11 Outdoor Christmas Decorations Ideas For Your Backyard Or Front Yard

The winter season is here and Christmas is around the corner. That means everyone’s getting into the festive mood! I find that the easiest way to get into the holiday spirit is to decorate my home with some wreaths, fairy lights and a Christmas tree, of course!

Outdoor decorations are just as important as your indoor set-up and do wonders to get you (and your neighborhood) ready for the festivities. 

To help you get into the festive spirit this Christmas, I’ve rounded up 11 amazing outdoor Christmas decorations ideas.  

Ribboned Wall Lamp

Jazz up your outdoor wall lamps with some pretty ribbon, stalks of greenery and a pop of color! This is one of the most classic outdoor Christmas decorations out there and is a winner if you’re into traditional Christmas decorations.

There are so many things you can create just with a spool of ribbon, making it one of the most versatile materials to add to your Christmas decoration shopping list. From a variety of bow shapes to curls (also known as balloon ribbon), your wall lamp will transform into a festive wonder!

You’ll be surprised at how a simple old wall lamp can form part of your Christmas scene once you add in a couple of sprigs of greenery into the mix. For this particular idea, you can never go wrong with a mix of Fraser fir, pine, and cypress, which are known to complement each other really well. 

You can finish it off there, but depending on the color of your ribbon (especially if it’s a neutral shade), a pop of color would make for the perfect finishing touch! Red is always a good idea during Christmas, and artificial red berry stems (or even the real deal) would complete the look.

Ribboned wall lamps are one of the most simple outside Christmas decorations, but boy oh boy do they look good!

Ribboned Lamp Post

This idea is very similar to the ribboned wall lamp one, but we’re taking it up a notch here. To pull off the ribboned lamp post look, we’ve got to think bigger and bolder.

You can either cover the length of your lamp post with fir branches or make a garland of fir and wrap it around the post, creating a pretty spiral design. Once you’ve done the greenery, you can work on adding in ribbons, wreaths or other pieces that give it a pop of color just below the lamp head. 

A giant bow made with colorful fabric or ribbon would be the easiest way to achieve this look, but you could also use an acorn-studded wreath that incorporates a bright color. Playing with different textures definitely levels it up. In this case, the different textures come from the fir branches, acorns and flowy ribbon. 

Ribboned Mail Box

We’re leaving no stone unturned this Christmas and that means that even your mailbox can be part of the festive fun!

You can start off by hanging up some greenery on your mailbox so that it cascades down the sides of it – halfway down the length of your mailbox pole will do.

Once your greenery is in place, it’s time for your showstopper piece. A brightly colored puff bow would work perfectly here because it’ll complement the shape of the actual box. Try to leave the ends loose so they flow over the greenery to get a seamless look.

If you’re a ribbon master, definitely consider a ribbon floral arrangement. You can play around here and figure out what’s easiest for you, depending on supplies and how much time you have available. Your mailbox will definitely get you some “ooohs” and “aaahs” from neighbors with one of those beauties!

Santa Candy Cane Mail Box

Red and green are the most common traditional Christmas colors, but there are many other not-so-traditional colors that are starting to become more popular. One such example is the red and white color combination. 

I don’t know about you, but when I think of red and white used together, my mind rushes off into a candy cane frenzy! When I first came across this idea, I noticed how some mailboxes can actually resemble the shape of a candy cane. Pretty cool!

To pull off this look, you’ll need to wrap the length of your mailbox in red and white fabric or tape so that each color alternates. This look would be even easier to achieve if you have a white mailbox because you’d only need to wrap around your red material. 

Add in some extra pizazz with festive stickers or mini decorations on the box and you’re good to go!

Christmas Patio Railings

Christmas patio railings have got to be the easiest, yet most effective patio Christmas decorations, in my opinion. They’re one of the most elegant outdoor Christmas decorations and will give your patio an instant festive boost.

You will need a Christmas garland that is long enough to cover the width of your patio railing. The key to this look is to create a drop effect by using hooks to hang them on. The hooks should be spaced out evenly so that the railings look uniform. 

