17 DIY Outdoor Christmas Decorations For Your Yard & Porch

The holiday season is here, and it's time to make our homes merry and bright. But don't forget about the outside! Decorating your outdoor spaces can bring extra cheer to your neighborhood.

In this roundup of DIY outdoor Christmas decorations, we'll show you easy and fun DIY ideas to make your yard or porch sparkle with holiday magic. Let's get started on spreading the joy of the season!

For even more ideas, see Hometalk's ultimate guide to DIY Christmas decor here.

1. Festive mailbox decoration

To decorate the mailbox for Christmas, Chloe Crabtree starts by creating a stable base using a styrofoam block and floral wire. She demonstrates how to secure it firmly to the mailbox with buttons and wire circles.

Then, she ties a red velvet ribbon into a fluffy bow and adds it to the foam along with various faux Christmas greens, ensuring they flow over the sides. Shatterproof Christmas balls are attached using pipe cleaners and steel picks, adding texture and color to the arrangement.

Finally, any remaining gaps are filled in with extra greenery, resulting in a beautifully decorated mailbox for the holiday season.

2. Candy deco mesh garland

This next DIY project by Chloe Crabtree guides you in creating a festive candy-themed Christmas garland. Start by purchasing wired evergreen garlands, ensuring they don't have additional decorations.

Spread and fluff the branches to make them look natural. Then, use red and white candy-striped deco mesh, securing it to the garland at intervals. Add holiday ribbon by pinching it together and securing it with the wired part of the garland.

The result is a fun and vibrant garland perfect for a candy-themed Christmas.

3. DIY outdoor Christmas gnomes

Make your own DIY outdoor Christmas gnomes with this easy project by Melanie.

You'll need a tomato cage, a grey fleece blanket, fluffy grey socks, red mittens, Velcro, a long Santa hat, a Santa head with a beard, a large styrofoam ball, flesh-colored paint, scissors, and some plastic bags.

Simply wrap the blanket around the tomato cage, attach the arms, and add the hat, head, and beard. Paint the styrofoam ball for the gnome's face and attach it.

These cute gnomes can be made in an afternoon and all the supplies can be found at your local Dollar store.

4. Giant lollipops

Create DIY giant lollipop decorations for a Candyland Christmas theme with this tutorial by Kelly-n-Tony. These outdoor decorations are budget-friendly and easy to make. Here's a simple guide:

1. Cut Round Discs: Get or cut 12" round wooden discs for the lollipop base.
2. Paint the Discs: Give them a coat of white paint.
3. Add Lollipop Swirl: Use a Cricut machine or paint to create a decorative swirl on the discs.
4. Make the Lollipop Sticks: Use mop handles or rebar for the lollipop sticks.
5. Attach Stick to Lollipop: Secure the stick to the back of the lollipop using wood screws and pipe clamps.
6. Wrap the Lollipop: Place it in a shrink-tight gift bag and secure it at the base.
7. Shrink the Wrap: Use a blow dryer to snugly shrink the bag around the wooden round.
8. Attach the Bow: Add the included bow to complete the look.
9. Set Up Outdoors: Insert the lollipops onto rebar hammered into the ground.

These DIY giant lollipop decorations are both adorable and sturdy, perfect for enhancing your Candyland Christmas display. Enjoy crafting!

6. Christmas yard flamingos

Now for something completely different! This project by Alicia W involves creating festive Christmas flamingos for your yard, embracing a warm climate. Materials are sourced from Dollar Tree, including mini tree skirts for capes.

The capes are embellished with pom-poms, bows, tinsel trim, and pipe cleaners, with closures secured using pipe cleaners. Santa hats are crafted from tree skirts and decorated before being attached with double-sided tape.

The finished flamingos make a unique and coordinated warm-weather Christmas display.

7. Wood pallet snowman

This project by Linda B involves creating an adorable snowman using wood pallets. The process includes obtaining pallets, using round shapes as patterns, cutting out the snowman shape, and spray painting it.

White lights are added around the edge, and buttons for eyes along with an orange-painted wooden peg for a nose complete the decoration.

8. Light-up Christmas ornaments

This festive project by Amy Hill | TXMamaShopsNDiys involves creating glowing outdoor ornaments using supplies from Dollar Tree. You'll need a kids' bouncing ball and an LED hanging lamp.

Start by placing the ball in a bowl for stability. Remove the bulb from the LED lamp to access the fairy lights. Form the fairy lights into a circle, ensuring they don't extend beyond the lamp's edge.

Use E6000 glue to secure the lamp to the bouncing ball. Allow 24 hours for drying. Once dry, the ornaments are ready for display, glowing beautifully at night when the LED lamp is turned on.

9. Lighted holiday gift boxes

Speaking of light-up outdoor decor, this DIY project by Rose Lemke - What Rose Knows involves creating outdoor lighted holiday gift boxes.

Instead of buying pricier, mass-produced versions, Rose and her husband built these boxes using 1x4 wood frames. They spray-painted the wood to reduce visibility. Twinkle lights were wrapped around the frames, and cords were secured in place with staples.

