Christmas Lamp Post Decor: 16 Old Fashioned Ideas That Glow All Season

Christmas lamp post decor has a way of making any front walk feel like the opening page of a holiday storybook. Maybe it reminds you of snowy evenings at your grandparents’ house, or the old street lamps in a small town square wrapped in green and red. That feeling is clearly catching on. A little mini lamp post reel from Beamish DIY on Facebook drew more than 30,000 reactions and 4,700 shares, and people keep asking how to make their own. The good news is you do not need an electrician or a big budget. Every idea below uses battery LED lanterns or fairy lights, simple supplies and a free afternoon. Some are full size posts for the porch, some sit on a mantel, and a few are small enough for a Christmas village. Pick the one that warms your heart..

Christmas Lamp Post Decor That Lights Up the Whole Walk

Picture coming home on a dark December evening and seeing a row of warm lights waiting for you at the end of the path. That is the magic of a lamp post at Christmas. It says welcome before anyone opens the door. You can mix styles, too: one post dressed in garland, one in candy stripes and a few small ones glowing on the steps. Together they look like a scene from an old Christmas card, and every guest will slow down to look..

You will need: A lamp post or a sturdy post, pine garland, battery LED lanterns or fairy lights, ribbon, zip ties and outdoor safe bows.

How to make it: 1. Decide how many posts you want and where they will stand. 2. Pick one color story, like red and green or black and gold. 3. Start with the biggest post, then add smaller ones to fill the walk.

Porch Lamp Post Wrapped in Garland and a Big Bow

This is the classic look for Christmas lamp post decor, and it is easier than it seems. Start at the bottom of the post and wind a long pine garland up toward the lantern, keeping the spirals even. Tuck in a strand of battery fairy lights as you go so it sparkles at night. Finish with the biggest red bow you can find, with long tails that move in the wind. If you already have a porch post, this takes about twenty minutes. Would you go with velvet or plaid for the bow?

You will need: About 12 feet of pine garland, battery fairy lights with a timer, green zip ties or florist wire and a large red bow.

How to make it: 1. Fix the garland at the base with a zip tie. 2. Spiral it up the post, adding the fairy lights as you go. 3. Tie the bow under the lantern and trim the zip tie ends.

PVC Pipe Christmas Lamp Post Decor

No lamp post in your yard? Make one. A length of PVC pipe painted matte black looks surprisingly like iron from a few steps away. Stand it in a heavy planter filled with sand or gravel, hide the top with pine branches and set a battery LED lantern on a small round board at the top. It is light enough to move into the garage after the holidays. Many families build two, one for each side of the door. Where would you put yours?

You will need: A 5 foot PVC pipe, a PVC cap, matte black spray paint (adult help, outdoors), a heavy planter, sand or gravel, pine branches, a small round wood board and a battery LED lantern.

How to make it: 1. Paint the pipe and cap black and let them dry. 2. Set the pipe in the planter and fill it with sand to hold it steady. 3. Glue the board on the cap, add the lantern and tuck pine around the base.

Tabletop Lamp Post From a Candlestick

This tiny version is the one that went viral, and you can make it on the kitchen table. A tall black candlestick holder becomes the post, and a small battery LED lantern sits on top where the candle would go. Add a mini wreath, a scrap of red ribbon and a sprinkle of faux snow around the base. Put two on the mantel or line them along a shelf with bottle brush trees. They also make sweet gifts for neighbors. How many will you make?

You will need: A tall black candlestick holder, a small battery LED lantern, strong craft glue, a mini wreath, thin red ribbon and faux snow.

How to make it: 1. Glue the lantern firmly onto the candlestick top and let it set overnight. 2. Hang the mini wreath on the post with ribbon. 3. Style it on a tray with faux snow and small trees.

Hanging Wreath on the Lamp Post Arm

If your lamp post has an arm or a hook, a wreath is the simplest upgrade there is. Hang an evergreen wreath on a long red ribbon so it sways a little below the lantern. Pine cones and berries in the wreath add color even in daylight. The round wreath and the straight post look lovely together, especially with snow on the ground. It takes five minutes, and this bit of Christmas lamp post decor changes the whole yard. Do you have a spare wreath in the garage right now?

