Porch decorations deal with things the living room never sees: wind, freezing rain, snow, and the occasional ice storm. A wreath that would last all season indoors can be stripped bare by New Year’s outside.
Most of the solution is buying the outdoor-rated version of things and fastening everything down properly.
The door
The right size wreath. Roughly two-thirds the width of the door: 24 inches for a standard 36-inch door, 28 to 30 for double doors. A wreath that’s too big also catches more wind. Outdoor or all-weather wreaths have UV-treated foliage and denser wiring, so gusts don’t strip them.
An over-the-door hanger. Nails, adhesive hooks and suction cups don’t last a winter on an exterior door. A metal hanger over the top of the door (on Amazon) does, and it leaves no marks. Stick felt dots where it touches the door so it doesn’t scuff, and check the fit first, since it adds a little thickness at the top.
Light
Heavy lanterns (on Amazon). Cast metal or with a weighted base, at least 3 pounds, with glass sides and a door that latches. LED candles inside, not real ones; a real flame in an enclosed lantern in the wind just leaves soot. Put them in pairs by the door or the steps. If your porch gets strong wind, add a bag of sand or some stones in the base. You should be able to push one without it moving.
Outdoor-rated string lights (on Amazon). Look for “outdoor” on the label and an IP44 rating or higher. LED, always: they stay cool and handle the cold. Hang them with outdoor light clips on the gutter, shingles or railing rather than staples, which can pierce the insulation.
Solar path lights. Stakes along the walk need no wiring. Winter sun is weak, so get ones with bigger panels and put them where they’ll get what light there is. In snowy areas, use 12-inch stakes so they stay above the snow. After a gray week they’ll be dim; think of them as a nice extra, not the main lighting.
Greenery
Planters of evergreen branches by the door. The biggest impact for the effort. Use frost-proof planters (fiberglass, metal or heavy plastic; ceramic can crack when it freezes and thaws) and pack the branches in tightly. Tree lots often give their trimmings away. An anti-desiccant spray keeps them green into January; without it they fade to bronze, which also looks nice.
A wooden crate. Fill it with pine branches, pinecones and a strand of outdoor lights. It’s heavy enough to stay put. Seal it with outdoor polyurethane if you want more than one winter out of it.
Garland around the door frame. Use outdoor-rated adhesive hooks every 18 inches; indoor ones let go the first time it freezes. Indoor garland’s dyes can run in the rain, so buy outdoor garland if you want to reuse it. Keep the bottom end about 6 inches off the ground, where snowmelt won’t soak it.
Welcome
Two doormats. A larger flat outdoor rug, about 3 by 5 feet (on Amazon) with a smaller coir mat (on Amazon) on top. The rug stops the mat sliding around. Coir is the best winter material because it scrapes boots and doesn’t hold water. Fabric mats freeze into soggy rectangles.
A throw on the porch chair. Only an outdoor-rated one (solution-dyed acrylic). Indoor throws soak up water, freeze stiff and grow mildew. Bring it in on the worst nights.
January
Be stricter with porch decorations than with indoor ones: anything faded, cracked or waterlogged gets replaced, not packed away. Wreaths go in bags hanging in the garage, never stacked. Lights go on reels. Mats, hooks and small pieces go in one tote. Write down what needs replacing now, while you remember, and look for it on sale over the summer.