by MiLa Driver

Created on: November 09, 2008   Last Updated: November 13, 2008

Guests are coming to spend the holidays with you and you go all out decorating the inside of your home. But have you ever thought about making your home inviting to your guests from the minute they start making their way up to your door?

PINE WREATHS

Everyone loves pine wreaths; especially the natural ones. They are traditional, festive and they smell wonderful! Pine wreaths are easy to find and can be hung by themselves or can be decorated with ornaments, small lights, pinecones, holly berries, and bows. You can make them yourself by cutting some sprigs off your tree and inserting them into a twig wreath.

THEMED WREATHS

If you are in the mood to make your door wreath fun, then you can definitely get creative with it! You can choose endless themes from snowmen, toy soldiers, angels, teddy bears, and whatever else you associate with the holidays. Simply buy a wreath and hot-glue inexpensive tree ornaments around it to create a fun, themed wreath.

EDIBLE WREATHS

What can be more fun for your guests than grabbing a snack off your door wreath? Yes, edible wreaths are easy to make and are quite unique. Pick any kind of wreath and glue fun-size packages of chocolates, small bags of crackers or cookies, candy canes, or even apples and pears. Replace items as your guests pick them off.

DOOR MATS

Door mats are relatively inexpensive and can give your doorstep some pep. Holiday door mats come in endless designs and shapes. Mats come in rectangular, half-circle, full circle, snowman, mitten, tree, and other holiday-related shapes. Mats can also be personalized with your name or with a holiday greeting.

GARLAND

Why not frame your front door with a beautiful garland? Like wreaths, garlands come in many varieties including pre-lit, poinsettia studded, and pine or fir. Some can be found on-line, at nurseries, or in home dcor stores.

DOOR WRAPS

Wrap your front door in gift wrap and make your home a gift! You can use old gift wrap, bows and ribbons for the job and do your part for recycling. You could also go to the local dollar store and purchase shiny, foil-like gift wrap in holiday colors. Wrap the entire door, taping the edges on the inside of the door. Gift wrap on your door can make your house look darker (if your door has windows), so remember to cut out holes around the windows to allow light in. Wrap your door like a present or decorate it to look like a gingerbread house door!

POINSETTIAS

Consider placing a couple of potted poinsettia plants by your front door. These are synonymous with the holiday season and offer your entryway a bright, bold shot of color. You could also hang a flat-backed basket from a wreath hanger and fill it with real or fake poinsettias.

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