How To Decorate An Outside Tree With Christmas Lights

Make a note: you need to tick Christmas light ideas for outdoor trees off your festive to-practice listing!

It's the flavour of goodwill, so information technology makes sense that any Christmas decor ideas should be enjoyed by more than your immediate family and friends. By decorating your backyard and home's exterior for the holidays, you're helping to bring joy and color to your neighborhood and community – something that'southward sure to put yous on Santa's 'overnice' listing.

A Christmas tree decorated with twinkling lights is the perfect symbol of the flavor. And you don't fifty-fifty demand to buy a traditional pine or fir tree to go the look. Any tree in your one thousand can be illuminated – in fact, dressing tree trunks, boughs and even bushes with lights is the latest manner to bring the holiday spirit to your lot.

'We have seen a trend for new tree silhouettes and varieties alongside the traditional fir,' agrees Dani Taylor, Product and Creative Manager for Cox & Cox.

'From your pocket-size pre-lit potted doorstop tree to spectacular indoor-outdoor faux copse, there's at present a wonderland of decorative varieties. This has rewarded us with real scope to decorate our outdoor trees in way, withal large or small our yard may be.'

Christmas light ideas for outdoor trees

Lighting up front end yard and lawn trees will aid to elevate your outdoor Christmas decor ideas, bringing height, depth and drama to your scheme.

A tree by your contend or gate, for example, will act like a signpost to signal that this is a abode with a festive atmosphere.

A tree on the front porch or steps will draw you closer to the firm, creating a sense of invitation and welcome.

And there are lots of different lighting options, so you can style that looks and feels right for you lot and your property.

'Fairy lights and festoon lights are existence used more and more than within and out. Around a tree is the perfect place to use them, lighting up the most beautiful characteristic in a garden and creating a characteristic and statement,' says Thalia Shaw, Founder and Possessor at Sparkle Lighting.

'At that place is a real tendency for solar-powered garden lights,' Thalia continues. 'And lots of people have started using fairy lights in their gardens, and these offer a more delicate terminate around trees and branches.'

1. Wrap a trunk with twinkling lights

The bare branches of a wintertime tree have a natural elegance and beauty. But twist some fairy lights effectually the torso and lower limbs and yous'll add a touch of magic during the holiday season.

'This is a cracking idea if your yard tends to expect a fleck lifeless during the colder months, when foliage has fallen from the trees and there are few flowers to bring color,' says Andréa Childs, Editor of Country Homes & Interiors magazine..

'Choose a mix of warm white and clear white light bulbs to create standout on your street. And either employ timer-controlled lights which y'all can ready to switch on and off automatically to make the well-nigh of the darker hours without wasting electricity. Or cull solar-powered lights which will come on equally the light falls.'

2. Cheat with chic faux copse

Faux LED trees will bring professional person-standard quality to your outdoor Christmas calorie-free ideas. They're a popular selection of events planners, hotels and boutiques, and are condign increasingly sought after by savvy homeowners looking for an upscale end to their seasonal decor.

Available in maple, cherry and even palm tree designs, LED trees like these from Twilight Designs expect best massed long a path or the side of a house to create an illuminated walkway, or framing a porch or front door.

For a simpler option, choose blossom-shaped LED fairy lights and twist these into the branches of your outdoor trees to replicate the look.

3. Put your outdoor Christmas tree in front of a window

small outdoor christmas tree with lights

The ultimate in within-outside decor – and an alternative to typical Christmas wreath ideas – a Christmas tree placed outside a window can exist lit and enjoyed from both inside and exterior the home.

With its proximity to the house, you tin can keep the Christmas light ideas for outdoor trees simple. A garland of small fairy lights that look like stars when lit is all y'all demand to create a festive look.

4. Create a Christmas tree grotto

group of outdoor christmas trees with seating

The trend for outdoor entertaining, even once Jack Frost has made an appearance, means that firepits, barbecues and campers are set to be a big part of our holiday season. And so why not dress up your chiliad for the festivities?

'I predict people will become big with their Christmas decorations this yr, with many opting for larger copse and more extravagant wreaths and trees than previous years,' says Shaun Powell, Christmas interiors expert and CEO of Find Me a Gift.

'We will also run across a ascension in people opting for existent trees over fake ones, every bit the smell and nostalgic feelings of a real tree will overtake people's want for convenience this year. And nosotros'll see a more than a rustic take on the traditional Christmas tree.'

Outside, this translates to porches and patios existence decorated for the season, every bit well equally backyards given a festive grotto await with tree trunk stools, cosy sheepskins, and lots of busy outdoor copse.

5. Get nostalgic with color

Later on years of tasteful white twinkles, colored bulbs are making a comeback, both for indoor Christmas calorie-free ideas and outside the house.

'One of the key themes this festive flavour is to inspire some nostalgia from Christmases past,' explains Amy Mason, Manager of Product at Lights4Fun.

'Adding joyful touches of retro color is the perfect way to bring your Christmas to life, creating a vibrant and playful temper for little ones and bringing back cherished memories for adults.'

You could choose strings of colorful fairy or festoon lights. Just for a more graphic arroyo to your outdoor light ideas for Christmas trees, arrange your lights in bands of assuming color that screw around your tree.

