Creating your own Christmas yard decorations is an affordable and customizable way to adorn your outdoor spaces, including your yard, porch, and front door. These projects typically require only a few materials, many of which you may already have at home.
Many of these DIY ideas are simple enough to do with children, making them perfect for a festive, family-friendly activity. No prior experience is needed to craft these holiday decorations. Explore the following list for inspiration to deck out your yard, porch, patio, and other outdoor areas this holiday season.
Holiday Concrete Gift Box
Chica Circle shows how to turn a cinder block into a colorful holiday gift with just some spray paint and a bow. The tutorial includes tips for achieving clean, even paint lines.
Giant Paper Plate Lollipops
Smart School House offers a whimsical decoration idea with giant lollipops made from paper plates. This fun and festive project is simple enough for kids to help with, and a video tutorial is available to guide you through the process.
Botanical Ice Luminaries
A Piece of Rainbow suggests creating botanical ice luminaries for an outdoor gathering. These temporary but stunning centerpieces feature a hot flame surrounded by ice, illuminating leaves, flowers, and berries.
Vintage Kitsch Deer
Aww Sam provides a tutorial for creating vintage kitsch reindeer using papier-mâché. Customize them with your choice of paint for a festive decoration that can be used year after year.
Double-Sided Christmas Pillows
The Navage Patch offers a quick and easy project for creating festive outdoor pillows using heat transfers. These double-sided pillows give you the flexibility to switch up your decor with ease.
Noel Gift Tag Vertical Christmas Sign
Funky Junk Interiors shows how to upcycle wooden fence planks into a unique holiday sign. The tutorial includes stenciling tips for a crisp, clean finish, and you can customize the colors to match your existing decor.
Star Light
This project from A Beautiful Mess transforms a star base with garland and lights to create a sparkling holiday decoration. Customize it with different paint and garland to suit your style, whether you prefer a minimalist look or something more elaborate.
Outdoor Christmas Gifts
The Navage Patch offers a rustic, traditional outdoor decoration idea using repurposed wood and metal strapping to create gifts that will last for years. Inspired by expensive decorations, these DIY gifts are budget-friendly and charming.
Wood Lights Christmas Garland
Impress your neighbors with these giant wooden lights from Sugar & Cloth. Paired with garland, they make a striking decoration for your front door, and they’re easier to create than you might think.
Fresh Evergreen Wreath
Delia Creates provides a tutorial for making a pine and eucalyptus wreath, perfect for the holiday season or wintertime. These wreaths are versatile and can be placed on your front door, windows, garage, or anywhere else you’d like to spread holiday cheer.
Joy to the World Christmas Wreath
A Night Owl presents a rustic grapevine wreath idea that celebrates the holiday season with wooden letters, burlap ribbon, and even a globe. This easy-to-make wreath is a delightful addition to your front door.
DIY Outdoor Wooden Lighted Stars
Duke Manor Farm offers a project for creating lighted wooden stars to hang from trees or place in your yard. This family-friendly project uses pine boards, wood screws, and string lights to create a festive display.
Fall to Winter Outdoor Arrangement
Julie Blanner provides a step-by-step guide to creating a seasonal outdoor arrangement that’s perfect for fall and winter. This versatile decoration can be customized to fit your style.
How to Make a Christmas Reindeer from Logs
Kaleidoscope Living shares a charming DIY project for creating Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer from logs, sticks, and branches. This project adds a fun twist with details like a bright red nose and a pinecone tail.
Pallet Christmas Tree
Beyond the Picket Fence offers a tutorial for creating a wooden Christmas tree from an upcycled pallet. This easy building project includes tips for working with old pallets and ideas for finishing the tree.
$10 Wooden Sled
Fynes Designs provides instructions for building a vintage-style sled for just $10 in materials. This festive decoration looks great on your porch or propped against the side of your house.
Hanger Snowflake
Smart School House suggests upcycling plastic hangers into a snowflake decoration with zip ties. Add Christmas lights for extra sparkle in your yard.
Easy Christmas Decor for Porch and Shutters
Thrifty Decor Chick offers ideas for decorating your shutters with wreaths and ribbons, extending the design to your porch for a cohesive holiday look.
DIY Holiday Framed Ornament Wreath
Artsy Chicks Rule provides a simple tutorial for creating a unique wreath with just a few materials. This decoration can be hung on your door year after year.
Knock-off Crate & Barrel Ornament Trees
Domestically Speaking shows how to create wooden ornament trees that look straight out of a high-end catalog. These trees can be customized in different sizes and colors for a stunning porch display.
Holiday Door Banner
A Beautiful Mess suggests replacing your traditional wreath with a holiday banner made from sheet moss. Customize the banner with any holiday word that has special meaning to you.
Poolside Christmas
Sugar & Cloth offers a festive idea for decorating your pool area with Christmas trees, a North Pole sign, and giant red ornaments. The tutorial includes a list of materials and instructions for assembly.
3D Wooden Christmas Tree
The DIY Dreamer provides a project for creating a 3D wooden Christmas tree with basic woodworking skills. These trees look beautiful on a porch and can be made in various sizes.
Weathered Yardstick Stars
Our Southern Home offers a quick and easy project for creating a star decoration from inexpensive yardsticks. Add paint and lights for an eye-catching display that works well on your front door or in your yard.
