Again, I couldn’t help myself.
Once our porch was stripped of the pumpkins that were past their prime and the frost-bitten topiaries, it looks a little sad. And it certainly doesn’t help that we don’t have one evergreen plant or bush in the front gardens. Everything is brown and leafless, just emphasizing the ugly side of winter and the lack of attention we’ve paid to the landscaping.
The garden beds will have to wait until spring, but I felt like some garlands and lights would do a lot to dress things up for Christmas.
I bought two mixed live garlands to hang around the front door and front window and a pair of potted evergreens with some clipped live greens tucked in around them. I also dug some indoor-outdoor string lights from my Christmas bins to wrap around the greenery.
To hang the light-wrapped garlands, I tapped a large nail into each corner above the door and window and one nail centered.
Using a piece of twine-wrapped florist wire (purchased from Hobby Lobby) cut to about 8″, I secured the garland, lights and all, to each nail.
It took me about 30 minutes to do both the door and the window and it adds so much to the front of the house.
And, as a bonus, the lights add a beautiful glow on the inside, through the windows, as well.
I had leftover greenery, so I just tucked it into my antique concrete urns along with some sugar pinecones.
I wish it was socially acceptable to have fresh greens and twinkle lights on your porch year round…
47 Responses
Maybe you can start a new trend. I think twinkle lights would be easy to get away with.
Your new home is lovely!
Love this. Gorgeous wreath. White lights and greenery can be left out all winter, in my opinion, and in Minnesota that’s pretty much half of the year!
LOL, yes, unfortunately I think Cheryl is right about that last part!
In Alaska, it is socially acceptable and greatly appreciated, to have lights up from November to March.
Very pretty, Marian! We keep the tiny white lights up all year round in our basement (where our tv is). It gives it the warmth and coziness that feels good all year round! Merry Christmas to you and yours. And don’t forget to relax. Your energy amazes me!! Blessings!
Your porch is beautiful.
I just visited Alaska for the first time last month, and someone told me that many people keep twinkle lights up all through the winter, since they don’t get much daylight. i LOVE that!!!
I also have twinkle lights up around a mirror year-round + a house in the neighborhood didn’t take down their external lights ever and I LOVE that, too!!
My daughter’s in North Dakota for her first winter. Folks have told her that Xmas lights stay up til spring, when it’s warm enough to get outside and take them down!
Good news about living in MN is no one judges you for leaving the twinkle lights up until March. It’s too cold to take them down until then.
I agree with the above commenters. Greenery and lights, especially white ones, can be up in MN all winter, spring, fall, anytime the daylight hours are shorter. We have a window that is visible from a nearby road and change out the lights seasonally. Your greens and lights could stay up as long as you want them. Add a pop of red for valentines season to change it up if you want.
Do whatever you want on your porch! Like you, I think the greens and lights say “welcome”.
Hurry,, take a pic so when you shop for shrubbery iin the spring you know what and where to plant.
I have solar star lights that hang on my porch all seasons! I have to do what I have to do, to get thru winter.
Planting paper whites, using snowmen in my décor, having a hot choc bar, and hosting lots of gatherings!
Happy holidays!
PS Family coming? When?
I’ve never let social dictates keep me from things I enjoy!
^THIS^ Marian, if you want to leave those lights up year round, do it. People will only see them at night anyhow. It can be done very tastefully. There is a beautiful home here in the Cheviot Hills area of west Los Angeles that looks like a smaller version of the White House, and the people have some very lovely white fairy lights hung in straight lines around some of their notable architecture details, and they leave those lights up year round. Of course, they go all out at the holidays with more lights and the house looks like Clark Griswold’s for Christmas and New Year’s, but the year-round lights really showcase the details of the house.
Oh my goodness, this is my favorite from porch decor of all time. So elegant! Great job!
