Private Light Displays: Decorating Your Backyard for Christmas

[Mike Henry]

The first thing we think about when the year is close to its end, is that we need to get ready for Christmas. Get the decorations out, see if the artificial Christmas tree is still in good shape, and check that the Christmas lights are working are some of the tasks on the list. Yet, many of us seem to forget our backyards until the last minute. If you do the same, then here are some ideas you can use to spruce up your backyard for Christmas.
If you only use one thing in your yard, then you should put up Christmas lights, which will take it from drab to fabulously festive. There are so many colors, shapes and sizes that it’s impossible to go wrong. Of course, the more the merrier but not so much that you get a call from the airport authorities complaining that planes are mistaking your yard for their landing strip. Sometimes, subtlety is better than big, shiny and loud. You can put lights up over doors and windows, hang small ones in trees, giving them an ethereal look, as well as wrapping them on special wireframe figures that mimic snowmen, Christmas trees and other seasonal figures.

You should also consider having a complete Christmas light show, with music and even animation. Remember to shop early on for everything you will need, like a light controller, specialized software and a computer if you don’t have one, so that you will have plenty of time to test everything. Also, before you head for the stores make a plan so you know exactly what you will need. There’s nothing worse than being the middle of a project to discover you forgot to buy a vital component, like the Christmas lights, or that you don’t have enough of them to complete your project.

On the other hand, if you feel like getting creative then you can set up whole scenes in your backyard, from a nativity scene to recreating Santa’s workshop, elves and all. A nice touch would be to put Santa in his sleigh with his reindeer on your roof, which will make all the kids squeal in delight.

There are a number of options in terms of what you can use to build a scene from the technologically advanced animatronic puppets, to inflatable figures or even fiberglass figurines that are lit from within. Of course, animatronic puppets will be more impressive, because of their realism but it all depends on your budget. If your budget is limitless then go ahead and recreate all of the North Pole in your backyard and you’ll be certain to have all the neighborhood kids move in with you.

There are other things you can do to make your backyard festive, especially if you are on a tight budget. You can use poinsettias and arrange a number of these plants in different areas in your backyard, you can also hang regular Christmas ornaments in any trees you have, as well as Christmas lights and angels. Tinsel garlands, which are relatively inexpensive, can be hung almost anywhere, from your porch, to trees and even wrap them around any sturdy plants you have.

There is another option, though, especially if your budget is very tight and your partner is being utterly annoying and complaining about all of your ideas. All you have to do is buy a set of fake reindeer antlers for your dog, if you have one, and get your partner to dress up as Santa Clause. They can both stand in the backyard and pretend to be animatronic puppets. You can be sure that you will never hear a single complaint again.

These are just a few ideas on how you can decorate your backyard for the Christmas season that will bring a little more joy to everyone. But remember that the spirit of Christmas is not about how many Christmas lights you have or how much you spend; it’s about the joy of being with the people you love and appreciating what you have.