Charlotte, NC Homes Lighting Up This Holiday Season!

Creating a magical outdoor Christmas with lights! Light up the outside of your home this holiday season with Christmas lighting ideas that are as simple as they are magical. Think outside the box, and make your outdoor spaces as festive as the inside with these fast, simple holiday decorating and lighting ideas. 

Inspiring holiday lighting and decorating ideas from BHG.com. 

Starry Nights Basket

Make hanging baskets sparkle all winter long by lighting them from within. Use coiled vine baskets without liners, and push a 100-bulb string of small pearl lights from inside to out around each basket. Place clear plastic ornaments in the basket as filler. On top, pile a 50-bulb string of small white lights and a string of prelit metal stars to shine above.

Dreamy Door

Dress up a boring doorway with a red and green color scheme. A door outlined with garland, glowing lights, and red bows complements the hanging wreath. A grouping of poinsettia plants adds the perfect punch of holiday cheer.

Glowing Garland

Embellish a porch or balcony with loops of garland intertwined with glowing lights. Big red bows are a welcome sight to any holiday visitor.

Star-Bright Lights

A loose stringing of lights on a sparse tree gives the look of stars twinkling in the night sky. A spotlight on an elegant wreath will light the way for weary travelers.

A Warm, Lit Welcome

Clustered on a pine table, a mix of new and antique lanterns greets holiday guests. Be sure to include a range of styles and sizes. Elevate some lanterns on pedestals to vary heights. As a final touch, sprinkle in natural elements, such as moss-covered twigs and evergreen sprigs. Be sure to never leave an open flame unattended.

Let It Glow

Turn paper bags into dramatic luminaries by cutting out your own designs with a crafts knife, hole punches, and scissors.

Lantern Pendants

Hang multiple lantern like, outdoor lights from a sturdy tree branch to create a welcoming glow on a cold winter's night.

Window Box Chic

Fill a window box with greenery studded with lights to glitter in the icy air all season long.

Swags of Light

When creating an outdoor light display, work with the layout of your home, fence, or gate. Light swags work perfectly on the fence shown here, accented by a slender twig tree that sits in front of the tall brick pillar.

Arbor of Light

Here's a great look for those living in warmer climates. Icicle lights have been draped over a vine-covered arbor, creating an archway of holiday magic.

Snowballs

This mound of shimmering spheres looks like snowballs just waiting to be thrown. Arranged in an urn beside the front door, the spheres are plugged into a power strip hidden inside, then stacked and accented with boxwood greenery. A single strand of fishing line wrapped around the spheres keeps the stack secure.

Wrapped in Light

Coils of white lights loop over the rails of a garland-draped fence. Choose strings with large frosted bulbs for a nostalgic feel. While making the coils (use one string of lights per coil), twist the cord and adjust the loop lengths so the bulbs face outward, spaced unevenly. Secure the coils with plastic cable ties. Simply toss them over fence posts where the garland swoops upward. This effect can also work on a porch rail or stair banister.

Globed Christmas Lights

Spheres of grapevines wrapped in lights become shimmering orbs on a coat of freshly fallen snow. Place these magical globes in birdbaths, urns, or on stairsteps to cast an ethereal glow on your outdoor landscape.

Safety Tip: Use an outdoor-rated power cord. Check the tag on the cord to verify it's safe to use outside.

Glowing Holiday Globes

Glowing frosted globes (available in large and small sizes from home-improvement stores) take the edge off a chilly winter twilight. Scatter the spheres around the garden to create an ethereal winter landscape, or group them in a birdbath or other outdoor winter container for maximum impact.

Safety Tip: Plug the outdoor-rated power cord into a ground fault interrupter (GFI) outlet or a circuit with a GFI outlet on it.

Poinsettia Luminaries

Light up a wintry night with glowing poinsettias encased in ice. Start with a small bloom clipped at the base. Seal the stem with a flame, and push the bloom facedown into a large plastic cup. Pour distilled water -- it makes the clearest ice -- into the container and fill it one-third full. A second, smaller container in the center weighted down with rocks, creates a hollow center in the mold. Freeze until solid. Thaw the ice slightly to unmold both containers and place a votive candle inside.

Christmas Light-Illuminated Glass Cloche

A string of lights nestled inside a glass cloche draws guests to your front entry. Display your illuminated cloche in an urn, birdbath, or on an outdoor table.

