xmas ideas for the outside

[miss_thrifty]

Well with anew place in this xmas and being so big i need to be frugal so I though of making on the shutters:
**fake peppermint candies(styrofoam plates white painted with red swirls and covered with plastic or celephane then tied off with normal small ribbon and culrly).
***making my own big star out of med size branches(hubby will help me with this) and tie them together with his fine gauge wire the painting it with leftover gold paint. hanging that on the top of the garage.
we have 100 feet of colored lights so hubby will put them on the front and gable end.
*** go to the woods and get some real var or fir branches for all around the front door then decorate it with fake presents, and leftover red small bows and dollar store i have here. use the rest of the small stuff for my flower boxes one large in front and one on the side. pinecones in it, gold painted twigs along with red ones(wild rose bushes), some gold or red ribbon .
** maybe some 3 boxes differnt sizes stacked on the step covered with shiny paper(differnt colors) and a large plastic ribbon tying it together.

[steelergal]

That sounds really cute!

I just usually put my pine garland out along the porch with ribbons, my metal snowman and maybe a wreath in the bay window- it will have a big bow on it (it is one of those lighted ones- but in order to save some extra money it will not be plugged in!).

[mikandmari]

A couple of cheap decorating ideas: I have a vintage basket from a flea market, I fill it with holly branches (complete with berries) from a tree in my Mom's yard. It looks quaint and charming (if I do say so myself )!

I have another basket, a wire one (like was used for chicken eggs). I filled this with pine cones and twisted a strand of clear lights thru it. I saved it in the attic, now I just bring it down and plug it in.

Inside, a large crystal bowl is filled with plain shiny red ornaments, also with a strand of clear lights twisted thru them. Or you could mix ornament colors, or add pine cones, etc. I just set it on a table near the wall, so the cord isn't really noticeable.

I'm really looking forward to decorating this year!

[halloweenfreak]

i saw on hgtv one year poinsettias made from wire clotheshangers and colored panty hose. they were pretty nifty looking. i made a north pole sign last year out of some scrape pvc, a large gold christmas ornament and a scrap piece of board.

[DaisySue]

My outside is pretty frugally done as I bought some decent quality garland years ago (10?) and we swag it on the front and side windows that are seen. There is a bow at each top corner. Got that cheap at Dollar General one year and really lasts pretty well. When it gets faded, I buy new but usually last a couple of years. Same wreath every year but when it gets faded or boring I do something new and inexpensive with it.

We also made a bunch of wooden snowmen representing our family from old wooden siding we had and we set those out every years. Oh and icicle lights along the roofline.

[2boysand1girl]

I plan on making the Family Fun Candy Canes and several bows to attach to my iron fence. I'm hoping that if I buy the ribbon cheap enough I would blow my top if they are stolen.
I love the wooden snowmen idea.

[geckoace]

Your house sounds so cute. We try to keep it pretty simple (DH is a party pooper). I have 2 huge red lanterns that i got half off after christmas at ikea 2-3 years ago, they are filled with a string of lights pinecones from my yard and vintage glass balls i got at a bag sale. they will be on either side of the front stairs. Then we will have an LED star i bought last year after christmas, they use very little electricity and i will hang that where i roof rises just about the stairs.
We have a wreath that i made for the front door that is covered in ribbon with a battery op candle in the middle.

I also have some icicle lights but i may not hang them in the spirit of energy savings and keeping the pregnant lady (me) off of a ladder LOL

[Jaded]

I may do my mini tomato cage trees this year. I take tomato cages, turn them upside down, tie the top with a twist tie, and string them with lights. Really cute along the front walk.

I just have a straw wreath I bought one year on sale, wrapped in the wired ribbon (also after Christmas half price) with a big bow that I hang in the LR every year.

I usually don't do too much anymore, because it's just me, but we'll see this year, because I have a friend who wants to help me put up lights.

[miss_thrifty]

steeler gal I would love to find a metal snowman.
Mari-- i think i will use some left over glass ornaments to put in the green glass dish and put on the table. thanks for the idea.
Halloween freak Ill look for on HGTV if they still have the pointsetta idea. sounds cute and frugal.
Daisy sue- I love th dollar store for the large bows , easy to chuck out after a couple of years and buy new. I need 2 m one for this xmas.
Heather-Whats the family fun candy canes? sounds interesting , just the plastic ones that are hollow inside?

Reba i have some LEd lights from last year and another set of lt blue ones i got at flea market so Ill try to use them some wheres in the house. Love LED>

Jaded- did the tomato cages too 5 years ago loved them. Also making letters NOEL out of coat hangers and taping the lights to them and covering it in tinsel. Looks really nice outside.
My hubby wants to do more because we have a whole house again instead of apartments or town houses.lol I just dont want the bill lol Thats why im pushing him the direction of more non lit things maybe a flood light or 2 and thats it with what we have now for lights.

[halloweenfreak]

if you happen to find them, post a link. i looked everywhere and couldn't find them myself.