Exterior Christmas Decoration on the Up!
There used to be at least a one house in a neighbourhood that went all out over the top with its exterior Christmas decoration, and it was always nice to see. Nowadays, it seems like entire streets and neighbourhoods are in competition to see who can come up with the best display, and to be honest, it’s a case of yes, you can have too much of a good thing! For generations now houses across the land have twinkled with indoor streamers, paper chains, tinsel, ticker tape and ribbons, not to mention the hanging balls, Santa's, and fairies which adorn the trees, but now, it seems, ourdoors is the new indoors!
It's not possible to think of Christmas ideas without thinking about Christmas lights. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without them. In fact, it's the lights which are the focal point of all the decoration, and families and friends get a lot of pleasure out of visiting each others homes over the holiday period just to see the light displays. There has always been a bit of friendly competition among folks trying to outdo the other with the best light display, even if this is not spoken, everyone wants to have the most adored display.
Exterior Christmas Decoration Wars!
Recent years have seen more serious competition among neighbors in particular, regarding their Christmas light display, but having the most colorful twinkle in the front window and around the panes of the front door is no longer enough. Exterior Christmas decoration has gone outdoors in a big way and people are lighting up their entire homes and gardens in order to get the most admired, most talked about, and most revered exterior Christmas lights show in town.
So fierce has the competition become that dirty ticks such as cutting wires, removing bulbs, and vandalizing displays have been carried out usually respectful law abiding and friendly neighbors most of the year round. This phenomenon of behavior has been branded Exterior Christmas decoration wars, and it's become a real headache for the authorities. If you're still brave enough to challenge the previous street winners and would like to compete for this year's exterior Christmas decoration awards, then keep reading for some useful tips & ideas.
Outdoor Christmas Decoration for Beginners
Don't make the mistake of thinking you'll have a fine display by simply outlining the roof and windows. This is so 1970's and your display will look pathetic with the neighborhood champions. Don't get me wrong, outlining the roof and windows is still beautiful, but on its own it's not enough, and you need to be a little more creative if you want to stand out. Try to complement using other types of illumination such as LED Christmas lights. These give off a different kind of hue and are also more energy efficient that the standard electricity options.
It's not just the lights alone that will make your spectacle stand out from the rest, as much as what you light up. There are many festive moulds and outlines that can be purchased specifically for outdoor displays. Big and little reindeers are always an eye catcher as are stars and Santas. If you use separate colours for each display you will really add a splash of style, magic, and mystery to your exterior show after dark.
An illuminated wreath for your front door will also help pull it all together. As the house and garden area is the main eye catcher, the doors and windows will fair better if you use more subtle lighting to adorn then. Mini-lights are just perfect for these areas and will really help you to establish a unique decoration.
Don't get carried away with too many colours either. As tempting as it is, if you have lots of colours around your moulds and outlines, they may loose their define shapes and be hard to recognize. It's best to keep one colour to one string for say reindeers and stars etc. Small Christmas trees will also benefit from single strings of solid colours, but the main big tree on the other hand, will do just fine as a multicolored focal piece.
Lighted Christmas Decoration gone Crazy!
It might also be tempting to have an animated display which dances and jumps all over the place, but once again be careful not to distract from your main theme. There are light options for icicles, net lights, blinking lights, chasers, and whatever else hits the high street this Christmas holiday. The rule of thumb is to use no more than 3 types of animation, and think carefully about the effects you are trying to achieve before you even decide on that many. Too much going on will only make your display look complicated and clumsy. If you are unsure, start with a clean and clear display and improve on it with each passing year. Happy Xmas and good luck.