The decorative mesh ribbon was sourced from Sam's Club, but similar items can be found at craft stores. These robust boxes are designed to withstand harsh Midwest winters and stand out as unique holiday porch decorations.

10. Shutter angel

To create a garden shutter angel, Kimberly Jonesy uses old plastic or wooden shutters, leftover lattice, a dresser drawer, and various other items.

She assembles these pieces, adding a painted spindle for the body and attaching lattice for wings. An egg tray serves as the head, and they secure it all with glue and pipe cleaners.

For the angel's hands, they repurpose a sentimental picture frame and a rustic PEACE sign.

11. PVC candy canes

This project by Amanda C involves creating illuminated PVC pipe candy canes as a festive outdoor decoration. It requires PVC parts, paint, LED lights, and ribbon.

The steps include sanding the PVC, assembling it into a candy cane shape, taping and painting for the classic candy cane stripes, drilling holes for the lights, and adding a decorative bow. To ensure stability, stones or rocks are added to the base.

12. Gingerbread doormat

Here, Jennifer Howard| Cottage On Bunker Hill shows us how to create a festive DIY Christmas doormat inspired by Anthropologie's gingerbread design.

Begin with a plain coir doormat. Flip it and trace gingerbread house rooftops with a Sharpie. Carefully cut out the rooftops using a box cutter. Flip the mat back, use chalk to sketch gingerbread house outlines, and paint them with white acrylic paint.

Add details like doors, windows, and rooflines. Personalize with a wreath and bushes. The finished doormat resembles a giant gingerbread cookie.

13. Christmas planters

Stacy Ling | Bricks 'n Blooms shows how to make outdoor winter planters to decorate your front porch.

Begin with a plain coir doormat. Focus on the front door decor first, choosing a wreath or greens-filled basket. Use a variety of fresh greens like boxwood, cedar, juniper, and holly.

Apply the thriller, filler, and spiller technique, ensuring symmetrical placement. Add texture and dimension with variegated boxwood. Incorporate cedar branches for a draping effect.

Enhance fullness with junipers and decorative elements like red faux berries and oversized pine cones. Stand back to ensure symmetry. These planters add a festive touch to your winter decor.

14. DIY ski decor

Revive old cross-country skis for a festive decoration, following this guide by Melanie.

Clean, remove bindings, and sand the skis. Use E6000 glue and a clamp to create an "X" shape with the skis. Apply Candy Apple red spray paint in three coats.

Gather greenery like pine, cedar, and spruce and arrange them in opposite directions, securing in the middle with wire. Add artificial red berries and secure them in place.

Create a bow with ribbon, attaching it to the skis along with the greenery. Consider adding a welcome sign for an alternative design.

15. Sled & mittens porch decor

Transform a thrifted sweater into cozy "smittens" for this cute sled and mittens winter porch decor idea. Trace your hand along the side seam of the sweater, then cut out the mitten shape through both layers.

Stitch the raw edges and apply fray-stopper to prevent fraying. Turn the smittens right side out. To decorate an antique sled, attach trimmed cypress fronds with twine and drape large jingle bells over them.

Complete the look by adding the smittens and a fluffy bow.

16. Ornament archway

Back to Chloe Crabtree's expertise, and this time she's sharing how to create an impressive ornament archway for your front porch this Christmas season.

Start by measuring the area and obtaining 3/4" PVC pieces from a home store. Cut the PVC to the desired lengths and drill holes in them for zip ties. Thread zip ties through the holes to hang and attach garland and ornaments.

Secure the garland and cluster ornaments in groups, securing them to the PVC. Hang the archway with heavy-duty hooks, and with a spotlight, the ornaments will beautifully reflect light at night.

17. More Christmas yard ideas

Get ready for the holidays with these six simple and festive yard decor ideas from Chas' Crazy Creations:

1. Holiday Orbs: Use hot glue to combine two plastic bowls, creating orb forms. Make four of these and wrap each with different colored light strands. Place them in your yard, connecting them with extension cords and protecting the plugs with plastic containers.
2. Snowball Walkway: Take plastic bowls and spray the inside with frosted glass spray paint. Glue two bowls together, creating a snowball shape. Add a waterproof battery-operated LED light on the ground, and place the snowballs over it for a lovely glowing effect.
3. Silver Bells: Purchase silver plastic ice buckets and attach a red ribbon inside. Hot glue a red bulb to the other end, and add more red ribbon for hanging the bells outside.
4. Present Door: Cut a decorative patterned vinyl tablecloth. Use painter's tape to create a vertical and horizontal strip design on your door. Add a bow for a finishing touch.
5. Solar Lampshade Christmas Tree: Stack original lampshades and place a solar light on top to create a Christmas tree. Optionally, use E6000 for extra stability.
6. Luminary Recycled Jars: Get waterproof color-changing LED lights with plastic ice crystals from the dollar store. Place them inside recycled jars and display them on your railing for a charming effect.