Once you’ve got your base ready, you can string some fairy lights across the garland, following the same looped pattern, and add brightly colored bows or flowers at each hook or loop.

This idea is so versatile and could also work really well on Christmas gazebos and front porches.

Glowing Snowman

A white Christmas without a snowman? I think not! Level up your outdoor snowman decorations this year with a glowing snowman. 

You can DIY this if you already have a snowman to add to your outdoor decorations by stringing some white LED lights across the snowman. This is one of the easiest homemade outdoor Christmas decoration ideas!

Melted Snowman

If you have kids, you should definitely try adding a melted snowman to your list of outdoor decorations this Christmas! They’re such a hit with kids, and I can totally understand why – just look at how cute they are! This idea involves a little bit of DIY, but it’s also a great opportunity to get the kids involved in a fun activity.

To create the melting part of the snowman, you will need to mix together shaving cream, glue and flour. Spread it onto a sheet of plain paper to form a melting snowman shape and then decorate using items such as googly eyes, a black paper hat, an orange paper nose, and paper twig arms. 

Once you’ve decorated, leave it to dry for several hours before touching or moving it because it’s quite fragile at this stage. When it’s dry, it’ll retain its shape and you’ll be able to move it to your outdoor set-up with ease. 

Nutcracker

What better way to welcome your Christmas guests than with a pair of nutcrackers at the front door? Nutcrackers are a Christmas favorite and can be incorporated into any Christmas theme and decor. 

While they’re mostly found hanging on Christmas trees or sitting on mantelpieces, these nutcrackers are the perfect accompaniment to any entrance hallway or front door Christmas setup.

Hidden Gnomes 

I always have a little chuckle when I come across these! They’re just so witty and cute and hands down my favorite among funny Christmas lawn decorations. 

The idea behind this is to turn shrubs or trees into gnomes, in the most simplistic way possible. After all, they are meant to be “hidden.”

For shorter shrubs, all you need to do is plop on a Christmas hat and a nose. You can, of course, decorate further but don’t forget: less is more with these.

If you have tall, slender trees in your yard, you can decorate the bottom third of the tree to resemble the gnome’s beard using white fabric while the rest of the tree above that serves as its hat. You can also wrap a piece of thick colored ribbon where the beard begins to mark the hat a bit more clearly. Don’t forget the gnome’s nose!

Giant Outdoor Christmas Balls

Have you ever heard the saying “The bigger, the better?” I know it doesn’t apply in all cases, but when it comes to Christmas balls, it’s a resounding yes from me! You can never go wrong with Christmas balls, and if you manage to get your hands on the larger ones, be sure to grab them!

These will add a whole new level of dimension to your outdoor Christmas setup for that long-awaited outdoor winter party and can be used in several ways. You can simply lay them on the ground, arrange them on a bed of greenery, or stack different sizes.

Giant Lollipop

These giant lollipops are every kids’ dream! I think they’re definitely a Christmas must-have if you have kids. 

There are a couple of different ways to make these. The two popular ones are to use paper plates and pool noodles. For the paper plate version, you’ll need to glue two paper plates together and attach them to wooden dowels. 

You can wrap the top paper plate part with funky and colorful cellophane wrap or paint cool patterns onto the plates and leave them unwrapped. 

For the pool noodle version, you’ll need to wrap white or colored duct tape (depending on what compliments the color of your pool noodle) along the noodle, diagonally. Apply hot glue down the pool noodle and roll it up like a cinnamon roll. Attach it to a wooden dowel or a PVC pipe and wrap it with clear cellophane.

FAQs

My Outdoor Christmas Decorations Ideas Guide Is Complete!

That’s a wrap of my top 11 outdoor Christmas decorations ideas! I love how easy and adaptable these ideas are, so if you’re not very creative or don’t have much time on your hands, you’ll still be able to pull off something from this list to elevate your outdoor area, just in time for Christmas.

I’d love to know if my ideas helped! Please feel free to let me know in the comments below.