15 Christmas Decorating Ideas for Under a Deck

The holiday season is upon us, and we’re all looking for ways to make this year extra bright. Depending on your style, time, and money, you can make your outdoor Christmas experience as lovely as the indoors — and not worry about pine needles on the floor!

A Balsam Hill blogger suggests choosing a theme or color scheme, then focusing on a few centerpiece elements. Increase your curb appeal by weaving in complementary décor and lights.

While decorating inside may be limited by your home décor, you can do something completely different on your porch or deck. Read on for a holiday smorgasbord of 15 fantastic Christmas decorating ideas:

1. Let nature be your decorator. Christmas decorations can be expensive and require a lot of storage space. One easy solution to these challenges is to bring in natural elements to your deck design. You can easily DIY Christmas decorations with pinecones or stacked logs. Take a walk in the woods and gather up any interesting branches, holly or mistletoe. Magnolias are especially hardy and beautiful to use in holiday wreaths, swags, and door decoration.
2. Focus on a Christmas tree. There’s just something about a Christmas tree that makes your holiday display complete. Once you have a decoration idea or theme, you can plan your tree accordingly, along with any other decorations. If the tree is on your deck or front porch, be sure it’s weighted down against the wind or place up close to the house as a shield.
3. Add festive planters. Whether you choose silver-toned buckets or colorful boxes, you can make your porch or deck even more festive with planters. While poinsettias are not hardy enough to be outside in most temperature zones in the United States, you can choose other hardy plant varieties such as pansies or ornamental cabbage.
4. Go for greenery. Invite guests into your home with an arch or swag of pine or cedar around your entryway. Nothing is more beautiful than Christmas décor in deep greens and reds. If you choose artificial greenery, be sure not to smash it down when you store it for another year. And when you get it back out, fluff up the branches to create a fuller, more natural look. If you’re working under your deck and you have a light fixture or chandelier, consider hanging greenery from it. Add pops of colors with beautiful red bows. If you’re feeling crafty, watch this Michael’s tutorial on making bows with wired ribbon. These DIY projects will leave you with more space in your home and more money in your pocket.
5. Inspire with Victorian décor. If you’re feeling inspired by “A Christmas Carol,” use vintage items such as a wagon, sled, old ice skates, or an antique bicycle to create a throw-back Christmas porch. Add a chalkboard with a hand-lettered holiday greeting. Use lanterns and luminaries, rather than string lights.
6. Go big or go home. Add giant Christmas ornaments or lighted globes in your trees to make a huge impact. Choose large blowup Christmas decorations or light up the largest tree in your yard to make a big statement.
7. Streamline with simple elegance. Buy sleek silver pots and put greenery or a small evergreen in each. Hang a wreath with a beautiful bow. Voilà, you’re done!
8. Light up the holidays. Whatever your holiday décor, adding a few lights can make it even more festive. If you want to wow, add strings and strings of colored or white string lights. LED lights are energy-efficient and bright. They’re especially well-suited for outdoor decorating, but be sure to note if you’re buying warm white or regular LEDs, so your strands match up. If you prefer to be more subtle, lanterns are always a holiday favorite. Luminaries lining your driveway or sidewalk provide a classic touch to your outdoor holiday décor.
9. Give your deck a peppermint twist. Create holiday cheer with red-and-white striped ornaments and décor to mimic a candy-themed holiday. String up red and white Christmas lights along your railing or attach them to your roofline. Use red ribbon around columns to mimic candy canes.
10. Add a little country to your Christmas. Nothing feels cozier than a country Christmas. You can create a whole living room space on your front porch or deck with hand-painted wooden signs, buffalo plaid ribbons, and pine garland. Add a wooden or metal bench with a fun outdoor Christmas pillow. Add red lanterns and a vintage sled to complete the look.
11. Keep it neutral. Use burlap, creams, and greens to create a more neutral and natural look. Sometimes, as with neutral décor, less is more.
12. Make it snow. If you’re longing to create a winter wonderland, start with snowflake lights or icicle lights, oversized silver jingle bells, and white trimmings. Use a projector light to give the illusion of snow at night. Place a blowup or light-up snowman in a central location. Check out these snowflakes for inspiration.
13. Color your deck happy. Add colorful accents such as pom-pom garlands in cheery pink, teal, yellow, and purple. Be playful with light-up tinsel animal decorations. Arrange them around your front porch like a greeting squad with a cheery “hello” for any holiday visitors.
14. Shine with metallic accents. From silver and gold balls on your tree to metallic garlands, you can add extra shine to the season. Just be sure your outdoor Christmas decorations are waterproof. You can DIY a Christmas wreath for the front door with plastic ornaments in metallic tones attached to a metal wireframe.
15. Invite guests to the North Pole. Create a space for friends to have a friendly meet up with Santa on your front porch or back deck. For porch décor, choose colorfully wrapped presents (using waterproof paper), a sleigh, or Christmas elves.

Holiday decorating should be fun, not onerous. Choose a theme that brings you joy, then let your imagination do the rest. Merry Christmas!