Outside Christmas decorations help to make the season bright and cheerful for homeowners and neighbors alike. Here are a few ideas.
1. Start with the windows. Place battery-operated candles on each window sill that opens to the front of the home. Use electric candles if you prefer. (Naturally you should avoid using real flames.) Wrap garland about the base of each candle or place in a small holiday design dish, and turn them on during the day as well as at night if you like. You can select one uniform color, such as all white candles, or mix them, for example, alternating green and red).
2. Adorn your front porch. Twine the rails and spindles with fresh or artificial pine garland, spacing it in accordance with the length of your pieces. Accent the posts with crisp red or white bows that are spaced evenly. Set a fluffy fiber optic snowman with a top hat and broom in the corner to welcome your guests. Be sure to keep the porch shoveled clean of snow or ice.
3. Line the sidewalk and driveway. Plant striped plastic candy canes or miniature reindeer along the path, or set white ground lights nearby to cast a cozy glow. You also can buy small, artificial trees that are already decorated that attach to the ground to create your own pretend woodland.
4. Decorate your garage with lights or pine boughs. String them around the windows or door, coordinating with the porch or driveway decorations. You might want to add a few sprinkles of artificial snow if the real stuff doesn't come to your area.
5. Trim the coniferous trees on your lawn. Weave green, silver, or gold garland studded with lights or bows to accentuate the trees' branches and height. Don't hang anything that is breakable or valuable, as the wind or birds may cause problems. Check first to see if you can run an outdoor electric cord to these areas without risking fire or electrocution.
6. Enhance your gate or fence. Hang pine wreaths or those you can make from fabric or other crafts at the posts. Place a Christmas manger scene or winter wonderland figures in front of it for passers-by to admire. Tiny lights might enhance this area, too. Place a couple of three-foot wooden soldiers at the gate as sentinels.
7. Make or buy a nativity scene for the lawn. Use simple wooden figures or the kind you purchase at the store to recreate the birth of Jesus. That might be as simple as Mary, Joseph, and the baby. Or you can add angels, shepherds, and wise men, with animals like sheep or camels to complete the scene. Add a spotlight before the area to light the image for easier viewing.
Add Christmas lights as special effects anywhere on the lawn or porch. Or choose a Santa scene for the kiddies. Use your imagination to bring the holiday to life outside as well as inside.
