11 Unique Outdoor Christmas Light Ideas
Christmas is a time for family, friends, and warm and welcoming traditions. Unfortunately, of the most popular Christmas traditions, decorating your house with Christmas lights can be the most tedious and stressful. While hiring an expert to help with the installation and takedown can save you time and effort, choosing the right design can still be an elusive goal.
If you’re looking for some unique ideas to light up your home this holiday season, allow us to offer some interesting suggestions. We’ll go over 11 festive ways to bring the Christmas spirit into your home this year.
Warm Welcoming Gate
If you’ve decorated everything you can think of and it still feels like something is missing, consider adding some lights to your front gate. It doesn’t matter the size or style of your gate; whether it’s for walking up to your door or for security at the end of your driveway, adding lights will make a noticeable difference.
In many circumstances, the gate is the first thing people come across before entering your house, and it’s often the first thing they see. Use this to your advantage by making it as welcoming and festive as possible. You can use string lights, LED lights, or even solar-powered lights. And if you want to get creative, you can combine net lights with other decorations for a uniform and easy effect. To secure your lights, consider using zip ties in the color of your gate and trim the excess plastic.
Cozy Lights On The Porch
Whether you’re looking to add a touch of warmth to your front porch or make your home the most festive on the block, you can do this by adding a touch of illumination. Any lights would work, but this is where you can get creative. If you want to add warmth to your porch, it’s best to stick to traditional, yellow-toned lights. If not, you can go for multicolored ones. You can also play with the size of your lights depending on where you’re placing them. If you have a porch fence, you can wrap the lights here for a subtle festive charm.
Christmas Lights In The Yard
Adding holiday lights to your lawn is a fun way to illuminate the outside of your house. Given that you probably have a variety of foliage, you should have plenty of options for where to place the lights. Common options include wrapping tree trunks and branches with string lights, net lights on bushes, or lit displays placed on the lawn.
Creating a color scheme is a sure way to stand out from the street. We recommend either combining two colors for a cohesive look, or color blocking for an interesting pop of light. Many popular choices include all-white lights for an elegant look, or all-blue for an icy-looking wonderland. Or, try a mix of colors like red and green.
If you lack trees or bushes, this is where you can get creative and have some fun. Try placing lights on your planter boxes, along doorways, along the corners of your home, and even on deck rails. You can make swirls, zigzags, or any other design you can think of. Just make sure that the bulbs are facing out to ensure they shine brightly.
Backlit Décor
Backlighting your décor has the potential to make any outdoor area stand out because this isn’t the most common way of decorating. Although it looks great and unique, it may take a bit of DIY because backlit décor isn’t so easy to find. You can find different shapes in some stores, but you may have to make others yourself. So instead, go for traditional shapes of a Christmas tree, stars, snowflakes, the Snowman, and other similar things. Some like to create shapes from the nativity.
Once you’ve secured your shapes, place them in your front yard and light your lanterns or Christmas lights behind them to create that backlit effect. During the day, these displays will only be visible from the front, so if you plan to leave them out, be sure you have decorated the front as well so you’re not left with bits of cardboard standing on your front lawn.
Christmas Lights On The Trees
Another way to play with Christmas lights is to hang them on trees in front of your house. You can do this in many ways, using all kinds of lights to create different effects. Most people wrap the lights around the tree trunk, but you can also get creative and try different patterns or even hang the lights in a spiral.
You can also use assorted colors of lights to create different effects. For example, you could use all-white lights for a traditional look, or you could go for something more colorful. Whatever you do, make sure you hang the lights securely, so they don’t fall and hurt someone or damage the tree. You can do this using zip ties and by wrapping the lights tightly.
DIY Luminaries
DIY luminaries allow you to get as creative as you want. You can use any type of paper or material to create a unique design, and you can get the family together and have fun making these. One of the best ways to make them is to use mason jars. These luminaries will delicately light up your walkway or driveway. All you need are some mason jars, votive candles, and sand. Or you can place string lights inside the jars for a more whimsical look. If you want to add a touch of elegance to your luminaries, try using gold or silver paint. You can also use stencils to create designs on the jars.
This type of décor is fun, but not as durable as other designs, and will need to be brought in during inclement weather.
