Creating a Cozy and Welcoming Christmas Entryway

Our front porch and entryway spaces are my favorite areas to decorate through the seasons. They are good, big spaces to style and they serve an important purpose--welcoming friends and family into out home. Let me welcome you in with a quick tour.

You walk up some front steps to my main entryway. This porch is covered. The original double doors to our old schoolhouse are simply adorned with pine garland and premade wreaths from the thrift store.

On the left hand side of the porch is a sitting area with cozy blankets and pillows. Will I sit here in the winter? If it gets above freezing I might. Twinkle lights are on the mini tree, wrapped in the pinecone arrangement, and are stuffed I the metal tree cutout lantern that hangs in the corner. I created the painting, it is one of four seasonal paintings that I made for my front porch. I painted on both sides of two boards so I have less seasonal decor to store. 

This thrifted, green, metal planter gets changed seasonally. This year I added red sumac berry clusters from my yard, large pinecones, and some cedar sprigs. 

On the right side of the porch there are more pinecones, branches, sumac berries, and fairy lights. Both the front porch and the entryway get lovely late afternoon light.

When you come in from the front porch to the entryway, you are greeted by this wall across from the door. A small tree with battery operated lights sits in a rattan stool. I continue to enjoy seasonally changing the chalkboard art that hangs on this wall.

This year I chalked a cozy cottage in the snow. In the beginning of creating chalkboard art, I would erase and erase until it was perfect. Nowadays, it is a one shot deal. This scene will last until March.

Below the mirrored candle sconce that hangs here year round, I framed and hung a vintage card that was one of the last cards my great grandma received in 1953.

On the right side of the entryway, diagonally across from the door to the great room, is a bench for guests to sit on to take shoes off. A blue and brown plaid pillow (with an elk scene on the other side) and a nubby linen blanket add warmth and softness to the space.  The shelf and coat hook, from my second book, Wood Pallet Wonders, (BUY HERE) acts as a mantel for my decorating. The coat shelf is useful to hang coats and decorative items. I hang various leather cases that I tuck seasonal books and sprigs into. Coats can still hang on these hooks.

On top of the shelf lays a pine garland, various pinecones, nests, sparkly branches and three taller trees or branches with fairy lights in them. 

The basket with the round mirror stays year round as does the large, thrifted, gold school bell. the antique gold box adds a touch more metallic color and looks like something the wisemen could have carried. 

This year I am using this vintage watercolor from the thrift store that I found a few years ago. I framed it in the barnwood frame. The soft blues and greens and browns and snow incorporates my theme this year in both color and subject and style. 

98% of my porch or entryway decor came from a thrift store and yes, I am happy and proud to announce that. It is my hope that these spaces say to guests, "Welcome! We are glad you are here and we hope you feel warm and cozy while you stay."