How to design yard decorations for Christmas

Christmas is only a few months away and decorations will soon be popping up everywhere. Design and plan your own Christmas yard decorations made from painted plywood.  Make displays of  Santa Claus, Christmas stockings, Christmas trees, Elves and Christmas holiday gifts to name a few.

Things you'll need:

• Time to research design ideas from several sources

• Grid notebook paper and color pencils

• Copy machine

• Scanner

• Picture of your front yard

• Tape measure

• File folder

1. THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE IN YOUR YARD CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS. Look in magazines, on-line, departments stores for displays, small botique shops selling Christmas decorations, and the Christmas card display at Wall Mart and other retail stores.  Take with you  a notebook and jot ideas down quickly. Use your digital camera to record pictures of the displays you like, but ask permission first. Put sketches and picture prints in a file folder. For informatin on what to do about supporing your decoration displays see  How to Make Easel for Yard Decoration Support
2. GET A PLAT OF YOUR HOUSE FROM YOUR HOME FILE OR THE LOCAL TAX OFFICE. Read dimensions from plat and sketch your front yard on grid paper at a larger scale, about ¼ inch equals one foot.  Make several copies of this sketch and scan it into your computer for future use if you have a scanner.  Keep your sketch size manageable, about the size of your children’s notebook paper, 8-1/2 inches by 11 inches.  For more information see How to Decorate Yard at Christmas Time
3. CHOOSE COMBINATIONS OF CHRISTMAS DISPLAY ICONS YOU LIKE BEST FOR YOUR YARD. Sketch in your chosen display Christmas icons on the grid paper, tying to create a main theme for your yard display. For example, if you desire Santa Claus, place him near the center of your yard and put a Christmas Tree with presents under.  Add some holiday gift boxes, an Elf, and his sleigh on the roof with Rudolph. Sketch in some decorations on your bare trees where you can hang stockings and ornaments.  Do a plan sketch of approximate locations and an elevations sketch showing approximate and relative sizes of icon cut outs.  Plan for all the cutouts to be of plywood or heavy duty cardboard with weatherproof coverings.  Plywood is preferred.  Use several of your plat sketches to try different themes, then pick the one you think you can build and display easiest. For information to help you paint your decortions see    How to Make A Portable Paint Spray Booth Go for it!  Get those Christmas yard decorations done!

Tips and Warnings:

• Make a checklist of what you will need by sketching your display theme ideas.  Don’t be afraid to try several ideas, paper is cheap..

• Plan on using simple outline cutouts with painted in details.

• Design simple Christmas decorations you can glue or staple on the other larger cutouts.

• Design your display theme to be able to deter theives during the season. Plan for plenty of outdoor lighting spotlights on timers.

• Design your display to use only exterior paints and sealers.

• Plan on securely fastening all display elements to ground, trees, or roof

For more information see:

How to Make Santa Claus Yard Decoration

How to Decorate Yard at Thanksgiving

How to Make Happy Birthday Yard Decoration

How to Make An Elf Holiday Yard Decoration