Sparkly Vintage Bike
Do you have an old bike you no longer use sitting in your shed or garage? If so, now is the time to get it out. You can use any old bike for décor during Christmas; just make sure to give it a good wash so it’s not dusty or covered in spiderwebs. Then, place the bike in your front yard and decorate it with garlands, wreaths, and lights. You can also use ribbons and bows to add some color or consider spray painting the entire bike gold before adding lights. If you want to take it a step further, you can place a small Christmas tree and fake presents in the bike’s basket.
Keep in mind, this may be an easy target for burglars, so be sure to have security cameras installed and monitored if you plan to decorate with valuable or irreplaceable items.
Projector Lights
Projector lights are a type of Christmas light that projects images or patterns onto surfaces. Common images include snowflakes, stars, and Santa Claus. Although you can use projector lights indoors, the effect you get outdoors is unmatched. The best way to use projector lights outside is to find a large, dark area like a driveway or backyard. This way, the images will be more visible and impactful. You can project snowflakes onto trees and Santa Claus on the roof for the most eye-catching effect.
Wrapped Hedges
Wrapping hedges will create a unique and festive look in your yard this holiday season. This is a great way to add holiday cheer to your home without spending much money. Begin by wrapping the string lights around the base of the hedge before wrapping up and around. Once you reach the top, tuck the lights in so they’re hidden, and repeat the process until the entire hedge is wrapped. If you are looking for something a little different, try wrapping your hedges in colored lights for a fun and festive touch to your holiday decorations.
For an easier effect, consider purchasing net lights to save time unwrapping string lights.
Multicolored Lanterns
Most people go for warm tones and white lights, but multicolored lanterns can give your home a fun and festive feel. You can buy lanterns in a variety of colors, or you can make your own out of mason jars or repurposed cans. Just add a battery-operated candle inside and enjoy the colorful glow. You can also use string lights to create a similar effect. So not only will your house look fun and festive, but it’ll also stand out from the rest.
Candles
Using candles as Christmas decorations is a tradition that started centuries ago. While the electric Christmas lights have now taken over, there is something special about candles that make them perfect for the holiday season.
However, using real candles is not as practical and can be dangerous. So, it is best to go for battery operated LED candles. These can be found at most stores that sell holiday decorations. Use them to line the walkway to your home, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for your guests. You can also hang candles from your porch or deck railing. However, placing candles in windows will add a touch of romantic vibe to your house and may even help guide Santa to your home on Christmas Eve.
Safety Precautions When Using Outdoor Christmas Lights
When decorating your home for the holidays, it’s important to take safety precautions to avoid accidents. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when using outdoor Christmas lights:
- Use only weatherproof lights and cords that are designed for outdoor use.
- Inspect all of your lights and cords before putting them up. If you see any frayed wires or damaged bulbs, discard them.
- Don’t overload extension cords. If you need to use more than one cord, ensure they are not plugged into each other.
- Keep extension cords away from walkways and areas where people could trip over them.
- Turn off all of your lights before leaving the house.
- Never leave real candles unattended. If you’re using them as part of your decoration, blow them out before you go to bed or leave the house.
How To Put Up Christmas Lights
Putting Christmas lights outside is not an easy task. Simply taking the lights out of storage and starting to hang them before getting a proper inventory or plan often results in a mess, and it’s unlikely you’d enjoy the process.
We recommend you think about where you want to put the lights and the type of Christmas lights you have. Next, plug each light string into an outlet to test them before you begin. This will help you avoid frustration later. Once you have a plan, begin by attaching the string of lights to your home using insulated hooks or nails. You can then start wrapping the lights around trees, railings, or whatever else you’re decorating. Make sure to tuck in loose ends so they’re not hanging down where people can trip over them.
Hanging lights can be difficult and dangerous, which is where Blingle Premier Lighting can help. Our experts can guarantee a safe and seamless set-up and take down, with a “No Lights Out Guarantee” to ensure your lights shine bright throughout the season. The experts at Blingle can also help you plan your lighting display with digital design software, so you can even see the design before we set it up. To get started with this year’s display, contact your local Blingle Premier Lighting experts today.
