Deck the Lawns: A Guide to Outdoor Christmas Decorations
Decorating your lawn for the holidays is a great way to show off your creativity and Christmas spirit. come in a wide range of options from simple strings of Outdoor Christmas Lights
to huge inflatable figurines. Sometimes, with so many choices available, it can be difficult to decide which outdoor decorations will work best with your home and yard. Here are some practical tips and tricks to making your outdoor space a holiday delight.
Plan Your Design
Before a single light is strung your first step should be to sit down and plan out your design. Draw a rough sketch of your home and yard and draw in where you’d like to place your lawn decorations. Planning the positioning of your outdoor Christmas decorations ahead of time will allow you to put up your decorations more quickly when the time comes and also create a better all over design.
Choosing Your Outdoor Christmas Decorations
You may already have all your outdoor decorations purchased from years past but if you’re not happy with the overall design - or your neighbors having been referring to your family as the Griswolds - you may want to take a step back and rethink your outdoor Christmas décor. Are you trying to fit too many flashy decorations onto a tiny yard? Do your outdoor Christmas decorations match the style of your home? These are questions that you should ask yourself, or others, and be prepared for the truth.
Matching your style of Christmas yard decorations isn’t as hard as it might initially sound. For example, a Victorian home requires outdoor decorations suited to its regal nature. Stick with simple white lights along the roof line with some large, elegant bows placed on porch railings. Pre-lit or painted figurines of Christmas would also match well with an older home.
Those with ranch style or modern homes should play up interesting roof lines or columns by accenting them with Christmas lights. While a single color of lights used all over the exterior of your home gives off the most striking effect you can get away with using multi-colored lighting. Just be mindful of how much lighting you use, especially when multiple colors are used as your accent lighting can quickly become garish if you overdo it.
Types of Figurines
Lights and bows are pretty but if you want to add some personality to your outdoor Christmas efforts nothing beats a few well placed figurines. As with all the decorations you choose you’ll want to try and keep your figurines tied into your general theme as much as possible. Brighter and more whimsical outdoor Christmas decorations include giant lit candy canes, Santa faces or gingerbread men. You can even create your own heard of pre-lit reindeer in your front yard.
If a more subdued form of Christmas figurine is your style try adding pre-lit topiaries or wire frame decorations instead. A multitude of shapes are available from angles to sleds and their simple white lighting fits in well with more elegant outdoor Christmas themes.
A Word on Inflatable
Inflatable lawn ornaments are becoming very popular outdoor Christmas decorations due to their fun and festive designs. They are a great way to add a splash of holiday cheer to your yard and they store much easier than traditional large yard decorations. Due to their incredible size - some can reach six feet tall or more - you’ll want to use these sparingly. Try keeping your Christmas inflatable decorations to scale with the size of your yard as much as possible Even a large yard is probably better off with only one. Also be sure to account for these decorations large size by scaling down on the amount of other yard ornaments you use in order to avoid a lawn filled with Christmas themed chaos.
Don’t Forget the Door
No outdoor holiday décor is complete without a well dressed front door. Welcome your visitors with a Christmas wreath that ties in with your home’s theme. Christmas wreaths are easy to come by in either a traditionally decorated or pre-lit variety and can be personalized with the addition of your own ornaments or bows if you choose.
Another option in door decorating is to turn your front entrance into one huge present. Simply attach two pieces of fabric or extra wide ribbon to your door, placing one horizontally across your door and the other vertically but off-center. Where the two pieces meet place a large bow and your door is instantly transformed into a huge Christmas gift.
Whatever your outdoor decorating style may be with a little planning and attention to detail you’ll be able to create a winter wonderland in your own front yard. Most of all remember that outdoor Christmas decorations, like any décor, should be an expression of your family’s holiday spirit so have fun and let your creativity be your guide.
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I really liked the idea of turning your entryway into a present. I have a short narrow entryway but I can already see how that would work.
A neat Christmas decoration, I used in years gone by was to put a lit star on my Purple Martin Birdhouse. From a distance is was really beautiful.
Wreaths have always been my thing, ever since I made one from the bags you get from the laundry and painted it gold.
I just wanted to put in a plug (so to speak!) for solar holiday lights. Not only are they environmentally friendly, but you don’t have to worry about where the outlet is or an ugly extension cord running across your lawn to a tree. I have seen mostly white ones, but a friend of mine has red ones so maybe other colors are available as well.
I have never decorated outside for Christmas and this article was really inspiring. I never really though about taking the style of my house into account when selecting decor.
I think I’m going to take a picture of my house and print it out to take with me when I go shopping. Great article!
I have just begun thinking about my display for this year and it was really good to read ths. I am interested in getting the inflatables this year for the lawn and will try not to over do it. I found overly big lit candy canes that I will use to line my drive way and string lights so it’s like an archway.
you don’t have to worry about where the outlet is or an ugly extension cord running across your lawn to a tree.I have a short narrow entryway but I can already see how that would work.
You know, that turing a door into a Christmas present idea would be a great way for someone living in an apartment to make their area more festive. I know of some people who go so far as to use unused Christmas wrapping paper from the year before on their door. Its really rather cute.
Good tips, maybe I will try to turn the front door as a gift.
I am sure that the kids walking around would appreciate as well.
I am turning my old CD disk into a crown for the side door.
I am sticking branches our cedar trees with glue on the CD.
Hanged with fishing wires through the hole.
But I was missing something to hide the circular plastic in the midlle.
Reading this article inspired me to create a bow for the centre.
I will try these. I’m really interested in the giant inflatable things. You are right though, too many of them just look bad. Oh, and I just love giant elegant houses with white lights those look *amazing*. That reminds me I need to be putting up my lights soon ^_^
I really liked the idea of turning your entryway into a present. I have a short narrow entryway but I can already see how that would work.I have seen mostly white ones, but a friend of mine has red ones so maybe other colors are available as well.
Whenever I thought of Christmas decorations, I always associated it with an indoor Christmas tree and the house done up with lovely decorations.
Your ideas on outdoor decorations are definitely an eye opener, as now I can use some of your ideas to help my mom with her decorations. She has lots of open space in her frontyard and can use some of that space.
My favorite decorations for the holidays are the inflatables you mentioned. I LOVE them and have one for just about all the holidays. I do, however, agree with you that you need to use them sparingly. I have one for each holiday, but have seen some people who have TONS and it just looks tacky.
I’m a lot less secular in my celebrating of Christmas but for some reason I do like lights. When I was younger there was a house in the neighborhood that received miles of traffic. The guy spent weeks setting up this roof and yard. It was like a scene from a movie. Thanks for the information.
This is an excellent post! I’m getting a house soon (6 days!) and have been wracking my brain over how to decorate. Thanks for the great ideas!