Xmas Lights

1. These ideas will have your whole house glowing for the holidays. In a childs room or a hallway, a string light tree is as festive as an evergreen. Use adhesive hooks to hang mini lights adorned with felt star ornaments that twinkle. .....

Outdoor Hanging Snowflake Ornaments

2. Hand twist rope lights, using our template as a guide to create glimmering oversize ornaments. Hang them from their cords (disguised with ribbon) at varying heights along a porch or under the eaves of the house. .....

Winter Fence

3. Extend the season for garden edgers by stringing them with lights to accentuate their curves and then lining a walkway with them for a welcoming look. .....

Winter Flowers

4. These flowers brighten the coldest of winter nights. .....

Stars

5. Bring a bit of the heavens down to snowy earth with stars fashioned from ordinary garden stakes. .....

Hanging Trees

6. These conical Christmas trees are crafted from tomato cages. Here, they are hung from the boughs of an oak and illuminate the agave, lending a touch of winter to an arid climate. .....

Shooting Stars

7. To create a striking outdoor lighting display, string several of these shooting stars in your yard. .....

Glowing Gift Boxes

8. Lit from within, these presents suggest magical snow sculptures. .....

Snow Lanterns

9. These fire and ice decorations will actually make you long for snow. .....

Outdoor Lighting Joy

10. Write a message in lights to share with all who pass by. Use our template for the word Joy, spell out another sentiment, or create your own shape, such as a star or a tree. .....

Red Berry Light Garland

11. With a little effort, you can give your home extra holiday sparkle with an evergreen garland dotted with red berries made of Christmas lights. .....

Ball and Light Wreath

12. Make the entrance to your home inviting to holiday visitors including Santa with bright, merry lights; their sparkle highlights the shimmering globes and greenery of this double wreath. .....

Lighted Urn Topper

13. A pile of jewel like ornaments makes a festive, glowing statement atop a decorative urn. .....

A Balanced Display

14. A multitude of candlesticks in this case, an even numbered quartet gives some dimension and drama to the dining room table. Placing the candlesticks equidistantly along the table ensures a sense of balance still rules. .....

Marthas Traditional Display

15. Martha decorated one of her beautiful Christmas dinner tables in rich shades of red and brown. On the table, she placed a centerpiece of roses, lilies, and holly, and an assortment of treasured flatware, glasses, tablecloths, and candlesticks. She also placed a small boxwood wreath with a copper place card on the back of each chair. The centerpiece was a spruce tree placed in an old cast iron urn, embellished with red carnations and spray roses, .....

Lights on Timers

16. For a low maintenance approach to exterior holiday lighting, consider timer activation. One of the most popular products available is a plug in on off module which can handle up to 1500 watts. Although there are many styles available, most options simply plug into an exterior outlet. An average sized home will require between two and four modules to keep the exterior safely lit and perfectly timed. .....

Graphic Shape

17. Moravian stars are an excellent way to add both graphic shape and illumination throughout your front yard. For the best effect, consider grouping Moravian stars in odd numbers, randomly spacing them throughout the tree to create a gorgeous glow. The graphic shapes of the stars will break up the monotony of twinkle lights along the house and hedges. .....

Lighting Walkways

18. Since holidays often attract more guests to the home than other times of the year, be sure to keep walkways brightly lit. An easy way to do this is to take advantage of any smaller trees or shrubs along or around the walkway and outfitting them with just a few strands of lights. Although they may be too small to properly read from the street, the subtle glow cast onto pavers, trails or concrete walkways will help guests make their way up to the h .....

Consistent Branches

19. While adding twinkle lights to small and medium sized trees may seem simple, theres more skill involved than one might think. Since most trees lose their leaves in the winter, its much more difficult to figure out where to drape the lights for a balanced look. To add symmetry to exterior decor, create a consistent stopping point along each of the trees. Although some may be significantly taller than others, once wrapped at approximately the same .....

Unlit Structures

20. Lights are meant mostly for ambiance, but they can also serve double duty as backdrops for showcasing seasonal yard structures. When placing holiday structures in the yard, its wise to keep them unlit, instead relying on the ambient glow of the house. .....

Wrapping Hedges

21. Wrapping hedges with twinkle lights may seem like a daunting task, especially when figuring out where to stop and start each strand. Eliminate all of the second guessing by investing in net lights. Although net lights may cost more than standard strands, the amount of time saved on installation is often worth the investment. .....

Easy to Read Entry

22. When decorating a homes exterior entry, its important to take into consideration how each of the decorative elements will appear from the street. If wreaths or ornaments are too small, theyll end up looking like clutter. Be sure to keep the scale and proportion of all elements in check with those in the yard. This will result in a cohesive design which will be just as striking from a distance as it is up close. .....

