Create a festive entertaining zone at your home this Christmas

 

You don’t need to spend a lot to create memorable festive gatherings – a few Christmas lights here, a couple of D.I.Y. Christmas projects there and you have all the trimmings for a great party. The trick to decorating an outdoor space is to stick to one cohesive look – just follow a simple theme and choose a colourway by picking either cool white, warm yellow or coloured lights. For example, natural textures and warm copper and gold tones create an organic rustic look, while silver tones create more of a northern hemisphere, cool climate vibe.

Decorate your space

Never underestimate the transformational power of some well-placed outdoor Christmas decorations – whether you have a deck, a patio or a verandah, you can turn it into something magical with just a few basic items. Just remember though, festive décor and lighting isn’t a one-size fits all proposition. Tailor it to your tastes and your space – for example, icicle lights may be a better fit than string lights, and you’ll need to decide between solar lights and plug-in options. Experiment and have fun with your lighting design – check out the full lighting range to find something that works for you.

When it comes to festive lighting, festoon lights are an easy option because there are lots of different ways to hang them. Wrap them around the rafters, drape them in long loops that meet in the centre of the room or use them to highlight the outskirts of the deck. Read up on how to hang festoon lights to get started.

Once the lights are in place, elevate the space further with a Christmas tree. If you have a smaller space and a tighter budget, one tree is enough – it will be a showstopper all on its own. If you want to take it to the next level though, grab some smaller trees that can either be grouped together or spread around the space. The pre-lit varieties are quick to set up and the twinkling trees will bring the area alive at dusk.

Creative Christmas ideas

Once you have the basics in place, turn your attention to creating your own budget-friendly Christmas decor. Try making these low- and no-cost projects with the kids.

Hanging basket decoration

To create a D.I.Y. light sculpture, grab a hanging basket and weave foliage through the outside of the planter, allowing the leafy greenery to poke out the top and the sides. Next, take some coconut fibre and place in the base of the basket to create a nest. Now fill with Christmas baubles in a range of colours and sizes. To finish the basket, wrap battery-operated fairy lights around the hanging wires.

Rustic vases for Christmas colour

This vase idea costs nothing to make – grab a clean empty can and some small sticks and twigs that are slightly taller than the can. Glue the twigs around the outside of the can, then wrap a generous amount of kitchen string around the middle of the can to finish. Fill with flowers to make a great centrepiece for your Christmas table.

Terracotta candle holders

Grab a selection of small terracotta pots and fill with pebbles and insert a candle – either a real candle or candle lights will do. A few mini baubles around the candles makes the decoration even more festive.

Homemade stars

This project is perfect for littlies. Use a hot glue gun to form wooden craft sticks together in a star shape. When they’re set, hand the stars over to the kids so they can wrap them in kitchen string. Make these in varying sizes to hang in your outdoor area, use as place settings or add to your tree. Take them up a notch with small strands of battery-operated fairy lights.

D.I.Y. Christmas bunting

To continue the organic theme, make your own festive bunting using natural-textured fabrics like burlap or hessian. Cut it into your desired shapes and stencil letters on the fabric like ‘joy’, ‘peace’ and ‘noël’. To make the stencils, cut letters from the middle of a piece of paper. Place the paper over the bunting and spray paint with gold or copper paint. Once dry, attach to kitchen string and hang the bunting in your festive area.

Are you ready to entertain this Christmas?

For more D.I.Y. decorating ideas – including how to make a pool-noodle wreath – check out How to transform your home with Christmas lights. Or view and shop our range of festive lighting and decorations online or at your local store today.