The arrival of winter + the impending arrival of holiday guests = time to deck ... the front porch. Give your entryway a touch of holiday magic with our ideas for festively decorating the front door, creatively repurposing items you already have and creating a cozy area for holiday guests to gather.

Easy to source at estate or garage sales (or your own basement or garage), vintage or antique wood sleds are a beautiful addition to any Christmas display. Bonus: These kids' toys were constructed to be used outdoors so damage from winter weather isn't a concern. Place them, as we have, near the front door and add a DIY evergreen swag made from either (free!) backyard clippings or faux greenery.

No wreath? No problem! Put thrifted or castoff Christmas stockings to work to brighten up your front porch in a jiffy. We simply filled a thrifted burlap stocking with bubble wrap, then slid in a few flocked faux-evergreen branches. For a free filler, use fresh evergreens instead. Or, if you'd rather stick with a traditional Christmas wreath this year, check out one of our DIY ideas, below.

If like most of us, you have a recycling bin filled with cardboard shipping boxes, pull out a few to display as pretty porch gifts. Wrap them in leftover gift wrap, then stack by a well-sheltered front door as nearly free holiday decor. If you're concerned about porch pirates, only set the empty boxes out right before holiday guests arrive — or try one of the hilarious pirate-revenge videos online to teach sticky-fingered thieves a lesson.