Whether you’ve had your entryway for a while or you’re enjoying the style of a recent door installation, you’re probably looking for some ways to dress it up for the holidays. Wreaths are a classic option, and plentiful in stores for exactly that reason. However, if you’re looking for something a little different, we’ve put together a list of ten creative, easy ways to give your home some holiday cheer.
1. Simple and Clean: All-Natural Greenery
One of the best parts of living in the Barrie area is the close proximity to so much natural beauty. Bring a little bit of that to your front door with a small bouquet of green branches. Pine is an obvious choice for the winter season, but you can also sneak in some magnolia leaves and pinecones for texture. Hide the bouquet tie with a ribbon (burlap stays true to the overall natural colour scheme) and hang on your door.
2. Winter Sports: Celebrate the Season with Skates
Most of us grew up with at least some time on the ice, whether that came from after-school hockey meetups or figure skating lessons. If you’ve got some skates that no longer get any use (or are now way too small to fit your feet), make them a part of your door decoration. Hang them in the centre of a regular wreath and decorate it with a bow. The wreath will help protect your door from accidental scratches and dings while also adding some seasonal colour.
3. Rustic Woodworking: Scrap Snowflake
Hobby woodworkers usually have small scraps of wood scattered somewhere in their workspace. Gather some long, thin pieces of wood and arrange them into a six-pointed snowflake motif. Add a few triangles or inverted V-shapes to the ends, and voila! You’ve got a lovely, homemade decoration for your front door. Plus, the neutral tones of the wood mean that this decoration will work with any door paint colour.
4. Christmastime in the City: Silver Bells
For a classy, upscale look, channel your inner Bing Crosby and take some inspiration from a classic Christmas tune. Find some silver bells at your local holiday decoration store, gather some velvety ribbon, and create a simple but lush bow for your door. Hang the bells beneath the bow with some coordinating ribbon in a thinner dimension and listen to hear them ring whenever a new guest arrives for the holidays.
5. Spun Sweetness: Dressed-Up Thread Spools
This works best with old wooden spools, but modern thread spools will work just as well with a coat of metallic gold or silver paint on the ends. Gather all those empty spools that have been kicking around the craft room and wind them up with a selection of festive-coloured yarn and ribbon. Glue them onto a wooden wreath base, decorate with a coordinating ribbon, and ta-dah!
6. Wrap it Up: Gift Ribbons
Far and away, this is the easiest decoration method on this list, so if you have a party in two hours and no time to decorate, this is the one to do! The only thing you need is wide gift ribbon. Wrap one length around your door vertically, about five to ten inches away from the side hinges, and tie it on the inside side. Do the same thing horizontally, positioning this ribbon band five to ten inches from to the top of the door. Hide where the two ribbons intersect with a large bow. You’re done! Your front door should now look like a gift, just waiting to be unwrapped.
7. Double Doors: Double the Fun
Did your last door installation introduce French doors to your entryway? If so, you get twice the amount of room to play with. An easy festive fix is to simply hang a matching wreath on each door, but we can do better than that. If you’ve got a wreath on one door, hang a felt banner featuring coordinating colours on the other. The banner is a great way to showcase your personal style. Keep it classy with a glittery “Noel” or “Merry,” or make it your own with your own favourite holiday motifs. Felt works well as a base material since it’s cheap and colourful.
8. All Together: Fresh, Festive Family Painting
If you’ve got plans for a door replacement in the new year, why not make the most of your old one for the time being? Prepare the door with a coat of festive paint (red is always a bright, daring choice, but you can go with any colour you want). When it’s dry, get the family together and have fun! There’s no wrong answer – from painted snowmen to messy handprints, this decoration is all about celebrating the here and now.
9. Hung With Care: Door Stockings
This is an especially fun idea, just because there are so many possibilities as to where your imagination can take you. The basic premise is to hang a stocking on your front door, but from there, you can get creative. Create a classic look with a red felt stocking, gently stuffed with greenery boughs, candy canes, and perhaps even a small toy. Go dramatic and cartoonish with a brightly coloured, oversized stocking. Create a homestyle cottage vibe with a handmade and hand-decorated stocking (if you cross-stitch or embroider, now’s your time to shine!).
10. Classic & Charming: Snowflake Panels
More and more often, we’re noticing that multi-panel designs are being chosen for front door replacement projects. If you’ve got several panes of glass in your front door, you’ve got the perfect setting for one of the most classic ways to decorate: paper snowflakes. Cut out one for each pane, centre each in its respective glass panel, and you’re done! It’s a look that never goes out of style, and instantly invokes lots of fond memories.
Kempenfelt Windows & Doors has been proudly supplying the Barrie and Orillia area with beautiful, sturdy doors for over twenty years. To learn more about our door replacement options and our door installation process, call our Barrie office at (705) 737-1554. You can also come see the possibilities for yourself at either of our two showrooms. We look forward to helping you find your new favourite door!
