Schoolhouse Inspired Vintage Christmas Porch Decorations

Atta Girl Amy
by Atta Girl Amy
I think our front porch is one of the most welcoming spaces in our home.
It's definitely one of my favorite spaces to decorate for the various seasons and the holidays. When friends come to visit us, I want them to feel welcome and invited as soon as they step foot on our front steps.
This Christmas, I went all out decorating the front porch in shades of black, white and red, with lots of vintage items and chalkboard elements.
A gorgeous black-and-white buffet that I rescued from a junk shop and painted this summer was the inspiration for the theme and color scheme. Though it looks fabulous, it's not a precious or valuable piece of furniture. So, the buffet is perfect for use on our front porch, where we do lots of entertaining. (The porch is protected from the elements by a roof and some large shrubbery, so I don't worry about putting furniture out here.)
I found some beautiful chalkboard ribbon and some shatterproof chalkboard ornaments to use on our two outdoor Christmas trees. I made some other ornaments from birch rounds (you can find the tutorial on my blog) and also made some chalkboard ornaments to the hang above the front door and window.
I cozied the space up with a buffalo check blanket and vintage-inspired pillows. I also used lots of vintage elements, like an old sled, ice skates laced with ticking ribbon, lanterns and an olive bucket filled with faux snowballs.
You can see more of the space on my blog and find links to tutorials for how to make some of the ornaments I used to decorate the porch. If you love vintage style, I invite you to check out my Christmas home tour, as well, at http://www.attagirlsays.com/2015/12/07/2015-christmas-home-tour/
A gorgeous black-and-white buffet that I rescued from a junk shop and painted this summer was the inspiration for our red and black Christmas porch. The buffet reminds me of a chalkboard, so I decided to use some chalkboard decorations on the porch for the holidays.
I love all the chalkboard ornaments and details I was able to use on our front porch for Christmas. The black and white really pops when you combine it with traditional Christmas reds and greens.
I'm a sucker for anything vintage. I shop yard sales and junk shops and antique stores year round for items I can use in my decorating. I look for things like lanterns and ice skates and sleds and anything else that strikes my fancy.
We spend a lot of time on our front porch and also love to entertain here. Thank goodness we live in North Carolina where the weather isn't too cold. A mug of hot chocolate helps!
I added a whimsical touch to our two topiary trees at the front door. The snowman hats make acorable tree toppers! And I love how the oversized chalkboard and plaid bow looks on our wreath!
A vintage bench gets cozy with a black-and-white cushion, a buffalo check blanket and vintage and chalkboard pillows. Our cat, Felix, loves napping here. (I don't love cleaning up the cat hair!)
A vintage sled, skates and a greenhouse made from old windows.
My son and the other kids in the neighborhood love having snowball fights with these plush snowballs. We keep them at the ready in a vintage olive bucket.
I used chalk markers on shatterproof black Christmas balls to make these chalkboard ornaments hanging from a garland above our front door.
A vintage-look red lantern and a snowman sit on one end of the buffet.
The first year we lived in our house, we didn't do much outdoor decorating for Christmas. I just switched out the pillows and hung a few wreaths. I think the space is much more inviting now.
Atta Girl Amy
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 38 comments
  • The CSI Project The CSI Project on Nov 07, 2018

    Now this is inspiration at its finest!!!! Love every detail. Saving!

  • Karen Karen on Jul 01, 2019

    I love your front porch!!! It’s so xmas & so inviting. Wish I had the space to do what you did Awesome!! Reading & seeing what you did puts me in the Christmas decorating mood on July 1

Next