evergreens, the inviting warmth of candlelight and several vignettes of winter activities to delight the eye. Traditional greens and reds are accented with whites, metallics and natural elements. Please join me on a tour.

A sentimental flag reminding me of my three sons and their dad going sledding hangs to the side, flanked by a tabletop fresh tree sitting on a red wooden crate with its stand draped in a red quilt with a wooden red star, handmade by a friend, at the top.

A monogrammed basket overflowing with fresh greens, red berries, a large gold ornament ball, a bright triple ribbon bows and sleighbells adorns our front door. It rings its cheerful welcome when the door opens!

The overall view of the porch.

A vintage wooden sleigh is decorated with double wreaths: a grapevine wreath with glittery snow covered pinecones is layered with a red berry wreath for a joyful punch of color. Two santas dressed in winter clothes stand guard besides the sleigh. One santa is dressed in woolens and holds a small sleigh while the other is on snowshoes and wearing his fur suit. A  velvet hat box with an appliquéed gold snowflake adds texture and completes the vignette.

Detail of the double wreaths decorating the sleigh.

Lanterns filled with Christmas tree shaped candles seated on colorful beads are decorated with fresh holly. They will be lit to welcome evening visitors. The third lantern is filled to the brim with colorful, shiny beads. A glittery pinecone ornament tied with a plaid ribbon finishes this lantern’s holiday finery. It sits on a bed of fresh greens with a birch log leaning nearby.

A big wooden vintage crate in black with red Pennsylvania Dutch motifs, my husband’s family  heritage, is filled with fresh evergreens, red glittery branches, smaller ornament clusters, pinecones and a large red onament in the center.

A large raised planter is filled with evergreens, more birch logs, pine cones, ornaments, a tall lantern as well as pheasant feathers and red twig dogwood branches. A pair of skates is hung to the front of this large planter with plaid ribbon to create a winter-themed bow.  To see how I made it, please click here.

“It’s coming on Christmas, they’re cutting down trees.  They’re putting up reindeer and singing songs of joy and peace. Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on.” 

Joni Mitchell