Simple but elegant and thank you for sharing
So simply. So lovely. 🙂
I love your new porch! The new color of green on the door and porch bench are so welcoming. You picked the perfect color green for all seasons. Love it!!!!
Love the white – lights and your decorating – I would like to see a curb shot where I can see the front window and the door at the same time!
I bet if YOU kept fresh greens and twinkle light up year round, it would become a trend. Because you are a trendsetter.
Have a Merry Christmas ????
A good lesson for us that something not too hard to do is just perfect and makes such a pleasant difference – Welcome Christmas!
Very pretty Marian, I especially love the frosted wreath with your door color
Beautiful! How fun for you to decorate a new home! And, yes…in MN we need all the help we can get to enjoy our long winters…leave it all up till March (bonus: no watering!)
Warm and lovely,you may start a trend, i think lights would be great till March.
Your front porch looks warm and inviting. I love the greens around the potted evergreen trees. You always have the best ideas.
Dear Marion,
It beautiful, you porch, just beautiful. Simple, classy, elegantly presented. You have a lot of class. You do a beautiful job.
Thank you for all your effort on our behalf. I’m glad you are not sick if Christmas yet.
My live tree is already dead. I’m off to buy a fake that won’t die. Sad but true. I’m going to look at Balsam Hill first. Yours is lovely
Nancy in Arizona
30 minutes well spent.
My garage, which is the space I use for a studio, is where I keep my chili pepper lights from Santa Fe up year round just because I like them. No one else has them in Alabama. A neighborhood kid new to our area from Philly asked me, “Why do you have your Christmas lights on all the time?” I answered again, “Because I feel like it!” I don’t really care what people think of me. I do what I like, and that’s that.
Your decor is very beautiful and inspirational.
Only 30 minutes and all that beauty! Are your lights battery operated? I didn’t see cords.
Is your door a MMS color? I love it and the decorations all around it are beautiful.
Patti
lovely I want to see the whole front in twinkling lights
Love your porch decor, Marian! Everything is just so beautiful! Enjoy! Blessings to you and yours at this special time of year!
What shade is greeen is the door painted????
Where did you purchase the live garland? I find any live greenery hard to come by…but maybe it’s because live in AZ☺
I know someone who uses white string lights on their house year-round. To my way of thinking, why do lights need to be associated with Christmas?!!
Ideal!!!!!!!
Desde Cádiz. Andalucía. España
I love everything you do! You could certainly leave your lights and greenery up till spring, no problem! You could easily change out the pillows on your bench, big buffalo checks and reindeer pillows for Christmas, Valentine hearts, etc. Shamrocks for St Patricks Day and on and on! So enjoy your posts. Love the new house.
It looks just great! Isn’t it amazing what a little greenery and lights will do to make us feel like Christmas?! Nice job!
What color is your door? I love it!!! This is beautiful.
I do! I bought small pines, potted them and use lights year round on them.never get tired of them!
I love seeing your blog, just bought some paint and it’s wonderful. Thanks for all the inspiration. 🙂
This is such a practical “how to”
post, thank you! Sometimes I just wonder how people hang things, especially florals. Knowing the right tools to use (floral wire, command hooks etc) isn’t always obvious to everyone. We are in a new to us home as well, and I was just discussing with/asking my husband how we could string lights on some of the trees and bushes and the front door outside without having any outside electrical outlets. Guess I’ll be checking out options at the store tomorrow.
Beautiful, Marian!
A lovely invitation to enter a home.
Lovely! A spotlight shining on the front door would be really pretty, and perhaps leave the overhead light dark for the Christmas season just for a little change.
Hi Beautiful BeautifuL
ALways enjoy your post…..how did you hang your wreath? Without the thingey over the door….that in my opinion is not my style?
It’s hung on a command hook for outdoors. It’s held up very well!
oh….what a greaT idea….thank you….Hugs ?
Merry Christmas ???
I just love the green color you picked for your door and bench. It looks awesome with all the Christmas greenery!