CLASSIC CHRISTMAS CURB APPEAL
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There’s nothing like home for the holidays.
I’ve had visions of classic, ribbon-clad pine wreaths floating around in my head since the very first time we pulled up to our home, last December.
The exterior features all the trappings of a classic, colonial home including a central front door flanked by two, stately windows on each side and five identical windows, equally spaced, on the floor overhead. The façade is rich in symmetry, boasts balanced proportions and features high-contrast finishes for a statement-making appeal without a touch of seasonal decor in sight. That in mind, the last thing we wanted to do was to distract from our home’s charm with a bunch of busy and/or bright holiday décor.
Our approach?
Take a delicate hand.
Lean into the traditional architecture and highlight the symmetry of our home with a slew of classic Christmas wreaths + a pair of pretty, potted trees.
THE WREATHS
After some trial and error with sizes, we settled on nine, 30” faux pine wreaths to display on each window and the front door. We snagged the lot of ‘em for 50% off at Hobby Lobby back in November and I truly couldn’t be happier with quality and durability so far.
Pro tip: Unbox your wreaths in the garage/yard/porch/any outdoor space possible to avoid getting faux pine needles all over your floors. The vacuum worked wonders but why bring the mess indoors if you can avoid it, right?
I gave the wreaths a healthy fluffing and then quickly realized that I am not only the worst wrapper in the world, but I am also completely inept at tying bows. (Is this an underdeveloped motor skill issue…? Should I be worried? My shoe laces are no problem but wow my bows are flaccid and sad.)
My mom came to the rescue and helped me bring my vision to life by hand-tying a large, glittery-gold ribbon to the base of each wreath. We originally considered going the ultra-traditional route with red ribbon but decided against it because we felt the punchy tone overpowered the exterior rather than enhancing it. Plus, your girl lives for a neutral glam moment so there’s that.
We tried two different techniques to secure the wreaths on the windows – one was easier than the other.
For the first floor, we hammered a tiny nail to the top of the window’s crown molding to serve as an anchor for our wreaths. From there, we measured, cut and tied fishing wire to top center of each wreath before suspending them from the molding nails to dangle at the center of the window. While this technique is effective, it required a 20-ft. ladder, a fearless 50+ year old woman (looking at you, Sherri!) and a steady hand.
We skipped the ladder for the second story windows and tackled them from the interior of home, instead. Joey removed the screens off the windows and reached out from inside to secure the wreath to the exterior glass using one, heavy-duty suction cup hanger at the top center of the wreath, followed by 2-3 smaller suction cups along the sides.
Note: Installing wreaths by hanging out of a second-story window is a two-person job. Preferably a two-person job where both people are heavy enough to off-set the weight of their partner while they install said wreaths. My dad steadied Joey as he secured the wreaths by standing on his feet. I attempted to do the same prior to my dad stepping in, but I was too light to provide a safety net for Joey in the event he lost he balance. Please don’t attempt this technique without someone solid to keep you safe.
THE TREES
I continued the theme of symmetry and balance when filling out our urn-style front stoop planters. I knew that the space required a filler feature with height to balance out the sizable windows that frame the front door. I also knew that more height means more money and I didn’t want to spend on two, pricey outdoor trees. Thankfully I avoided that expense when I stumbled across this pair of 3.5 ft pre-lit Christmas trees at Target for $80.00. Much better than the $60+ per tree (!) I was seeing everywhere else.
The only problem with this twinkling twosome? They didn’t exactly fit into our beloved urn planters. The tree’s square base was visible from every angle and they wobbled to-and-fro while we attached our glitter bows. There was no chance they’d withstand the wintry elements in their original state.
My ever-crafty husband saved the day – and our stoop! – by sawing off the corners of the square base until the trees nestled snuggly into the urn base. He steadied the trees with pea gravel and I draped snow blanket around the base to create a crisp, snowy look.
Now, are they perfect? No. There’s a bit of a leaning situation with one tree, the snow doesn’t totally cover the original base on the other tree but they measure in at over 4+ ft. tall, add a festive sparkle to the stoop at night and collectively balance out the entire exterior design.
So, I’m good with it, hehe.
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How did you decorate your front porch or outdoor space for the holiday season?!
Share all the details in the comment section, below.
Thanks for reading!