Safety Tip: Don't exceed the recommended maximum number of light strings in a series.

Spruce Outdoor Centerpiece

Who says centerpieces are just for the Christmas table? A tiny Alberta spruce stands out in this miniature landscape centerpiece. Snowflake lights and wood disks cut from a branch rest on a bed of green sheet moss -- creating a rustic, woodsy scene.

Wintry Wheelbarrow

Instead of abandoning your wheelbarrow through winter's cold days, fill it with a potted evergreen and add strings of lights. Depending upon which Zone you live in, you might be able to plant the tree in the spring.

 

Potted Frasier Fir

 I love, Christmas tree and the holiday decorations! 

Dress up your exterior for Christmas with winter containers filled with evergreens and natural bursts of color. Make a potted Frasier fir merry with a combination of pretty garden items, such as dried artichokes, pear gourds, dyed eucalyptus, caspia, astilbe seed pods, dried hydrangea blooms, and a pinecone garland.

Refreshing Holiday - Seasonal Outdoor Decorating

Decorating outdoor spaces, front doors, and entryways during the season of fall, winter, and holidays. Adding a welcoming and festive appearance for the exterior of your home during the seasons and holidays. As a holiday, seasonal and event decorator in Charlotte, NC...I am always searching for inspiring and useful ideas to pass along to my decorating and holiday clients. Look at these great ideas I must share with you from BHG, using natural elements from Mother Nature, holiday lights, Christmas and holiday ornaments. I'm in love with each and every photo, can't wait to decorate my home and clients for the upcoming season of fall and winter. Plus, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's! The inner child comes out in me when decorating for these holidays and seasons! I am consumed with abundance of creativity...bring on the holidays and fall!

Pinecone Ornament Decoration

Flowers are go-to additions for containers in warmer months, but in wintertime, you'll need something that can withstand the elements. Pinecones retain their color, as do evergreen boughs. Adhere small pinecones to a foam ball with hot glue and add a patterned ribbon for a dash of color.

Holiday Birdbath Display

A birdbath supplies a perfect and unique spot for a bit of seasonal merriment. Tuck evergreen boughs under and around a shiny ball and spray-paint pinecones to match. For the final flourish, secure matching berry sprigs and a premade bow with wire to the evergreens.

Colored-Glass Windowsill Collection

In place of traditional evergreens, a window box corrals a mix-and-match collection of colored-glass bottles, jars, and candleholders. To elevate shorter containers, place upside-down plastic boxes underneath. If you're hosting a holiday party, light a few candles in some jars for a cheery welcome.

Colorful Christmas Containers

Without blooming flowers, containers such as these two rectangular planters rely on texture for visual interest. For a seasonal decoration, choose unifying elements but mix up their sizes and shapes. Birch vases hold the sculptural growth of dwarf evergreens, while grapevine balls and shiny ornaments offer pops of texture and shine.

Simple Lamppost Decorative Accents

Use your exterior lighting to offer a warm welcome to guests and family during the holiday season. Attach a "Merry Christmas" message to the top of a lamppost and secure a satin ribbon tied into a pretty bow to the bottom. When the lamp is on, the light accents the message.

Editor's Tip: Instead of ribbon, attach pinecones or jingle bells for a similar seasonal decoration.

Glass Jars and Ornaments

Charming and simple to assemble, this wire basket presents an alluring arrangement of blue-tinted glass jars and ornaments. Tuck in some leftover evergreen branches under the jars and a few plastic snowflakes between. On special occasions, add snow (if you have some) to a few jars and add lighted or electric candles.

Oversize Holiday Orbs

Wrapped in bright bows, these garden orbs resemble oversize packages with their silver shimmer. Set them atop mixed-green wreaths (that match the wreath on the front door) to elevate them in urns.

Winter Greenery Basket with Ornaments

Plants don't have to be potted to supply your outdoors with picturesque charm. Try grouping together a few seasonal items, such as pinecones, bits of greenery, and some leftover ornaments. Leave the basket by the front door, or put one container on each of your entryway steps.

Exterior Lights with Ribbon

A clutch of evergreens tucked behind an outdoor sconce adds just the right amount of seasonal flair. For a pop of color, tie a bow with long tails and use florist's wire to add a few contrasting jingle bells or ornaments.

