1. Salute the season
Nutcracker dolls are a symbol of luck in German folklore and are also given as a keepsake to protect the home. So set up a pair of inflatable life-sized toy soldiers to stand sentinel either side of your front gate.
Lytworx 150cm nutcracker inflatable soldier, $159.99, Ebay
Shop the inflatable soldier now at Ebay
Lytworx 4m Inflatable Gingerbread Man, Ebay
Shop the inflatable gingerbread man now at Ebay
2. Show and glow the way
Path lights are practical as well as pretty, lighting the way for your guests, while a friendly elf points the way with festive flair. Bonus – with solar power there are no cables to trip over!
Lytworx 93cm Elf With Wagon, $179.67, Ebay
Shop the inflatable elf with wagon now at Ebay
Click 12 Pack Xmas Solar LED Path Light Bundle, $55.37, Ebay
Shop the Christmas path lights now at Ebay
3. A forest so festive
You can get low-voltage or solar-powered LED reindeer in a variety of sizes to give your garden North Pole vibes. Position Santa’s sleigh pullers in a leafy spot and use tree lights to magical effect.
Lytworx 95cm Solar Standing Reindeer, $89.99, Ebay
Shop the standing reindeer now at Ebay
Looking for personalised Santa sacks to leave out for St Nick? Click here for our round-up.
4. Very merry verandah
A pre-lit Christmas tree is perfect for your front porch. You just plug it in and enjoy the glow. Hang oversized baubles and star lights from the gutters and beams for extra sparkle.Click 180cm Gold Low Voltage Collapsible Light Up Tinsel Tree, $139.99, Ebay
Shop the tinsel tree now at Ebay
Looking for more Christmas trees? Click here to shop our round-up
Need a new Christmas tree skirt? Click here for our round-up
Arlec 47cm warm white LED Festive Star Light, $99.99, Ebay
Shop the LED star now at Ebay
Looking for personalised Christmas stockings to hang ready for Santa? Click here for our round-up
Tips and tricks
Electrical safety tips
If you can go with solar that is the best option as we get a lot of sun during the summer. But for everything else, remember to take a few extra precautions with high voltage power. Here are a few tips:
- When purchasing your lights, check to ensure there are no broken bulbs, cracked sockets, or loose connections and check wires for frayed or cut insulation.
- Before you start decking out your front yard, check lights before use. Place them on a non-flammable surface and plug them in for around 15 minutes to ensure they don’t smoke or melt.
- Grab yourself a safety seal box that has rubber seals which is designed to reduce electric shock from water ingress and prevents accidental disconnection.
- As a second precautions when you go to plug it into the power, you want to get a powerbox that has a safety switch that is already built-in so that if any accidents do happen the power will cut off straight away.
- Don’t be tempted to use indoor lights outside; they are often not waterproof.
Fairy lights tip
If you’re wrapping fairy lights around an arbour use soft ties instead of cable ties because as the wire is so thin it helps protect the fragile wiring on the lights.
Solar panel lights tip
Make sure to strategically place your solar panel lights in the parts of your garden that get the most sun.
Large inflatables tip
Make sure you use the tie-down ropes and the pegs to peg it down.
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