20 Easy DIY Front Door Ideas to Make Your Entryway More Inviting

Switch Your Sconces

exterior front porch steps to navy blue door — Greg Scheidemann

Great lighting is essential to a welcoming entryway. For a quick DIY front door idea, swap out existing sconces with fixtures that suit your home's style. Here, vintage-style lantern sconces play up a stone exterior and complement dark door trim. Choose outdoor light fixtures with a more contemporary shape if your style is more modern.

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Add Potted Plants

Perk up your entryway with this DIY front door idea: containers of pretty flowers. Add a topiary to vary the scale and incorporate an eye-catching sculptural element. Choose flowers that do well in the shade if you have a covered porch. You can even make a house-number planter to bring greenery up to eye level.

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Hang a DIY Wreath

Letter K planter filled with succulents — Cameron Sadeghpour

Add personal style to your entry with a wreath next to your front door. Made of spray-painted cedar boards and chicken wire, this monogram planter makes an easy DIY project for your front door. Fill the interior with peat moss and succulents in various colors and textures.

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Add DIY Trim Around the Door

charcoal gray exterior view to porch — Brie Williams

Emphasize your front door with decorative trim. A contrasting border, like this white trim against a charcoal door, makes your entry stand out. Even better: Paint your existing trim a new color for a budget-friendly DIY front door idea that can be finished in a day.

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Install a Dutch Door

front of house with two section door — Ed Gohlich

If you want the look of a cottage-style home but lack the budget for a complete exterior renovation, start with the front door. Dutch doors lend a welcoming air and are perfect for letting in the breeze on a warm summer day. Here, a matte black front door color modernizes this charming exterior.

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Paint Your Front Door Red

gray house with red door and white fence — Brie Williams

Looking for something to take your neutral home exterior from average to amazing? Try a bright, bold red door. This DIY front door idea is a look that works well with most home exteriors and attracts attention from the sidewalk. You'll be the talk of the neighborhood with this daring front door color.

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Spell Out House Numbers

front of house with entryway — Ed Gohlich

Changing your house numbers to words is a DIY front door idea to modernize your home. Choose a spot with plenty of horizontal space, such as a portico, to mount the letter arrangement. Use a measuring tool and level to ensure evenly spaced letters.

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Add Style with Decorative Front Door Accents

covered porch with blue door — Jay Wilde

Combine a decorative door with elegant accents for a high-impact entry. Here, dark bronze and copper accents tie together the Craftsman lockset, modern-industrial sconce, sleek 1930s mailbox, and romantic planters. Florals on the bench pillow and doormat soften the entry's many angles.

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Add a DIY Front Door Treatment

closeup of blue geometric door — Jay Wilde

Draw eyes to the front door by decorating the surface. This DIY front door idea forms a pattern using varying lengths of 3/4-inch screen molding ($1 a foot, Home Depot). This lockset's clean lines and simple shape make it the ultimate accessory for this graphic, angular door.

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Mount Color-Coordinated House Numbers

house numbers on blue background — Jay Wilde

Upgrade your basic house numbers for a more attention-grabbing look. Create a house number plaque using a piece of medium-density fiberboard. Paint the backing to match your front door to tie in your entry's color palette.

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Create a Midcentury Mod Entry

orange door in contemporary style — Jay Wilde

Give a lackluster entryway more spunk with midcentury modern style. Change out front door accessories, such as the doorknob, welcome mat, or mailbox, for a quick update that offers big style. Here, a starburst doorknob and polka-dot doormat reinforce the retro feel of this punchy crimson door.

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Choose a Door with Windows

closeup of orange door with diagonal windows — Jay Wilde

When updating an entrance, consider a new front door with windows to enhance your exterior (and let more light into your entryway). Look to your home's style to help you determine which door style will work best. Angled windows in this door instantly nod to this home's era.

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Incorporate Concrete Curb Appeal

Easy-to-read house numbers are a must. This DIY front door idea is made with cast concrete for a cool, industrial style.

Tip

Make sure your house numbers are at least 4-6 inches tall so they are visible from the street.

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Decorate Your Front Door

front door with flower design — Jay Wilde

Nothing says "welcome" like larger-than-life blooms. To create this dramatic DIY front door idea, we resized a black-eyed Susan image to match the door's scale and added oversized house numbers in a funky font. A company that creates graphic vehicle wraps printed the image and adhered it to a solid-core door with heat (the same way they would attach it to a car).

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Refresh a Welcome Mat

Update a plain welcome mat with a custom paint job. Here, spray-painted blades of grass in varying shades of green form a fun, nature-inspired design. Use a stencil or mark off your pattern using painters tape for clean lines.

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Play Up the Contrast

turquoise front door with decorative accent — Jason Donnelly

Contrasting colors is an easy DIY front door idea that can really make your entry pop. Upgrade your curb appeal by painting the front door a color that stands out against the exterior. This bright blue door with a nautical wreath cheerfully greets guests.

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Update Your Existing Door

yellow-green front door with large numbered address — Helen Norman

Take advantage of existing exterior features when refreshing your front door. This charming front door became a focal point with just a new coat of paint and an etched glass decal on the window. Oversize house numbers mounted on the door add to the upgrade.

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Use Analogous Colors

entryway with soft blue doorway — Brie Williams

A quick DIY front door idea is to refresh your front stoop with colorful accents, such as plant pots, patio furniture, or a welcome mat. An analogous color scheme (made up of side-by-side colors on the color wheel) creates a high-energy, attractive entryway. The front door is dressed up with accessories in shades of blue, teal, and green, adding interest to the white-painted brick facade.

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Accessorize Your Front Door

yellow-green front door with wreath — Jason Donnelly

When a total makeover isn't in the budget, dress up your threshold in seasonal decor. For this welcoming springtime display, match a playful green door with a butterfly wreath. Switch up your accessories throughout the year to correspond with the seasons.

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Add Flowering Vines

rustic arched doorway in stone siding — Robert Brinson

Flowering vines around your front door can make your home look straight out of a fairytale. These climbers add color and texture to your exterior for a lush, bountiful effect. Mount lattice panels around your entry for an easy-install trellis. Opt for shade-loving vines in pots if your door nestles beneath a porch roof.