Simple Outdoor Christmas Decor
The Merrythought shares ideas for using greenery to decorate the front of your home, creating a simple yet elegant look that transitions well from holiday to winter decor.
Gingerbread House Door Decor
Aww Sam provides a tutorial for turning your front door into a gingerbread house with adorable candy cane decorations. This fun and easy project adds a sweet touch to your holiday decor.
Mercury Glass Christmas Trees
A Night Owl shows how to create mercury glass-style Christmas trees for a vintage look. These trees can be used indoors or outdoors and make a beautiful centerpiece for an outdoor dining table.
Snow Frosted Mason Jar Decorations
A Piece of Rainbow offers a project for transforming mason jars into frosted holiday decorations. Add sprigs of greenery, berries, and pinecones for a magical effect.
Fluffy & Fun Winter Wreath
Lovely Indeed suggests creating a fun and unexpected wreath using pom-poms and fake flowers. Customize the colors to match your decor for a fresh new look.
Easy Homemade Christmas Jars
Celebrating Everyday Life provides a tutorial for creating customizable Christmas mason jars. Fill them with greenery, lights, or other festive items for a charming porch decoration.
Natural Winter Wreath
The Sweetest Occasion shares a project for creating a natural-looking wreath using a grapevine base and a mix of faux and natural greenery. This versatile decoration looks great on any front door.
Hanging Star Luminaries
Polkadot Chair suggests buying paper star lanterns and inserting lights to create glowing luminaries for your outdoor spaces. Use white lanterns for a decoration that can stay up all winter long.
Rustic Christmas Tree Vertical Porch Sign
Funky Junk Interiors offers a tutorial for creating a wooden Christmas tree sign to hang on your front door or porch. Use stencils and craft materials to customize the look.
Christmas Sled Decor
Sadie Seasongoods shows how to upcycle a thrifted sled into a festive decoration for your door or porch. The tutorial includes tips for choosing and arranging decorative elements.
Tomato Cage Christmas Tree Lights
17 Apart suggests using tomato cages as the base for outdoor Christmas trees. Wrap them in lights for a magical effect after dark. This project is quick, easy, and perfect for involving children.
Joy Outdoor Wreath Sign
Fynes Designs provides instructions for creating a wooden sign that spells out “Joy” with a wreath for the letter “O.” Customize the sign with your preferred colors and decorations.
Joy to the World Poster Print
Uncommon Designs offers a free poster print that says “Joy to the World.” Frame it and hang it on your porch for a simple yet elegant holiday decoration.
Festive & Frugal Christmas Porch Decor
On Sutton Place shares budget-friendly ideas for decorating your porch with fresh greenery, buffalo-checked pillows, and other festive touches.
Giant Christmas Ornaments
Addicted 2 DIY provides a tutorial for turning old tires into giant Christmas ornaments. Paint and decorate them to your liking for a bold outdoor display.
Hot Cocoa Bar
Celebrating Everyday Life suggests adding a hot cocoa bar to your porch for a cozy, festive touch. The guide includes details for setting up each component of the bar.
Christmas Arrows
The Happy Scraps shows how to create a colorful Christmas crossing sign using wooden arrows, stencils, and paint. The tutorial also includes tips for creating realistic-looking snow effects.
Wreath Doormat
Homemade by Carmona offers a unique project for creating a wreath-shaped doormat using faux greenery and hot glue. This durable mat adds a festive touch to your entryway.
Driftwood Christmas Tree
Aww Sam suggests making giant Christmas lights to string along your fence or hang from trees. Customize the size and color of the bulbs for a whimsical outdoor display.
Tomato Cage Christmas Tree
If you need a cheap and easy Christmas yard decoration, this tutorial from Beyond the Picket Fence uses an inexpensive tomato cage and turns it on its head. You can decorate it with your chosen ornaments: Choose a color scheme or go crazy and add all the colors.
Outdoor Christmas Snowflakes
Here’s a unique idea from 1905 Farmhouse for a Christmas decoration that will fit perfectly with your farmhouse style. These snowflakes are made from wooden spindles that you can buy pre-made. In this guide, you’ll learn how to secure snowflakes and paint them to make them stand out.
Christmas Hanging Baskets
Create a DIY Christmas planter with these easy-to-follow instructions from Clean & Scentsible that will take you through all the steps to get an arrangement you love. The project includes natural greenery, but you could substitute faux and follow the same directions.
Modern Wood Trees
For this project from Purely Katie, you’ll transform a sheet of plywood into a modern wood tree. A few simple cuts and some color stain later, and you’ve got these gorgeous trees. Feel free to customize them with the colors that make you happy.
Outdoor Holiday Marquee Sign
Light up the night with this handmade marquee sign from At the Picket Fence that’s perfect for the outdoors. Marquees seem to always be in style, so that you can use this decoration year after year. You’ll be taken through each step of attaching the letters, drilling holes for the lights, painting, and then putting everything together.
Holiday Skis Makeover
This Confessions of a Serial DIYer project takes an old pair of skis and repurposes them into this festive holiday decoration. This simple project includes some spray painting and floral wire for a unique decoration that you can use for years.
Soda Crate Christmas Decoration
If you’re looking for some vintage outdoor Christmas decorations, here’s one from The Cozy Old Farmhouse that would look great on your porch. Take some old soda crates and stack them up. Place a decorated Christmas tree in a galvanized bucket on top for almost-instant vintage decoration.