If you have to say so yourself, your living room is looking super festive, with that fabulously bedecked Christmas tree standing in the corner.
But there is one area you have likely left to the last minute to decorate. It’s your yard.
Save for a colorfully decorated wreath on the front door, your yard is looking anything but festive.
Your deck looks rather plain, and so does your pergola, and your whole backyard, if truth be told.
Santa won’t be too impressed. But not to panic, there is still time. Here are cheap but tasteful yard Christmas decorations to bring festive cheer to your home, starting with the mailbox:
Letterbox Christmas Decorations
As far as holidays go, you wouldn’t immediately think of your mailbox, but that’s exactly where you should start.
Not only is your letterbox the first thing your visitors see, but a cheerfully decorated letterbox is an enduring Christmas tradition and something that will be sure to melt even Santa’s heart.
Not sure where to start decorating your letterbox? We have got a few ideas:
1. Give Your ‘Letters to Santa’ Mailbox a Fresh Coat of Paint
If you have a dedicated ‘letters to Santa’ letterbox sitting somewhere in your garage, it’s time to dust it up for a fresh makeover.
After a quick dust-down, give the old mailbox a fresh coat of paint. You could paint it a color you prefer, but brilliant white and the traditional Christmas red always work a treat.
With the mailbox painted all white, give it a cheerful contrast by inscribing ‘letters to Santa’ in red across the front.
2. Add Colorful Swag to Your Mailbox
Christmas mailbox swags are an old holiday decor idea that never disappoints. You could buy the swag ready-made, or you could make your own.
For your DIY Christmas mailbox decoration, you will need fresh pine swag, which is nothing more than fresh pine cuttings joined by some craft floral wire and made to drape either side of the mailbox.
You will also need:
- Shatterproof Christmas balls
- Ribbon and a couple of pre-made bows
- Artificial white and red mums flowers
- Some glue
For the tools, you will need wire cutters, a glue gun, and scissors. Here’s a nice video tutorial on how to bring everything together.
Driveway Gate Christmas Decorations
With your mailbox looking festive, you should make sure your driveway gate looks bang on-theme, too.
3. Double Wreaths for your Bi-parting Swing Driveway Gate
Evergreen wreaths, with a touch of red, are a familiar sight on driveways during the festive period. That’s because they always add tasteful decor cred to your home.
Wreaths work best on bi-parting swing gates. And instead of one wreath, make one for each gate leaf placed centrally and towards the top of the gate.
If yours is a sliding gate, hanging the wreaths directly on the gate will be impractical. Instead, fix them to the pillars on either side of the gate. They will look just as festive.
And for something off-beat:
4. Repurpose Old, Empty Picture Frames Into Colourful Wreaths
You have likely spent a lot of money already on Christmas gifts and decorations. This holiday display trick could save you a few bucks.
Look around your garage for empty picture frames you no longer use and repurpose them into wreaths to hang on your driveway gate.
To fashion the disused picture frames into real show-stoppers, select a few good ones and paint them into different colors.
Paint a couple in white, some in red, and a few others in bright colors of your choosing.
Decorate them as you would your standard wreaths, with red ribbon, and fresh pine cuttings and cones. Then hang them on your gate in any configuration you desire.
Gazebo and pergola Christmas decorations
Weather permitting, you should take your Christmas celebrations outside this year, if only for some time.
As there is likely to be above normal snowfall in Southern Ontario this Christmas, you should still want to be protected from the elements.
We suggest fastening a canvas cloth over your pergola and using the ideas below to turn it into a winter wonderland.
If you own a gazebo, the covered roof will give you better protection from the weather.
5. Light Up the Pergola/Gazebo With Christmas Lights
With some weather protection, your pergola is the perfect outdoor space to enjoy your Christmas dinner. We bet you would also relish the experience of opening your Christmas gifts under the stars.
A fun idea is to arrange some cozy seating, with plenty of plush cushions around the Christmas tree placed in the center of the pergola or gazebo. You will also want to make sure the space is as bright as day, with plenty of lighting.
Hang strings of icicle lights right around the pergola, making sure the light strings hang down to the floor. For even more pop-out cheer, wrap light strings around the pergola’s corner posts.
6. Glowing Wreaths and Garland for a Pop of Colour
Wreaths and garlands really are the utility Christmas decor items. Wherever you hang them, they always look the part.
For something understated, opt for a glowing garland wrapped around the pergola’s posts and under the beams.
As you should also do with the garland, wrap stretches of light strings right around your wreaths. The lights make sure the fresh green color of the greenery and the red decorations come alive in spite of the dark.
Deck Christmas Decorations
If you have invested in a deck, this is another perfect outdoor place to decorate for the holidays. Here are a few ideas:
7. Take the Christmas Tree Out to the Deck
Have you likely always celebrated Christmas indoors? If so, you will be a little apprehensive about opening your gifts under the stars this year. Only, by taking it out onto the deck, you won’t be straying too far out of the house, and into the cold.
The Christmas tree will be the centerpiece of your deck Christmas decor. To make sure the rest of the deck looks just as festive, light strings loosely hung around the deck, red ribbon wrapping on the deck rails, and a few thoughtfully suspended wreaths and garland will go a long way.
Add comfortable seating, with a few plush throws and cushions, and your deck will be ready for Christmas night.
8. Dress Your Front Porch to Capture the Festive Spirit
A large, covered porch allows you to enjoy a perfect winter Christmas night without worrying about any heavy snowfall, which you will have to if you were celebrating from an uncovered deck.
Here are some ideas to decorate your porch:
- Frame the front door with a garland of fresh greens
- ‘Gift wrap’ the front door with a colorful ribbon and bow
- Hang a lantern on either side of the door for extra light and charm
- Dress up your porch bench with colorful cushions and plaid blankets
- Place some antique skis and an old, worn sled beside the door to highlight the winter Christmas theme.
- Instead of the standard wreaths, you could try something a little different and hang a wicker basket filled with greens and pine cones on your front door.
Backyard Christmas decorations
The Christmas weather forecast for Toronto, Waterloo, and the other cities in Southern Ontario predicts heavier snowfall than normal for this time of the year.
Because of the weather, you won’t be able to have your Christmas dinner under that big tree in your backyard. That doesn’t mean you should leave your yard undecorated. Here are a few handy backyard Christmas decorating ideas:
9. Graze a Herd of Illuminated Reindeer in Your Backyard
Light-up reindeer are a bright and merry holiday decoration idea. Buy a few pairs of grazing reindeer cows and calves and position them across your lawn.
Reindeer are, of course, not a curious choice, having such a strong association with Santa’s sleigh. The animal also represents journeying, strength, and endurance, which aren’t at all misplaced after the year we have just had.
To light up the entire backyard, hang some lanterns from tree branches, fasten some light strings to your privacy fence, and run multi-colored light icicles around tree trunks.
In case you want to extend your living space with a pergola or deck, or you want to replace your fence, choose Jay Fencing. We are Southern Ontario homeowners’ contractor of choice. Contact us here for more information.