Welcome home for the Holidays!

The holidays are a time to welcome friends, family and neighbours to celebrate. So if you are hosting any holidays events this season you'll want to greet your guests with a warm welcome. So pretty up your porch this holidays season with ideas from this list.

1-- Start with a good clean. Shovel the snow or sweep away the leaves. Clean the glass. Wipe away the cob webs. Brush off the railings.

2 -- Keep your outdoor decor in it's own box and label it so it makes this job easy year after year. Also include supplies you might need like florist wire, scissors, snipers etc...

3 -- Pick a theme. The outdoor theme should be consistent with your indoor theme. So if you are using a sophisticated metallic theme the inside should be similar. If you are decorating for the child within, that's fine too just keep it consistent (that also means it won't look cluttered either)

4 -- A wreath. This is a basic that dresses up any door. You can go truly natural with fresh cedar, pine and cranberries but you can also find ones with bells and bling. Remember, a wreath hanger is a really inexpensive way to keep your door in perfect shape. The wreath should hang at about eye level, after all you want your guests to notice your fabulous decor!

5 -- Winter planters. Urns are another great way to add visual interest to your front entrance. Add cedar, pine, boxwood, holly, dogwood and cranberries for a truly natural look, you can add some shine with metallic ornaments too. The arrangement should be about the same height as the urn itself, in order to stay balanced.

6 -- Keep it green. Keep your natural planters, wreaths and anything else green all winter by spritzing it with room temperature water regularly (at least once a week but more often the better)

7 -- Add light. Remember the days are short during the winter so add some simple outdoor lights for effect. You can't go wrong with white lights but if you are committed to a colour theme pick a colour that works with your theme.

8 -- Don't forget the railings. Add a garland to the railing. You can wrap it around the railing or hand it in a bowed look. You can adds bows, lights or berries for some colour too.

9 -- Don't get too crazy! The most effective look regardless of your theme is keeping it simple.

10 -- Get everyone involved. Make it a family tradition and get the whole family involved in the planning and the set up. Many hands makes for light work ;)