You will need: An evergreen wreath, wide outdoor ribbon and a small S hook or zip tie.

How to make it: 1. Thread the ribbon through the top of the wreath. 2. Tie it to the arm of the post so the wreath hangs below the lantern. 3. Tie the extra ribbon into a bow at the top.

Candy Cane Striped Lamp Post

Want something playful? Turn a plain post into a giant candy cane. Wrap wide red ribbon around a white post in a tight spiral, or use red outdoor tape on a white PVC post. Add a small green bow near the top and a battery lantern. Next to a white picket fence it looks like something from a children’s Christmas book. Kids especially love this Christmas lamp post decor idea, and it photographs beautifully in the snow. Would your kids want to help wrap the stripes?

You will need: A white post or white PVC pipe, wide red outdoor ribbon or red vinyl tape, a green bow and a battery LED lantern.

How to make it: 1. Fix the ribbon at the base of the post. 2. Wrap it upward at an angle, leaving even white gaps between stripes. 3. Secure the top and add the bow and lantern.

Main Street Wreath Frame

Some small towns hang huge wreaths so that the old street lamps sit right in the middle of them, like a picture in a frame. You can borrow that idea at home with a large hula hoop or a big wire ring covered in garland. Fix it to the post just below the lantern so the light glows through the center. It looks especially striking against a blue winter sky. It is a fun way to make a short post look taller. Have you seen this in a town near you?

You will need: A large hula hoop or wire ring, pine garland, zip ties and pine cones or ornaments.

How to make it: 1. Wrap the hoop tightly with garland and zip tie it in place. 2. Add pine cones or shatterproof ornaments. 3. Fix the hoop to the post just below the lantern with zip ties.

Village Size Lamp Posts From Dowels and Beads

If you have a Christmas village, these tiny lamp posts will make it feel complete. Use thin wooden dowels for the posts, a wooden bead for the base and a smaller bead or a tiny battery LED for the top. Paint them black and add a dab of gold. Line them along the little streets between the houses and trees. It is a relaxing, sit down project for a cold evening. Grandkids love placing them, too. Which street in your village needs a lamp first?

You will need: Thin wooden dowels, wooden beads in two sizes, black and gold craft paint, wood glue and tiny battery LED string lights (optional).

How to make it: 1. Cut the dowels to about 4 inches (adult help). 2. Glue a large bead at the bottom and a small bead at the top. 3. Paint them black, add gold details and set them in the village.

Christmas Lamp Post Decor for a Front Step Planter

A lamp post planter does two jobs at once. It holds the post steady and gives you a big, full arrangement right at the front door. Set the post in a large galvanized tub, then pack the space around it with pine branches, red berry stems, birch logs and pine cones. Add a lantern on top and you have a welcome that lasts all winter. After Christmas, swap the red berries for white ones and keep it up until spring. Do you have an empty summer planter waiting?

You will need: A large galvanized tub or planter, sand or gravel, a short post or PVC pipe, pine branches, faux red berry stems, birch logs, pine cones and a battery LED lantern.

How to make it: 1. Stand the post in the planter and fill the bottom with sand. 2. Push in pine branches all around, then the berry stems. 3. Add birch logs and pine cones and set the lantern on top.

Sled and Skates Leaning on the Post

Few things feel more old fashioned than a wooden sled and a pair of ice skates in the snow. Lean them against your lamp post and suddenly the yard tells a story about winter afternoons and cocoa afterward. Wrap the post in garland and tie a plaid bow to tie the colors together. Thrift stores and yard sales often have old sleds for a few dollars. Keep the skate blades covered for safety. It is Christmas lamp post decor with a story. Does anyone in your family still have an old sled?

You will need: An old wooden sled, a pair of skates with blade covers, pine garland, a plaid bow and zip ties.

How to make it: 1. Wrap the post with garland. 2. Lean the sled against the post and fix it with a zip tie so it cannot tip. 3. Hang the skates by their laces from the post and add the bow.