Holiday Hanging Basket

Many people put away hanging baskets when wintertime arrives, but with a little creative flair, these summertime standbys can deftly transition into winter. The key for this outdoor decoration is to include texture and hues for visual variety. Use several kinds of evergreens to offer both light and dark shades of green, and add yellow berries for an unexpected pop of color in the arrangement.

Potted Evergreens Railing Decoration

Repeating a pattern or plant is a great outdoor decorating tool. White-painted pots are the base to this window box, while two types of evergreens -- one vertical and one horizontal -- complement each other. To pull the design together, drape an evergreen swag along the bottom of the arrangement.

Apple Decoration Accents

Using a monochromatic color scheme is a great way to tie together different elements in outdoor decorating. These apples -- piled in urns, tucked into trees, and wired into the wreath -- add a bit of brightness to the otherwise dark green foliage.

Thanks BHG.com, for your inspiring holiday and seasonal outdoor spaces and the wonderful photos!

Inspired Holiday - Seasonal Outdoor Decorating

Holiday - Seasonal Inspired Outdoor Decorating That Lasts

Have you wondered how you can decorate for each season and holiday without spending tons of money and transfer some of your decorations to the next season or holiday? Looking for the best holiday decorating outdoor ideas? Please take a moment and look at these beautiful seasonal photos from BHG. There is not one holiday display I wouldn't use in my own outdoor spaces and front door area. Can't wait to show some of these holiday decorating ideas to our clients. Dress up your front porch and yard with these holiday outdoor decorating ideas that last from the first days of fall through the New Year.

Winter Wall Arrangement

With a little help from Mother Nature, even outdoor walls will welcome holiday guests. Line a wire wall container with moss; fill with florist's foam. This beautiful outdoor arrangement happily overflows with Fraser fir, burgundy-dyed eucalyptus, purple caspia, winterberry holly, and poppy pods.

Juniper and Branches Christmas Container

White twigs rise from a mound of juniper, making a small container stand tall. Snowy-white Mitsumata branches lead a striking profile and contrast with the red pot and greenery. Embellish with artificial snow, pinecones, small ornament balls, and a faux cardinal.

Editor's Tip: Go out on a figurative limb with redtwig dogwood, birch, or spray-painted twigs.

Pinecone and Ornament Garland

Create a striking and festive look for your holiday front door with this pretty garland. Customize a purchased pinecone garland with ornaments that coordinate with your door color, using florist's wire to secure the ornaments. Position the garland outside the door frame, and secure at the top and along the sides with easy-to-remove self-adhesive hooks or brick clips. Finish the warm entry with white pillar candles set inside tall glass lanterns adorned with holiday berries.

Ornament and Pine-Filled Urn

Instead of hanging an evergreen wreath on your front door, use it to liven up a plain white urn. Dress up the decoration by setting lime-green and pink ornament balls on top.

Front Porch Holiday Planter

The simplest of natural touches on your front porch can create a festive welcome for holiday guests. Choose a spacious galvanized pail to house an assortment of fresh cuttings, such as fountain grass, golden Hinoki cypress, and glossy-leaf Oregon grape holly, that will last all season.

 

Sugar Pinecone Potted Container

A cardinal perched atop a giant pinecone from a sugar pine makes this outdoor holiday decoration pop. At the base of the cone, spruce sprigs resting on a bed of moss add the perfect seasonal touch. The design complements a potted, compact "Blue Star" juniper accented with pinecones.

Wintry Hanging Basket

Light up your front porch for the season with glowing orbs displayed in hanging baskets. Frost a basket with spray paint, add a nest of greens, and top with an indoor lamp globe. Hot-glue felt snowflakes to the globe and add a balled-up strand of battery-powered lights to finish the decoration.

 

Pinecone and Birch Winter Containers

White birch logs and evergreen branches add a festive touch to a tall garden container, an ideal holiday decoration for your front porch. A container of large pinecones offsets the tall decoration, and a small string of lights and a faux red bird finish the holiday display.

Icy Holly-and-Cranberry Candleholder

Encase holly sprigs and pyracantha berries in ice that you mold in a flexible plastic ice cream bucket. Create a candleholder in the center of the ice with a recycled 2-liter bottle. Fill the gap between the two containers with branches and berries, then fill with water; freeze. Give it a traditional look by placing a red pillar candle in the center, and pose the finished arrangement in a wire basket.

