Decorating for All Seasons - Tips On Creating a Basic Look and Just Adding Details Each Holiday

Decorating the outside of your house brightens each season, but the work involved is sometimes tedious. You can simplify the process though, and still have a festive home no matter what holiday you’re celebrating currently. Here are some tips to creating a swamp-in/swap-out display, perfect for every occasion.

Photo credit: Erin DeCarlo

First, some basic best practices

One of the keys to limiting the work of holiday decoration is to re-use elements in every display. Inez Stanway, founder of Monday Mandala, a craft website, suggests the following techniques:

Opt for multi-use lights: White or clear LED string lights should become your best friend. They illuminate the night and add sparkle whether you’re decorating for the fall or spring holidays, or sprucing up for summer. Some LED lights even allow you to change its color by simply using a remote.

Select neutral bases: Try adding neutral-colored wreaths, planters or banners to your outdoor space. You can easily customize that base with ribbons or small ornaments for each holiday, swapping out those orange, red and brown fall colors for wintery hues.

Store in weatherproof containers: These airtight outdoor storage receptacles will keep your decorations organized by holiday. Plus, if you keep them in your shed, garage or backyard you’ll have easy access and all items will remain pristine.

Decorate in zones: Choose a few key areas to decorate such as the front door, walkway or side of your house. With just a few dedicated spaces, decorating becomes easier.

Use nature

Incorporating natural elements like plants makes decorating cost-effective and environmentally friendly. “Each season offers its unique gifts,” says Carol Wilson, a home decor writer at You Comfort. “In autumn, your outdoor space can be adorned with pumpkins, gourds and dried leaves, creating a cozy and rustic ambiance. When spring arrives, fresh blooms in vibrant colors can be placed in planters or hung in baskets, instantly refreshing the look of your home …This approach ensures that your decorations always feel timely and harmonious with the changing seasons.”

Photo credit: Erin DeCarlo

Next, use the right tools

Make your work easier by securing your decorations with tools that keep them immovable. No wind, rain or other weather hazard should strip them from the spot you choose, but yet there’s enough flexibility that you can switch up the décor easily. 

Stanway suggests placing devices such as hooks — both removable adhesive and permanent ones, depending on the item and your needs, so you can hang (and re-hang) ornaments and trinkets with ease. Mounting strips work well, too.

You can also use decorations with magnetic backing. Just stick on a metallic surface and voila you are done. Clips and zip ties, according to Stanway, work well with trees, fences and railings since they are easy to attach and remove.

Photo credit: Sasha Prasastika/Pexels

Choose interchangeable decorations

Some things you can leave out all year long and just update them for the season. “A weatherproof chalkboard can be a versatile and fun way to send different messages or drawings for each season or holiday,” Stanway offers.

You can also keep a few planters or an old wheelbarrow/wagon on your porch or front steps and just update the base according to the season, swapping out mums for poinsettias, for instance “Think of your planters as a blank canvas,” says Kyle Leman, an interior and exterior designer at Crossroads Foundation Repair in Lafayette, Indiana.

“By choosing plants with seasonal colors or decorating the pots with holiday-themed ornaments or ribbons, you can effortlessly transition your outdoor space from one holiday to the next.”

Putting a basic wreath or some greenery on your front door works the same way. It ups the decoration factor and allows for simple customization. “You can wrap and tie different ribbons on it for the various holidays,” says Erin DeCarlo, craft blogger at Pattern and Paste. For example, wrap the wreath with a red and green plaid ribbon for Christmas or pastel polka dot ribbon for spring.

Some items, like doormats or rugs, you can merely switch out as each holiday passes, updating it with the new one. Projector lights, too, sometimes allow you access to all kinds of celebratory imagery with just a switch of a button. “Another favorite of mine is decorative garden stakes,” says Wilson. “They can be easily pushed into garden beds or planters and come in various designs suitable for every holiday.”

Photo credit: This Is Zun/Pexels

Don’t let your decorating go overboard

With so many wonderful holiday supplies on the market, sometimes it’s difficult to choose the best items. But purchasing too much can make decorating more chaotic, disorganized and disheartening. DeCarlo suggests always keeping your budget in mind and using some DIY ingenuity to keep costs down.

She also recommends choosing an overall aesthetic. “Before going out and buying a bunch of random items you like,” she said, “try to pick a general color scheme or theme so everything will look great together.” Try finding a “versatile color palette that can easily transition between seasons, such as whites, golds and silvers,” says Leman. Then you can insert pops of holiday-specific colors in easy-to-remove elements like ribbons, cushions or ornaments.

Leman advocates considering the scale and proportion of your outdoor space. “Large decorations can overwhelm small spaces, and vice versa,” he says. “Opt for a balanced mix of large statement pieces with smaller, detailed elements to create a harmonious look.”

Using these tips will help simplify your decorating efforts and allow you to create an outdoor space that is festive and inviting all year round.

Photo credit: Carol Wilson

Featured photo credit: Erin DeCarlo

Read more about seasonal decorating - like how to have the best holiday table.