Mountain Town Red Bow Look

Sometimes the prettiest look is the simplest one. In many mountain towns, the old iron lamp posts get nothing more than a big red bow and a little greenery, and they look perfect against the snowy hills. If your post already has a nice shape, this is all it needs. Choose a weatherproof bow with wired edges so it keeps its shape through wind and snow. It is the fastest Christmas lamp post decor idea on this list. Sometimes less really is more, right?

You will need: A wired outdoor red bow, a small pine bundle and zip ties.

How to make it: 1. Zip tie the pine bundle under the lantern. 2. Fix the bow over the pine. 3. Shape the loops and tails with your fingers.

Indoor Lamp Post for a Reading Nook

Who says Christmas lamp post decor belongs outside? A small decorative lamp post in the corner of a reading nook turns an ordinary chair into the coziest spot in the house. Wrap it in garland, add warm LED lights and a red bow, and pile a plaid blanket on the chair. With a stack of Christmas books nearby, you may never want to leave. If you love this kind of warm glow, our Thomas Kinkade Christmas gallery is full of it. Which book would you read there first?

You will need: A decorative indoor lamp post or a tall floor lamp, thin garland, battery LED fairy lights and a red bow.

How to make it: 1. Place the lamp post beside your favorite chair. 2. Wrap the garland and lights loosely around it. 3. Add the bow and a blanket on the chair.

Cardinals and Berries

Red cardinals are a favorite winter symbol, and many people see them as a sweet sign that loved ones are near. Tuck two or three cardinal figurines with clip feet into the greenery at the top of your lamp post, along with sprigs of red berries. When snow falls on them, it looks like a real winter scene. This is a lovely way to remember someone special at Christmas. Who would you think of when you see them?

You will need: Two or three clip on cardinal figurines, faux red berry sprigs, pine sprigs and florist wire.

How to make it: 1. Wire a small bundle of pine around the top of the post. 2. Tuck in the berry sprigs. 3. Clip the cardinals onto the branches at different angles.

Black and Gold Christmas Lamp Post Decor

For a more elegant entry, swap the classic red for gold. Black posts look rich wrapped in wide gold ribbon and frosted garland, and the glow of the lantern makes the gold shimmer at night. This works especially well with white columns, brick or a dark front door. Keep everything else simple so the gold can shine. It feels a little like a grand hotel entrance, right at home. Would you choose gold, silver or classic red?

You will need: Wide wired gold ribbon, frosted pine garland, a large gold bow, zip ties and a battery LED lantern.

How to make it: 1. Spiral the garland up the post. 2. Wrap the gold ribbon in the gaps between the garland. 3. Add the bow under the lantern.

A Snowy Storybook Lamp Post Scene

There is something magical about a single lamp glowing in a snowy park at night. It feels like the opening of a classic winter story, where a child steps into a snowy wood and finds a lamp glowing among the trees. You can recreate that feeling in a corner of your yard with one post, a bench or chair and a few small evergreens around it. Keep the light warm and soft. It is the kind of spot that makes people stop and dream. Do you have a quiet corner that could become your storybook spot?

You will need: A lamp post, a small bench or chair, potted evergreens and a battery LED lantern with a warm glow.

How to make it: 1. Choose a quiet corner of the yard. 2. Place the post with the bench and small trees around it. 3. Use a warm white lantern and leave the rest to the snow.

Christmas Lamp Post Decor for Winter Birds

End with a gift for the birds. Hang a small wooden bird feeder from the arm of your lamp post and add a bird seed wreath below it. Wrap the post in garland and you have Christmas lamp post decor that feeds your feathered visitors all winter. Watching the birds from the window is a joy on a quiet morning. Keep the feeder filled, and they will come back every day. If you only try one of these Christmas lamp post decor ideas this year, which will it be?

You will need: A small wooden bird feeder, a bird seed wreath, pine garland, zip ties and bird seed.

How to make it: 1. Wrap the post with garland. 2. Hang the feeder from the arm with a sturdy hook. 3. Hang the seed wreath below it and keep both filled.