Page 17 2024 Home For The Holidays Lincoln Daily News You may prefer a rustic outdoor theme with elegant foliage, frosted greenery, deer, and lit birch branches. A contemporary look would include LED lights, large ornaments or lanterns, and possibly wire sculptures and/or wreaths. Let your imagination and your inner child determine your theme and soon you’ll be spreading holiday cheer to the whole neighborhood. From full size Christmas trees on the deck to Santa hanging from your gutter, get festive and show your holiday spirit. Keep it simple. You aren’t in competition with Clark Griswold and NASA doesn’t need to see your house from space. Simple Christmas lights make just as big of an impact. Secondly, you’ll need to know your budget. Inventory the decorations you already have on hand and decide what you’ll need to purchase. Consider re-vamping some of the items you already have. A fresh coat of paint or some glitter can transform last season’s decorations into something new and fresh with minimal eff ort and expense. Thrifting is another great idea. You know what they say….one man’s trash is another’s treasure. If you want a display that covers your entire yard it might also take up your whole budget. Infl atables are generally costly and often succumb to the elements. Projectors seem to be on the rise and can fi ll every inch of your home or business exterior with holiday magic. Consider only decorating the porch area or the mailbox. Effi ciency is another budget item to consider. LED lights are going to be brighter, more energy effi cient, and last longer than the incandescent bulbs of the past. The next thing you’ll need to consider is how much time you have to invest in the project. Here is where the problem with holiday decorating lies with most people. Commercials, magazines, and Hallmark movies depict actual winter wonderlands or candy cane lanes with life size animated Santas waving at you as you drive past. If you have just as much time as Christmas Spirit, then by all means go all out, but if you need to razzle dazzle in a fl ash, I’m pretty sure Santa will still stop. Pathway lights, net lights on the landscape bushes, or outlining the exterior of the building are all great ways to light up the night in the blink of an eye. Continued --
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzExODA=