12 Christmas window decoration ideas to make your home shine

Make your windows shine this holiday season with decor that will make them dazzle. From wreaths to ribbon to garlandthese ideas for decorating your windows this christmas will be the envy of the neighborhood.

When it comes down to it outdoor holiday decoratingOften it’s the door that grabs all our attention, but here we make a strong case for looking to the windows to set the mood this year. These warm and inviting ideas are southern hospitality at its best. This is not just about first impressions, but also about seconds, third and fourth impressions. There is plenty to do next to the front door during the holidays. Just take a look at our windows decorated especially for the season to prove it.

Quick ideas for decorating your windows for Christmas

To get you started, start with these basic ideas for covering your windows this season.

Don’t neglect the flower boxes

Window boxes doesn’t have to be strictly a spring and summer affair. Enhance your window boxes with a pyramid-shaped boxwood or small cypress, then add other hardy elements such as decorative kale or flowering cabbage, nandina berries, paperwhites and ivy.

Think of the view

By approaching your window decor from the inside out, you can add even more charm to your wreaths and garland. Consider battery-powered candles that provide a soft glow, or opt for two wreaths per window, one on the outside and an identical one on the inside.

Give it a framework

While a single wreath can certainly make an elegant statement when flying solo, there’s something about the holidays that sometimes makes us want to go over the top. To do just that, consider framing your window (even if it’s already decorated with a wreath) with lights, streamers, or both. After all, Christmas only comes once a year.

Oversized

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Small wreaths for the windows? Not on this farm. The large scale of the wreaths does not minimize the size and scale of the windows, but instead draws attention to the charming details. If you have a two-story house, you should not neglect the upper floor. Use identically sized wreaths on both levels for a cohesive, symmetrical look.

Go for gold (and green)

Photo: Monica Buck; Styling: Matthew Gleason

Classic green and gold tones make an elegant pair on this wide veranda. Vibrant greenery flows from the container gardens that flank the door, while an illuminated garland frames the home’s entrance. But even in the midst of such a festive scene, the windows are not lost thanks to the large wreaths hung with gold and ivory ribbons to enhance the color scheme found throughout the veranda.

Don’t forget the interior

Jennifer Davic

The inside of your windows is also important. Here is a simple Fraser fir wreath decorated with a ribbon and cranberry garland. This look works especially well for a kitchen window where the seasonal ingredient will feel right at home. Use ribbon to secure the wreath to the top of the window, then add a few ribbon curls for a final decoration.

Let nature inspire you

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Lush wreaths of evergreen and magnolia shine on their own, no additional blooms needed. To keep the over-the-top wreaths central, they are hung in the windows with clear wire. In cases like these, the nature-inspired look can’t be beat.

Choose Southern Green

Photo: Monica Buck; Styling: Matthew Gleason

Dried magnolia leaves are a decidedly Southern, yet unexpected take on the holiday greenery, and they have the advantage of not looking bleak and dreary by the time Christmas Eve rolls around. The bright green leaves provide a traditional holiday color, while the burnt gold hue on the back provides a glorious festive counterpoint. A burlap ribbon adds a rustic finish to the elegant magnolia leaf wreaths.

Look up

Although first floor doors and windows seem to get all the glory, upstairs windows can also be great for a little holiday decorating. Here, a horseshoe wreath with a simple ribbon makes a beautiful crown for this entry.

Make it special

Laurey W. Glenn

If you have a standout room in your home that needs some extra love to really make it pop, an oversized wreath on a central window in the room can be the perfect finishing touch. A bright ribbon adds a bit of personality to the already vibrant space.

Call on Southern Favorites

Photo: Brittany Ambridge; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Shutters, streamers, ribbons and wreaths, these door windows are every Southerner’s dream. Simple fir wreaths are beautiful in their simplicity, although they would be in danger of being lost on the windows if it weren’t for the vibrant gold ribbon that finishes them off. But the holiday decor doesn’t stop there. A rustic streamer runs down the shutters for an organic, romantic effect.

Form and function of marriage

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

If you’re hanging wreaths from your window, hooks may be the most functional choice, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style. Attach a ribbon to the back of the wreath and make a loop around the front. Attach it to the head of the window frame for a look that will impress all season long.

Go fake

Photo: Hector Sánchez

When you dress your interior windows, you will find that you can have more fun with the elements you use because they do not have to be sturdy enough to withstand the outdoor elements. To reduce waste and allow your wreath to be used year after year, consider adding faux fruit to a green wreath base. Cranberries, green apples, kumquats and more are all fresh and festive ingredients that deserve a place to shine this season.

Think outside the box

Photo by Roger Davies

Round wreaths have their place, but going square is never the wrong idea. In this elegant dining room they add a more structural, elegant atmosphere. A simple ribbon hanging from the top of the window frame softens the look a bit.

Make it lush

Paul Costello; Styling: Howard Christian

Fluffy green wreaths and voluminous blue ribbon make a striking pair against the interior windows in this elegant living room. While there are plenty of windows throughout the room, adding wreaths to the windows on either side of the fireplace gives a clear perspective and emphasizes the focal point of the room.