Outdoor Christmas decorations: lights, figures, trees

Outdoor Christmas decorations for the garden and porch

Everything for the front of the house and the garden: light-up reindeer and polar bears, inflatable Santas, porch trees, garlands and projectors. Prices run from under £6 to about £150, and half of the range sits between £18 and £40. Decide first where the decoration goes and where the nearest socket is, because mains or battery power narrows the choice faster than style does.

Outdoor Christmas decorations: choose by position

Pick the spot before the product, because the spot fixes the size, the power source and the length of cable. This collection mixes light strings, light-up figures, inflatables, projectors and one garland, mostly in plastic, with metal frames under the figures and polyester covers on the inflatables. Prices run from under £6 to about £150, half of them sit between £18 and £40, and buyers rate the range 4.4 out of 5 on average.

Position	What fits	What to measure
Porch or front door	Small tree, garland, small figures	Porch width, door swing, nearest socket
Front lawn	Light-up reindeer, polar bears, inflatables	Height of the figure, soil for the stakes
Eaves and gutters	Icicle lights	Length of the edge (icicle strings run from 7.3 m to 20 m)
Fence, hedge or tree	String and rope lights	Length to wrap (strings run from 5 m to 120 m)
Path or border	Candy cane lights	Spacing between canes (21 in, about 53 cm, each)
Blank wall	Projectors	Distance to the wall, nearest socket

Measure with a tape before you order. The distance from the socket to the start of the run tells you whether a 10 m string reaches or needs an extension lead.

Outdoor Christmas decorations by type

Light-up reindeer and figures

Figures are metal or fabric frames with LEDs fitted. The three-piece reindeer sets list 145 to 210 LEDs, and the figure sets weigh between about 2.7 kg and 5.5 kg, with ground stakes in at least one. Light-up reindeer and outdoor figures compares them by height and by mains or battery power.

Inflatables

Inflatables are polyester shells that a built-in fan keeps standing, so they need a socket and anchoring in wind. In the full Christmas inflatables range, single figures stand 4 ft to 8 ft tall, the archways reach 12 ft and 20 ft, and the listed weights run from 1 kg to 3.7 kg. Some listings include the blower, stakes, ropes and sandbags, so read the contents line.

Porch trees

A tree by the door gives a porch a fixed point. In the outdoor Christmas trees range, most are standard artificial trees, from a 20 in mini tree up to 7 ft, and only a few mention outdoor use in the listing. Read the specification line as well as the title.

Lights, garlands and projectors

String, icicle and rope lights have their own range, outdoor Christmas lights, and a few of them appear in this grid as well. A plain garland needs no power: the 9 ft (2.7 m) one here has no lights, and its title says indoor and outdoor. The projectors throw moving patterns onto a wall or hedge, and the listings describe them as corded and floor-mounted, so you need a socket and a clear line to the surface.

Power and weather for outdoor Christmas decorations

Mains or battery

Mains strings here run from 20 m with 200 LEDs up to 120 m with 1,000 LEDs, and a mains set needs a socket within reach of the first plug. Battery sets, such as a three-pack of 45-LED star lights or two 16.4 ft strings, can go anywhere but need fresh batteries, and the listings pair them with timers and 8 light modes.

Waterproof ratings

Read the IP rating, not the word waterproof. The second digit is the water rating: 4 covers splashing water and 5 covers water jets. Most mains strings and icicle lights here list IP44, a few sets list IP65, and several IP44 strings are still called waterproof in their listings.

Titles and specifications do not always agree, because a title can say outdoor while the specification says indoor. Read both lines. Keep plugs, adapters and battery boxes off the ground and out of puddles whatever the rating, use an extension lead made for outdoor use if the cable falls short, and plug into an RCD-protected socket where you can.

Wind and ground

Light pieces move in wind. Push stakes into soil, use sandbags where the base is paving, and bring inflatables and fabric pieces in when a storm is forecast. Let everything dry before it goes back in a box.

Checklist before you order

Where the socket is, and how far the cable has to reach.
Mains or battery, and whether a timer is included.
An IP rating of IP44 or higher, and the word outdoor in the specification line.
Height, width and weight, plus whether stakes, ropes or sandbags are in the box.
One shade of white across all the lights: warm white in the listings runs from 2,300 K to 3,000 K, while a cool white reindeer is rated 5,000 K.

For the door itself, Christmas front door decoration ideas shows ways to dress an entrance, and how to hang outdoor Christmas lights safely covers fixing lights in place.

Frequently asked questions: Outdoor Decorations

How can I make the outside of my house look Christmassy?

Start at the front door with a garland or a small tree, add one run of lights along the eaves, fence or hedge, then put a light-up figure or an inflatable on the lawn. Keep to two colours, such as warm white with red or green, so the pieces look like a set.

What are some good Christmas decorations to use outside?

The main groups are string and icicle lights, light-up reindeer and polar bears, inflatable Santas and snowmen, trees for the porch, garlands and projectors. Lights and figures need a socket or batteries, while garlands need neither. Choose by position first: door, lawn, eaves or fence.

How do I decorate outside for Christmas on a budget?

Light strings cover the most space for the money: the lowest prices in this collection are for strings, and half of the range costs between £18 and £40. Put the budget into one focal piece, such as a figure or a tree, and use the same light colour elsewhere so cheaper items match. Battery sets save on extension leads and suit a fence or porch rail.

How do I decorate outside for Christmas without it looking tacky?

Keep to one white and one or two accent colours, because warm white and cool white look wrong side by side. Run lights along lines such as the eaves, a rail or a hedge edge instead of piling them up, and leave gaps between figures. A few larger pieces usually look calmer than many small ones.

Are outdoor Christmas decorations waterproof?

Not all of them. Check the IP rating and the usage line: IP44 covers splashing water and IP65 covers water jets, and several IP44 strings are still called waterproof in their listings. Keep plugs, adapters and battery boxes off the ground and out of puddles.

What are the biggest outdoor Christmas decorations?

Inflatables are the largest: single figures stand 4 ft to 8 ft tall, and the archways reach 12 ft and 20 ft. Light-up sleigh and reindeer pieces run up to 3 m long. Check the height, width and weight in the listing, and leave room for the blower or the cable.