Brighten up the yard and garden with Christmas lights: 12 inspiring ideas

Outdoor Christmas lights: 12 inspiring ideas

1. Wrap Christmas lights around a garland

It’s always nice to come home, but it’s especially delightful when you’re greeted by a lit entrance. A conifer garland adorned with Christmas lights, a small spruce, and a mini greenhouse create a delightfully festive atmosphere.

2. Create an illuminating yard arrangement

Gather deciduous tree branches in a large pot. Alder branches with small dried cones look wonderful in an outdoor arrangement. Corkscrew hazel branches also add a striking decorative touch. Hang glittering ornaments on the branches, and set up Christmas lights outside even before the snow arrives.

3. Arrange a group of lanterns

Arrange a welcoming display around old kick sleds you no longer use. Simple zinc hurricane lanterns provide long-lasting light thanks to their built-in reservoir. You can also find battery-operated LED hurricane lanterns suitable for outdoor use.

4. Highlight trees and buildings

A gazebo, pergola, and other yard structures are perfect for hanging Christmas lights, ensuring you can enjoy your garden even in winter. The lights also beautifully emphasize the shapes of trees.

5. Illuminate paths and seating areas with Christmas lights

Set up a cozy spot in the garden for relaxing and admiring the deep blue twilight. Use metal stands to display lanterns at different heights. A twinkling, crystal-like string of lights on the arched entrance welcomes you in.

6. Enhance the mood with lights

Christmas lights lend a delightful glow to a snowy yard. Hang festive lights on coniferous plants and on the pavilion’s metal frame. The greenhouse takes on a whole new look at dusk when illuminated from within.

7. Don't forget real flames!

Candles glow beautifully through thick-walled ice lanterns. If you don’t have enough snowbanks, you can elevate the ice lanterns by placing them on large pots.

8. Use lighting to accentuate yard details

A snowman or a winter-hardy garden statue deserves to stand out. Make a large batch of ice lanterns at once, so you can place them throughout the garden.

9. Line your walkway with lanterns

It’s a fairytale sight leading you to the door. A row of about twenty ice lanterns at your entrance creates a wonderfully enchanting mood.

10. Create a welcoming atmosphere with Christmas lights

Winter festivities under a gazebo’s starry roof call for a sense of adventure, a warm drink, and some light snacks. Brighten the scene with white candles—and remember to keep things fire safe.

11. Hang lights alongside conifer cones

A charming conifer cone-and-light ornament is perfect for your terrace, balcony, or gazebo. Attach the conifer cones together with thin wire, then drape a small-bulb string of lights over them.

12. Adorn beautiful items

Delicate spherical Christmas lights are wrapped around an old window frame missing a few panes. Rose-shaped candles in clay pots complete the glow.