Indoor & Outdoor Christmas Decoration Ideas
With the festive season finally arriving, the cold weather settling in and the Christmas adverts rolling on TV, it’s time to pull out your decorations and decorate your home! This year we’ve pulled together some Christmas decoration ideas to inspire you this festive season!
Indoor Christmas Decoration Ideas
If you’re looking for something a bit different this year, and looking to spice up your normal decorating scheme, take a look at these ideas and get inspired to try something new! From alternative tree themes to simple decorations that can make a big difference, we look at how to decorate indoors this Christmas.
Over the years LED Christmas Lights have become the preferred choice instead of incandescent lights, with a variety of styles, designs and colours available for purchase at reasonable prices. They also have energy efficiency benefits, as nearly 100% of the energy produced is converted into light. In comparison to incandescent, which only converts around 10% of its energy produced into light, the other 90% of energy is lost through unnecessary heat.
LED lights do not get hot and are the safer options for Christmas, when lights are commonly left on for longer periods of time. You can choose from a variety of styles to create an eye grabbing display, with items such as hanging stars in windows, fairy light garlands to drape over a fireplace, fake trees with light up branches, or even 3D metal structures to place around your home.
Don’t shy away from getting creative with your decorations inside. If you opt for a classic red theme this Christmas, burlap bunting is a great match and adds a special touch for over a fireplace. A simple evergreen garland can immediately transform shelving or a staircase, making for an impressive entrance.
If you’re after simple, subtle touches to create a festive feel in your home, blankets and pillows in your chosen colour scheme can add a cosy feeling, while nativity scenes, signs and stockings can transform your home into a winter wonderland.
Christmas Tree Ideas
Christmas trees are the most important part of your Christmas decorations and have been for many years. The earliest tree decorations were apples, but now extend to ceramic and glass ornaments, and even hand made crafts.
Your tree should be the centrepiece, a place to gather around to celebrate the festive season and share with your family. But if you’re after a change this year, now is the time to brighten up your home with these unique Christmas tree designs and get inspired to try something new.
You can start by building a theme around a sentimental ornament or with a new colour scheme. Whether it is colourful and bright, or classic and red, or a soft gentle white theme that contrasts with your green Christmas tree. Scandinavian themes have become increasingly popular over the years, with many people opting for a simple tree theme.
If you’re after a quirky twist on your tree this year, it’s time to consider decorating with fake snow, channeling nature with a woodland theme, creating your own DIY ornaments, or even dressing your tree with a mini gingerbread village.
Top tips for tree decorating
- Choose a spot for your tree carefully, and if it is a real tree be aware of dropping pines and remember to prune it.
- Take time to string your lights carefully on the tree and always add them before you decorate with ornaments.
- If you have delicate, sentimental ornaments, hang them near the top to reduce the risk of them getting knocked off.
Outdoor Christmas Decorations
If decorating the inside of your home wasn’t enough to fill your Christmas spirit, try out some of these ideas to get creative and light up your home. It doesn’t always have to be the most extravagant display in the world, but something as simple as lights can instantly make a home feel welcoming and festive.
Festive Lights
Lighting decoration is always a popular choice at Christmas. With an array of outside lighting available, there’s more to lighting than just fairy lights. Consider 3D light up figures, icicle lights hanging from guttering and conservatories, rope lighting to guide your path, or even a sheet of LED lights to really light up the side of your home!
It’s important to check the lights for an IP rating as this will indicate the lights level of protection against solid objects, dust and fluids. When using outside lighting, make sure to set them to a timer, so they turn on when it is dark enough for the full effect. Timers will also help to save money and to make sure you don’t leave them on for long periods of time.
If using outside lights is a concern to you, you could opt for placing fairy lights on the inside of your windows to give the effect of warm lighting outside.
DIY Christmas
Christmas is the perfect time to get creative with your decorations. The possibilities are endless with outside decorating, as you don’t always need to spend money to spread some festive cheer.
With a few bits of scrap wood and outside lights, you can create wooden snowmen, a simple painted pallet tree, or even try your hand at making a driftwood Christmas tree. There’s no need to worry about elaborate displays with lights and 3D structures, simplistic designs can create a festive feel on a low budget.
Christmas Door Wreaths
Wreaths are one of the most popular decorations at Christmas and have been used since ancient Roman times. What was once seen as a sign of victory, has now cemented a place in modern Christmas tradition. They have also been said to represent life never ending or eternity and were initially made using fresh evergreens.
They are traditionally hung up on our front doors, as a welcome symbol, but also to show festive spirit. Over the years, door wreaths have grown from simple evergreen and holly to include bows, dried fruit, stars, cranberries, pine cones and even LED lighting.
Give your guests a warm welcome this Christmas by hanging up a wreath of your door! Whether it’s a real or fake wreath, you can get creative and decorate your own to pop on your door this winter.
Remember to stay safe with electrics this winter, take a look at our top Christmas electrical safety tips to keep your family safe!