Mixed Light Sources

23. Year round exterior lighting such as sensory activated motion lights, security spotlights and sconces can often interfere with the soft ambiance created by twinkle lights. The key to properly mixing different sources is overpowering year round fixtures with twinkle lights. Consider changing year round bulbs to those with lower wattage. This will allow twinkle lights to overpower year round fixtures, resulting in a beautiful, soft glow along all e .....

Birdbath Revamp

24. Who says your trusty bird bath can only make a warm weather appearance? Fit a wreath, red Christmas lights, and other holiday decorations into the center of a bird bath to keep it relevant in the wintertime. .....

Cranberry Luminaries

25. This Christmas, light the way to your home with this inexpensive lighting option. Set a small glass vase filled with fake snow, cranberries, and a candle atop bundles of fir branches. .....

Christmas Light Burning Bush

26. Don .....

Glowing Holiday Globes

27. These glowing globes create a picturesque holiday scene right in your front yard. Scatter them around or bundle them up for different looks and light intensities. Christmas Light Tip To make your decor even more sophisticated, try battery operated Christmas lights. Youll no longer have to hide those pesky extension cords! .....

Starry Nights Basket

28. Make hanging baskets sparkle all winter long by lighting them from within. Use coiled vine baskets without liners, and push a 100 bulb string of small pearl lights from inside to out around each basket. Place clear plastic ornaments in the basket as filler. On top, pile a 50 bulb string of small white lights and a string of prelit metal stars to shine above. .....

Luminous Lanterns

29. Old fashioned lantern posts are classic, but this holiday season wrap them in lush garland and glowing globes for an ethereal holiday look. Tips for Christmas Lights To save power and keep your lights burning longer, try using LED Christmas lights. .....

Earthy Entrance

30. Build tall floral arrangements by tightly wrapping white and red lights around pillars along your entryway. Top the pillars with twig and evergreen wreaths. Then add green mesh material and red curly twigs found at crafts stores for a fun, earthy entrance. .....

Dreamy Door

31. Dress up a boring doorway with a red and green color scheme. A door outlined with garland, glowing lights, and red bows complements the hanging wreath. A grouping of poinsettia plants adds the perfect punch of holiday cheer. .....

Glowing Garland

32. Embellish a porch or balcony with loops of garland intertwined with glowing Christmas lights. Big red bows are a welcome sight to any holiday visitor. .....

Hanging Icicles

33. These icicle Christmas lights, made with window screen and plastic wrap adorned with white lights and baubles, are as perfectly imperfect as the real thing. .....

White Christmas Lighting Display

34. If wrapping endless strings of lights around tree branches leaves you tangled up in knots, try something simpler. Wire trees that come with prestrung lights are ready to be planted indoors or out. Theyre available in several heights and colors, so you can vary the look from natural to whimsical. Hardware stores often carry the widest selection. .....

Star Bright Lights

35. A loose stringing of lights on a sparse tree gives the look of stars twinkling in the night sky. A spotlight on an elegant wreath will light the way for weary travelers. .....

A Warm Lit Welcome

36. Clustered on a pine table, a mix of new and antique lanterns greets holiday guests. Be sure to include a range of styles and sizes. Elevate some lanterns on pedestals to vary heights. As a final touch, sprinkle in natural elements, such as moss covered twigs and evergreen sprigs. Be sure to never leave an open flame unattended. .....

White Magic

37. Give new dimension and beauty to an exterior building, such as a garden shed or detached garage, by illuminating it with winter white lights. Line the walkway with votives, too, such as these large metal votives specifically designed for outdoor use. .....

Let It Glow

38. Turn paper bags into dramatic luminarias by cutting out your own designs with a crafts knife, hole punches, and scissors. .....

Cherubs Bouquet

39. Make the most of a garden statuary when planning your outdoor decor. This garden angels gleaming bouquet creates a dramatic interplay of light and shadow on the sculpted stone. .....

Winter Topiary

40. Make a topiary of light and air by wrapping tiny white bulbs around a wire form. Perch the lit orb in a garden urn. .....

Window Wattage

41. Windows outlined in white lights stand out in the darkness, illuminating a home full of welcome and cheer. .....

Lantern Pendants

42. Hang multiple lanternlike, outdoor lights from a sturdy tree branch to create a welcoming glow on a cold winters night. .....

Window Box Chic

43. Fill a window box with greenery studded with lights to glitter in the icy air all season long. For a nontraditional spin on the look, incorporate color by adding blue or pink Christmas lights. .....

Arbor of Light

44. Heres a great look for those living in warmer climates. Icicle lights have been draped over a vine covered arbor, creating an archway of holiday magic. .....

Snowballs

45. This mound of shimmering spheres looks like snowballs just waiting to be thrown. Arranged in an urn beside the front door, the spheres are plugged into a power strip hidden inside, then stacked and accented with boxwood greenery. A single strand of fishing line wrapped around the spheres keeps the stack secure. .....