Choose a single color scheme, such equally red candy cane ruby and white, or opt for colour-changing lights so the shades switch to create a new outcome every time.

half dozen. Make a minimal tree with lights

outdoor christmas tree made from fairy lights

Don't accept a tree to decorate? You can still create the lit Christmas tree look. Simply find a branch or sturdy wooden stick, and use this as the body of your alternative tree.

Secure a string of fairy lights at the tiptop of the branch, so extend it to the ground. Peg in place with a tent peg, have the fairy lights to the top of the tree once again, and go on until yous have created a 'Christmas tree' shape.

7. Match your tree to the residual of your outdoor decor

Outdoor Christmas tree with garland and wreath

Coordinating each element of your outdoor holiday decor will create an elegant and considered scheme. You lot don't need too much – a tree, a foliage garland and a wreath, each illuminated with lights, is just enough.

'I like to keep holiday decor outside uncomplicated and understated, with white Christmas lights on the roofline and upwardly our front chiliad trees, as well as magnolia leafage wreaths and tons of poinsettias,' says Mimi Meacham, Founder and Principal Designer of Houston-based Marian Louise Designs.

8. Style a 'wishing tree'

A 'wishing tree', where people can tie on letters of gratitude, prayers, or wishes for themselves or others, is a lovely tradition for Christmas. If you accept a well-placed tree in your front yard, you could invite family, friends and members of your community to make their wishes and read the notes written by others in the neighborhood.

To make the anniversary fifty-fifty more special, illuminate the tree with lights – or buy a gear up-made version similar this Magical Wishing Tree from Cox & Cox. Young ones, especially, will love to write their letters and tie them on to the tree with ribbon.

9. Light your tree with candles

To add a traditional bear upon to your Christmas light ideas for outdoor trees, pick out LED faux candle designs. These bring all the vintage way of a traditional tree, without any take chances from real flames – peculiarly in a breezy outdoor setting.

Clip-on candle lights work especially well when you're creating an 'outdoor room' on your patio or in a corner of your thou.

'Create a cozy and welcoming display for your patio with soft lighting from candle lights and lanterns, fairy lights and Christmas lights,' suggests Andra DelMonico, Pb Interior Designer for Trendey.

'Add soft textures in the grade of throw pillows and blankets. Adhere a garland to the railing and conform winter-hardy plants that tin can accept the place of summer plants that you take moved indoors.'

10. Make a lit tree a focal point

A large garden, drive or forepart thousand tin make the perfect 'stage' for an extravagant lit Christmas tree. This might be a tall fir or pino decorated in classic fashion, but information technology could besides be an opportunity to try something more gimmicky.

'A tree like this is a existent talking point merely dissimilar a prove-stopping real tree, it's also incredibly to remove once the holidays are over. Y'all can simply fold it upward and pack it abroad until next year,' says Country Homes & Interiors editor, Andréa Childs.

'You lot can too personalize information technology with additional decorations, so that information technology looks as good in the daytime as information technology does once night falls.'

11. Make a 'Charlie Brownish' tree

branch christmas tree with fairy lights outside

Known as a 'Charlie Brown tree' later on the favorite Peanuts comic, a simple twiggy tree or slightly thin pine can come up into its own at Christmas time.

'There's something whimsical and minimal about a Charlie Brown that embraces simplicity in the midst of a holiday that can be overabundant,' explains Ginger Curtis, Owner Urbanology Designs in Texas.

Identify your tree in a soil- or sand-filled bucket, with a covering of baubles to decorate. Then lite with solar-powered or LED lights.

How do you put Christmas lights on an outdoor tree?

In that location are lots of ways to style Christmas low-cal ideas for garden trees.

You could decorate a pine or fir tree just every bit y'all would an indoor Christmas tree, with lights twisted through the branches or prune-on candles at the cease of the branches.

Wrap lights around trunks and branches to add dimension and height to your garden illuminations. And if y'all don't have tall trees to decorate, entwine micro lights around bushes and shrubbery instead.

Finally, y'all could choose faux tree fabricated from Christmas lights, which volition give the illusion of a tree without foliage or branches roofing up the sparkle.

What types of low-cal can I utilize to decorate an outdoor tree?

Weatherproof lights are essential when planning Christmas lite ideas for outdoor trees, and they tin be solar-powered, battery, or LED.

If your lights are mains powered, exist sure that whatever cabling and the socket is waterproof and certified for outdoor use. Shield the socket with a embrace to protect from the elements.

Avert abaft wires to avoid trip hazards or accidentally shorting out your brandish.

Andrea has been immersed in the world of homes, interiors and lifestyle since her outset job in journalism, on Ideal Dwelling house. She went from women'southward magazine Options to Frank. From there it was on to the launch of Red mag, where she stayed for x years and became Assistant Editor. She and so shifted into freelancing, and spent xiv years writing for anybody from The Telegraph to The Sunday Times, Livingetc, Stylist and Woman & Abode. She was then offered the job equally Editor on State Homes & Interiors, and now combines that function with writing for sister title homesandgardens.com.