People have different ideas about outdoor Christmas decorating.  Some like the traditional, understated look, using wreaths on their doors, and a few strings of lights, perhaps along the eaves, and on a couple of trees or shrubs in their yards.

 Then, there are those who go crazy with lights and other decorations, covering every square inch of their houses, their yards, and anything that happens to be standing in them, including the bushes, trees, fences, mailboxes, lampposts, outdoor furniture, and picnic tables – and, in some extreme cases, even the kids. 

 While it may seem that those who use such huge numbers of lights are bound to end up with hideous-looking houses and yards, that’s not necessarily true.  It really is possible for a display to be quite stylish, even when it features a billion lights.  It just depends upon a few factors, like, say, whether or not the person putting them up has good taste in the first place; and there’s also the matter of how much experience, and how good a plan, the decorator has in the beginning. 

 A beautiful display, of any size, starts with a great design strategy, good preparation, and knowledge of the proper safety measures.  So, devise a theme, and decide exactly what you’re going to put where, concentrating on two or three focal points that will pull it all together.

 Before you begin, make sure that all of your lights have the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) logo on them, and that they’re designed specifically for outdoor use (this goes for extension cords, too).  Test them all before you put them up, replacing burned-out bulbs, and checking wires for cracks and worn spots.  Decorate on a day that’s not too cold or windy, and keep lights and cords away from puddles, and other sources of water.

 Add interest by lighting unusual things, such as empty birdbaths, planters, decorative wheelbarrows, and vintage plows, tractors, bicycles, tricycles, or wagons.  You can even make your porch furniture a part of the display, by stringing it with colorful lights, to give it a warm, welcoming glow.

Of course, I must remind you that outdoor furniture from CedarStore.com has that glow all year long; it’s built into every piece we make.

 Yours Outdoors,

 Kathy