Blue Spruce Twig Container

This cheery woodland-inspired container extends the season's festive mood to your outdoor spaces. A store-bought boxwood ball tops this arrangement of blue spruce twigs, offering a fresh alternative to the usual upright designs. Perch a faux bird on the boxwood ball, and scatter pinecones for easy embellishments.

Cranberry Luminarias

Provide an enchanted welcome for visitors with luminarias lining your walkway. Fill glass vases one quarter full with faux snow, top with a layer of colorful cranberries, and insert a pillar candle in each one.

Festive Window Boxes

The architecture of wintertime branches offers alluring beauty, especially on a small scale. In this wire window basket, pieces of artfully arranged branches are the focal point. Turquoise-color faux berries add a bright pop of color, and small bits of greenery warm the scene.

Walkway Light Embellishments

Add holiday flair to your walkway lights in just a few simple steps. Tie a small piece of greenery and ribbon around the top of the light, add a seasonally hued candle, and use florist's wire to attach a faux cardinal.

Seasonal Window Box Greenery

Winter is a great time to explore all the color that evergreens have to offer. This window box displays at least six different varieties accented with pinecones and multicolor foliage. Add a seasonal accent to the bright red container with bits of evergreen tucked under birch logs along the edge.

Wait...don't go just yet, continue.....Holiday decorating outdoors for each season coming up next. 

Have yourself a festive, creative, cheerful, and fun time decorating for each season and holiday at your home this year. 

Outdoor Fall Decorating Ideas

Outdoor Fall Decorating Ideas!

As a professional Holiday - Seasonal - Event Decorator of Charlotte, NC I am thrilled the seasons are changing! Welcome Autumn! Saturday, September 22, is the official day of "Autumn". When glorious colors from the beauty our trees comes alive to display abundance fall color. Mother Nature's decorates our land with colors of yellows, reds, greens, golds, purples, and oranges. It's the perfect time to decorate your home indoors and outdoors for the upcoming season. From the holidays of Halloween to Thanksgiving, no better time to show off your personality and add color and spice up your home! Below are some great ideas from BHG on how to add some fall color to your outdoor spaces! 

The key for outdoor decorations is to include different elements in outdoor decorating . Apples, pinecones, evergreens, and so on. Look at each season from spring, summer, fall, and winter...each season brings color and natural elements from the outdoors to decorate until your heart is content.

Fall Squash and Foilage

Mix bright orange squash with earthy pottery for an autumn hued display. Fill the vase with beautiful crab apple branches for their ripe apples and lush leaves.

Creative Pumpkin Arrangment

Display hollowed-out pumpkins filled with potted fall flowers along a retaining wall. A procession of pumpkins would also look stately on your front steps.

Fall Festive Lights 

Adapt Christmas lights for the Halloween and Thanksgiving season. Position sturdy bare branches in a pot half filled with small rocks or potting soil. Fill in the top of the pot with gourds and pumpkins. Wrap strands of lights (white lights or specialty outdoor party lights) around the bare branches. 

Fall flower Bouquet

Scour antique stores and flea markets for a tall and tapered, galvanized steel container with a handle. Fill with fall flowers and hang by the handle from a hook on your front door.

Potted Pumpkin

Turn an old planter into a pumpkin perch for fall. Hot-glue cornhusks to a straw wreath form, along the top, bottoms, and sides so that the ends of the husks all point outward. Stick sprigs of ornamental grass into the wreath form to fill in any gaps. Set the wreath on top of a garden urn and nestle a pumpkin in the wreath.

Pumpkins Path

Add some pizzazz to your front yard by lining a walkway with pumpkins. Around Halloween, replace some of the whole pumpkins with carved jack-o'-lanterns.

Fall Backyard Porch Decor

Add a string of decorative outdoor lights to your porch railing to illuminate the night.

Windowsill Fall Decorations

Dress up blank windowsills with an arrangement of harvest-inspired elements such as miniature hay bales, ears of Indian corn, and leaves. For Halloween, add a miniature jack-o'-lantern or two. For Thanksgiving, add a handful of pinecones.

Photos and articles about photos courtesy of BHG.com.

Welcome "Fall", we are so happy to see you! 

Happy Fall Decorating from our home in Charlotte, NC to your homes.