Make your own outdoor Christmas decorations this year. Here are 31 DIY wood projects for your yard and porch, from trees and snowmen to sleds, signs, and reindeer.
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Imagine guests pulling into your driveway on a December evening. Your yard is glowing with decorations you made yourself, filling your friends and family with the Christmas spirit before they even reach the front door. If that’s your dream for this season, I rounded up 31 DIY Christmas decorations for your yard and porch, from tall wooden trees and cheery snowmen to sleds, signs, reindeer, and even Santa’s sleigh. Each includes a step-by-step tutorial so you can give it your own spin!
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Wood Christmas Trees
Christmas trees are the classic yard display, and these run from tall builds for the front yard to smaller ones you can group on a porch.
1
Funky Junk Interiors
Reclaimed Wood Christmas Tree with Star
Donna built a rustic Christmas tree from weathered fence boards, each one shorter than the last to shape the classic silhouette. A scrap wood star sits up top on a hinge, and the whole thing stands on a simple base that tucks flat for storage.
Carrie made three trees in different finishes, one chippy green, one soft white, and one weathered white, so they look like a set without matching exactly. Each sits on its own small base, sized to stand close together on a porch step.
Megan's tree keeps a little space between each branch, so the shape stays open and airy. Lights wrap top to bottom, and a stake drops it straight into a planter or garden bed.
Shelly’s tree is a tall, slim triangle in natural cedar that weathers to a soft gray. It sits on top of an existing planter, so it stands tall without needing a wide base to hold it up.
Angela made hers in two heights that stand together as a set, both in a warm brown tone. The flat base doubles as a little shelf, wide enough to hold a lantern or a jar of greenery.
Kati set her tree into a galvanized Christmas bucket for the base. Lights run along the branches, and the metal bucket gives the bottom a finished look.
Leanna built two of these, a taller one and a shorter one, both wearing the grooves and grain of old pallet boards. One leans rustic and natural, the other a whiter, weathered look, and both come apart for storage.
Toni’s tree is a small white one sized for a porch corner, with a clean, simple shape. It leans against the wall or sits right on the ground, no stand needed.
Morgan’s tree stands tall enough to see from the road, with green slats creating the tree shape. Lights wind from the base, and it splits into two flat pieces when the season’s over.
Signs put words on your porch, from a countdown the kids can track to a welcome that points Santa toward the door.
12
The DIY Dreamer
Outdoor Christmas Countdown Marquee
Christine built a marquee sign that counts down the days to Christmas, with a numbered plaque that swaps out each morning. Bulbs surround the frame and light up the board after dark.
Kate made a tall NOEL sign from old picket fence boards, with a little wreath standing in for the O. Silver letters and a few bells give it a farmhouse look.
Toni’s sign stacks red boards down a candy-cane striped pole, each one lettered to spell out a message for Santa. It slides into a small base or a bucket, so it stands anywhere.
Michelle’s sign is a tall white board with “Be Merry” in bold red down the front. Lean it next to the front door for the perfect way to welcome guests.
Sleds and sleighs lean against the porch or sit out in the yard, some sized for gifts and some for a full reindeer team out front.
16
Her Tool Belt
Wood Santa Sleigh
Amy’s sleigh is a classic curved shape in apple red, with gold trim running the length and black runners underneath. Pre-lit gift boxes tuck inside, so it glows at night.
Sara built a sled like the kind you’d find at an antique shop, tapered slats up top over two long runners. A strip of fabric threads through the front for the pull rope.
Shelly’s sled has curved runners and a slatted seat with room to stack gifts or use as a backdrop. Red peeks through the gaps between the seat boards, and a twist of jute makes the pull rope up front.
Snowmen bring a friendly face to the yard, whether you tuck one against the wall or stand one out on the lawn.
20
The Frugal Homemaker
Painted Wood Snowman
Christina’s snowman is a cheerful fellow with a black top hat, an orange nose, and a scarf around his neck. Stick arms poke from the sides, and he holds a little chalkboard sign out front.
Christine’s snowman stands about four feet tall and slots together from two pieces, so he’s round on all sides instead of flat. White body, black hat, orange nose, with a face and buttons painted down the front.
Reindeer bring a bit of the sleigh team to your yard, whether you like a rustic look or something more modern.
22
Her Tool Belt
Wood Reindeer
Amy’s reindeer is cut from a single board with legs, body, and a head that tilts up. A little bell on a ribbon hangs at the neck for a finishing touch.
Jane and Sonja turned an old sawhorse into a reindeer; the four splayed legs were the right shape for a body. They used a log for the head, with branches standing in for antlers, and a plaid scarf wrapped around the neck.
Ana’s reindeer has a clean, geometric look, with straight lines and sharp angles standing in for the legs, body, and head. It comes together as a modern silhouette that suits a contemporary porch.
Characters and one-of-a-kind builds round out the display, each one adding a little personality to the yard.
25
Saws on Skates
Nutcracker Yard Decoration
I built a pair of six-foot nutcrackers to stand guard over the display, each one in a tall soldier’s hat with a bushy mustache and a row of buttons down the coat. Epaulettes, a belt, and a buckle finish off the uniform.
I built this gingerbread house to stand nearly five feet tall in the yard, with candy-cane trim around the door and windows and peppermint discs lined up along the roof. A little chimney tops it off, and the whole thing is painted in warm gingerbread and icing colors.
Greg built a stack of oversized gift boxes, each one wrapped in a painted ribbon and topped with a big bow. They pile up by the door like presents Santa left behind, sized to fill a corner or line the steps.
Leanna’s church is a little rustic chapel with a peaked steeple and a cross on top. Cutout windows and a door let light glow through from inside, so it becomes a tiny lit-up building after dark.
Carrie’s cutout is Snoopy stretched out asleep on top of his red doghouse, straight out of the Peanuts Christmas special. Lights outline the roof, and the painted panel stands out in the yard as a scene everyone recognizes.
DeDe built oversized snowflakes from old pallet boards, the arms angling out to points in that classic six-sided shape. A weathered gray finish brushed with white gives them an aged look, and they come in a larger size and a smaller one to cluster on a wall or fence.
Maureen’s piece is a plywood cutout of a vintage red pickup hauling a Christmas tree in the back. It leans against the house or porch rail as a cheerful take on the farmhouse red-truck look.
Hi there – I’m Scott, a woodworking enthusiast and creator of Saws on Skates, a site I started in 2015 to share easy-to-follow tutorials, space-saving shop tips, and project inspiration for DIYers at any skill level. Learn more about my woodworking journey here.
