5 Things You Need For the Perfect Christmas Porch

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Christmas is the time to celebrate with friends and family. Here in Tasmania, we are so fortunate to be able to gather in small groups and travel to safe zones following social distancing guidelines. It’s exciting to see those we love after so long and we all want to go that extra mile to make the time special. So, how will you welcome visitors to your home? By giving them a perfect Christmas porch, of course. One that says, ‘Hi, take off your shoes and come inside!’ Here are my essentials to help create the most delightful Christmas porch this year.

I have included sources for some of the images. Those not credited are via Pinterest

Every Christmas Porch Needs A Stunning Wreath

A wreath is quintessentially Christmas. If you had nothing else to welcome guests and family to your door, you would have to have a wreath. The wreath sets the tone for the decorations inside. It’s the expectation of what’s to come. The wreath on your Christmas porch can be round, traditional and formal or a bunch of greenery tied in a bouquet with festive ribbon and hung from the knocker. It can be anything that shows your guests you went that little extra mile to greet them. Because we have two front doors, I have two wreaths. Lucky me! I’m such a fan of wreaths at any time of the year so I have a more traditional round wreath and an informal swag. It’s basically a bunch of green branches tied with a ribbon and whatever theme I have for the year.

A Place to Sit

If you have room, a place to sit at the front door is perfect for your guests. Living on the farm, shoes can often get muddy, so having a place to sit by the door provides a place to remove shoes and put them on. It’s also a moment to gather your thoughts and look for your car keys. It’s quite a long walk from the parking area to the front door and a number of steps. A chair or bench at the door signifies our guests have reached their destination and can stop for a moment. It’s also a great spot for a pretty Christmas cushion or a plaid rug. You could paint a vintage chair in a Christmas colour, add a Christmas cushion and the decorating is done!

A Welcoming Mat for the Christmas Porch

Your front door mat does not have to be fancy or stencilled with the latest funny saying. But it should be clean and ready for guests to wipe their feet. (and make it dirty) A clean doormat gives the idea that you care about your home. You could dress it up by layering a pretty Christmas rug underneath if you want your mat to feel that bit more special. There are so many tutorials on how to create a stencilled doormat But whatever you do, make sure your front door is seen in its best light. A shabby mat does not make guests want to step over your threshold. I have a simple doormat that says HOME which I got from Bunnings. Another option is to paint a plain doormat in a pattern you choose. You could just paint the edges green!

A Christmas Tree

I mean, it’s Christmas right?! You have to have trees everywhere. That’s sort of the point isn’t it? Whether you use real trees in a pot, this one is from Christmas 2019 and is in a bigger pot this year, or faux, just put them everywhere. Some people like the symmetrical look, like the one above. Our main front door is off centre anyway, so symmetry is a challenge. I like to put most of my decorations to the right of the door. A nest of three trees or branches in pots can look very festive. Make them different heights then link them with colour and style. It’s your choice. Just make sure you have a tree.

Some Joyful Words

This Christmas I wanted to welcome guests with a vintage style sign. The idea was for it to look sort of like a shop sign or something that had been salvaged. I saw some cute ones on Pinterest that look easy to make. Making a sign seemed easy enough to do with some chalk paint and a stencil of sorts. The best part of making a sign like this is it is personal to you, can be repainted for other seasons or put back in the wood stash when you finished. And, your guests will love the personality and welcome it brings to your front door area. If a sign like this isn’t your thing you could try making the Christmas trees in a pot I made. They’re cute and fun and easy for kids to join in with the creation.