Last week we went over the many ways you can add holiday lights to your home to make the season a little extra special. Holiday lights can be strung, hung, and draped to highlight the best features of your property, and provide joy for those passing by your personal winter wonderland. During the longest and darkest nights of the year, the additional illumination makes cool and crisp evenings more beautiful, and even improves the safety of your property. It’s easier to see sidewalks and pathways to avoid slipping and falling, and properties that are obviously cared for and where the residents appear to be home are a deterrent for thieves.
With that in mind, here are a few more ideas for outdoor holiday decorations that we’ve noticed as we’ve been performing our snow removal services for our southeast Calgary clients. (Although we’ve gotten off lucky with regards to snow removal this year!) With people putting a lot of love and care into decorating their homes, there is a lot of inspiration to be found.
Inflatables
Inflatables are outdoor holiday decorations that were not that common just a few years ago, but have exploded in popularity recently. There are now dozens and dozens of different kinds available, some of them as tall as eight feet or more. Your front yard can house Santa’s sleigh, snowmen, Christmas trees, gingerbread men, candy canes, and dozens and dozens more fanciful objects.
Inflatables are easy to set up and maintain. They bring in air from the outside to fill up the figure with a small fan, and most light up with LED bulbs. Always read the manufacturer’s instructions thoroughly for the best way to use and maintain your holiday inflatables. As usual, be sure cords do not cut across pathways and are not a tripping hazard, and do not overload your circuits. Place inflatables far enough away from walkways so as not to cause an obstruction when deflated.
Go green
Incorporating greenery adds a fresh, festive pop to your outdoor holiday decorations – especially in a city like Calgary where brown can be a predominant colour in the early winter. Winter wreaths, planters, garlands, and arrangements are a lovely addition to the exterior of any home, and can help accentuate the holiday lights and inflatables you have already set up.
The longest-lasting option is, of course, something of the “fake” variety. There are myriad options available at your average department, hardware, and home stores. They are pretty and durable, but can be difficult to store properly. We really love it when our green things represent our living world, so we tend to prefer outdoor holiday decorations made from such materials as birch, cedar, spruce, and fir branches (plus many more options), festooned with berries, pine cones, bulbs, candy canes, and then wrapped through with ribbon, with maybe a surprising treat or two tucked in.
Wreath making is a great craft activity if you’re feeling extra creative or if you’re looking for a fun project to do with your family. Outdoor holiday decorations have several do-it-yourself instructions and it’s easy to find designs online. Our guidance would simply be to not limit yourself. Go by one of Calgary’s many garden centres and let your imagination go wild.
Many local florists also create beautiful, fragrant wreaths made to specifications.
Other options for greenery include garlands around your windows and to accentuate your archways. String them through with holiday lights, wrap them with ribbon, and attach some sparkly bows to give your home the feel of a cozy gingerbread house.
Winter containers are lovely, too. This is another project you could do on your own using materials found at most garden centres, or you could also order yours from a florist. Be sure to use a durable, heavy, and frost-proof pot with a drainage hole. Mix up cut branches, cedar and spruce, colorful berries, hardy perennials, and adorn with a big beautiful bow.
Ribbons and bows … or any kind of fabric
If you’ve got some leftover ribbon from your crafts, tie it on tree branches, around railings and fence posts, and wherever else you can add a great pop of color. Choose classic red, sophisticated silver, or warm gold to invoke the holiday spirit. Bows never go out of style, and you can never have too many decorations for your front yard.
Take care of your tools while you’re at it!
If you have a little time, take care to put away your summer tools properly to ensure they remain in top-notch condition and extend their lifespan as long as possible. Winterize your garden tools and store your chemicals safely and properly. If you have any grass seed or anything mice might like to chew or nest in, secure it in a rodent-proof plastic bin or wrap it up in durable plastic. You may want to set up some traps, too.
Southeast Calgary snow removal services From Mirage
We have been taking care of the residential and commercial snow removal needs for our southeast Calgary clients for three generations. Our overall mandate is to make your property as safe and attractive as possible for you, your family, and those who come visit. Our clients rely on our professionalism and expertise to ensure Calgary’s snow removal bylaws are adhered to, and we look forward to the challenge presented by every snowstorm. We hustle to clear your sidewalks, pathways, driveways, and parking lots as quickly as possible, removing snow down to the bare pavement so that ice doesn’t even have a chance to form. Contact us for a fast and free quote today.
