Outdoor Holiday Decorating Ideas

Decorating the house for the holidays is something that millions of families look forward to each year. For most, this just means stringing up lights and hoping they all work. Always test your lights before hanging them and make sure that all of the ends fit together. This saves a lot of frustration later. Be creative and express your family's personality in the decorations you do choose to use.

Start Early

There is no harm in starting your decorating early. Working in warmer weather is ideal. Starting in early November, you have plenty of time to plan a design and either make or purchase the decorations you wish to use.

If you plan to have your lights synchronized to music, you need as much time as possible to get everything right.

Use Unconventional Decorations

The more unique your display is, the more the neighborhood appreciates it. Crowds may gather just to glare at the creativeness of the design. Unconventional items, like making lighted trees out of tomato cages is a good idea. You can also use big Christmas ornaments on outdoor trees. Oversized ornaments are ideal for gazebos, pergolas, and front porches. These are statement pieces and often tie a theme or color scheme together.

Create Custom Decorations

If you are a little crafty, make as many of your decorations as you can. Character pieces can be created with a simple sheet of plywood, a good saw, and some paint. You can make holes in the wood to push lights through and secure them to the back of the wood. This takes a little bit of skill, but it is a fun family project as the children can help decide which characters to create and what colors to paint them.

Anchor Items Down

Every neighborhood has a Grinch. Anchor down your decorations so that it is harder for potential thieves to take off with your decorations. This is especially important for expensive items since those are often the most targeted. It is also helpful to set up wireless security cameras on the exterior of your home in case thieves do strike.

While some families keep the same design each year, others like to have a different theme each holiday season. Changing things up keeps the neighborhood guessing as to what your family will do next. In some neighborhoods, it becomes a competition, and that can be quite fun. Have fun decorating your home and yard with the family each holiday season.