10 Awesome DIY Outdoor Decoration Ideas This Christmas

It's so great to see the effort that some people go to at Christmas with their outdoor decorations. There's always a house here and there (or in some cases, an entire road of houses!) who go for it with the Christmas icicle lights, flashing reindeer and Santa clauses who really stand out. Those are the ones that the kids love to see! But if that kind of decorating isn't your cup of tea, we found some equally fab alternatives on Pinterest, which are guaranteed to make your house stand out just as much as anyone else's. (You could save a few quid on the electricity bills while you're at it too ;o) ) 1. Decorative planters  (Via MeowchieSyndle.com) Fill your empty pot plants with holly, ferns, baubles and ribbon to dress them up. 2. Hanging Christmas baskets (Via TheSunChronicle.com) Your hanging baskets don't need to be put away until next year: fill them the baubles, wrap them with LED lights and keep them hung up by your front door. 3. Alternative Christmas outdoor lights (Via Indulgy.com and MeowchieSnydle.com) There are a tonne of different ways to add Christmas light and sparkle to the outside of your house: add tealights or LEDs to mason jars or vases, and dress with foliage and ribbon. 4. Outdoor candy cane holder (Via Bhg.com) How lovely and simple is this? You can buy candy canes relatively cheaply or make them yourself. Add ribbon to the neck of the vase and snow spray for effect. 5. Festive front doors Dress your front door with a full ribbon or furnish your porch outside with lanterns and festive wreaths. The effect is just gorgeous. 6. Winter bells (Via Houseandgarden.co.uk) We love this idea of hanging various-sized bells by an outdoor seated area. Perfect for hot drinks, blankets and chats! 7. DIY snowflakes (Via FamilyHoliday.net) These are so pretty and are a great alternative to icicle lights. Use any outdoor-friendly materials you can think of for the snowflakes and thread using fishing wire. 8. Garden Christmas trees We bought one of these from our local garden centre last year and we'll have it for years to come. It is happy in a large planter and can be decorated any way you like. 9. Wonderful window sills If your window box is bare of flowers now, then why not consider this simple idea and fill it with large baubles and ferns? So easy and effective. 10. Funky windows (Via Midwestliving.com) Say goodbye to the dreaded spray snow that is SO hard to remove in the new year and try this cute idea instead. It could be a fun craft idea for you and the kids: use fishing wire to thread and hang the foam/cotton snowballs and glue the mountain peaks together. It looks great in the window! Have you any more rustic or DIY. ideas? Send them across to Sharyn.Hayden@HerFamily.ie