With Christmas just weeks away, among all the hundreds of things to do, many of us like to decorate the exterior of our homes to welcome guests over the festive season.

According to a recent study by a well-known paint brand, Christmas wreaths are the most popular outdoor decorations, with a third of us hanging them, followed closely by fairy lights.

Holly, berries, pine cones, ribbons, bells and mistletoe are all among the most popular wreath components, according to the same study. Meanwhile, perhaps unsurprisingly, red, silver, gold and white are the top four festive colour choices, with green at number five.

Finally, the same study reveals that Silent Night is the festive carol you’re most likely to hear on your doorstep, followed by Jingle Bells.

If you’re making a wreath this year, stick to a simple but consistent scheme of perhaps three colours. Make sure your base is nice and sturdy, then try and contrast textures with mixed foliage for a natural look. And if you’re after something a touch more modern, choose something like eucalyptus.

Any (and all) natural foliage should be cut to around 20 or 25cm with perhaps some larger pieces to go outside your wreath. Natural materials should last for about six weeks.

As for the best place to hang your wreath, outside but under some form of shelter works well, to give it some protection from the elements.

For the finishing touches, add two sizes of bauble in your selected colour scheme, fastened with strong green florist’s wire. Cinnamon sticks tied with ribbon are another idea, but be as creative and as quirky as you wish!

Next bind florist’s wire with coloured ribbon and weave it through the whole structure, leaving enough at the base to tie a bow. Finally, don’t stint on the frost spray and you’re done.

If you’re also selling your home at this time of year, property experts have sounded a note of caution when it comes to external decoration. Blow-up Santas or reindeer, or garishly coloured and flashing lights, alongside anything else that’s similarly over-the-top, will certainly attract attention. But they can look too much, and even borderline tacky, and may not attract a buyer at a time of year when it can be hard enough to sell a property.

One thing that certainly won’t spoil your chances of a potential sale is your front door. At Worthing Windows, serving Worthing, Lancing and beyond, we have a great range of replacement doors including beautiful composite doors, bi-folding doors, uPVC Doors and a range of timber models. Talk to us today, have one fitted in time for Christmas, and set off that festive wreath to perfection!