How To Decorate Outdoors For Christmas On Budget

Article may have affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. Big thanks for supporting my small business.

Are you ready to transform your outdoor space into a beautiful winter wonderland without breaking the bank? If you’re wondering how to decorate outside for Christmas on a budget, you’re in the right place. Today I am sharing creative ideas for outdoor Christmas decorations that will make your home shine with festive spirit. Get ready to learn some fantastic tips and tricks to make your outdoors merry and bright!  

Each year the topic to embellish our roof with Christmas lights comes up, but we haven’t yet figured out how to accomplish this task without spending thousands of dollars. I do love seeing houses adorned with Christmas lights along their rooflines but not to the tune of thousands. I’ll let you know if we figure out a way!

For now, outdoor Christmas decorations in our front yard and along our walkway are the priority.

Easy Outdoor Christmas Lights with Big Impact | Christmas shrub lights | Christmas tree lights | Christmas walkway lights
How to decorate outdoors for Christmas on a budget and get a high-end look

How To Decorate Outside For Christmas On A Budget

I love shopping the stores year round for holiday sales but Christmas time is extra special. Decorating with lights outdoors not only adds a magical feel but also provides functionality. Our walkway and patio is typically dark but the Christmas tree lights on the shrubs provides a nice lite walkway.

Step 1: Gather Outdoor Lights

My biggest tip for how to decorate outdoors for Christmas on a budget is to gather up all of your previous years outdoor lights and see what works and what does not.

Each year, I end up tossing old lights and I purchase a few new ones.

This way, you are not purchasing outdoor Christmas lights and decor unnecessarily. 

This year I picked up 12 new boxes of outdoor Christmas light nets (these are 12’x5′ and waterproof!), 5 boxes of solar powered Christmas spot lights for our walkway and a couple new spot lights for the front door area.

christmas tree shrub nets

Step 2: Add Christmas Lights To Shrubs

We have a system when it comes to hanging the outdoor Christmas lights, my dad lays out the lights and tests them to make sure they work and I place them near the shrubs where they need to be hung.

When adding outside Christmas decorations or lights around your home, ensure they are weather resistant and safe to be used outdoors.

Jessica Bruno hanging Christmas Outdoor Christmas lights on shrubs
Decorating outdoors for Christmas in our front yard is so much fun!

There are several outdoor Christmas light ideas available, ranging from lavish to minimalist. Personally, I prefer adorning shrubs with netted Christmas lights and complementing them with a tastefully designed outdoor reindeer and sleigh.

The warm tone lights create an inviting ambiance that perfectly captures the holiday spirit.

Enbrighten Seasons Color-Changing Café Lights - Easy Outdoor Christmas Lights with Big Impact
Love an outdoor pre-lit sleigh for Christmas

I tend to lean more towards the clear white Christmas lights along with a sleigh and reindeer display but if large inflatable Christmas yard decorations are more your speed, I found these inflatables on Amazon that are super fun!

Step 3: Add Christmas Walkway Lights

A very cool outdoor lighting kit that we picked up last year lines our walkway and it’s on a remote! These outdoor Christmas walkway lights are perfect to create a pathway and make it feel like your’re walking through a magical wonderland.

They also have different color options so you can choose the one that best fits your family’s style and decor. The remote is perfect for when you want to turn them on or off from inside the house! It saves us time and energy every holiday season. We love these lights and would highly recommend!

brick walkway, outdoor christmas tree lights on shrubs
Let’s learn how to decorate outdoors for Christmas on a budget!

Step 4: Add Christmas Spotlights

We enhance the exterior by strategically placing spotlights at the front door and each corner of the house, illuminating the entire facade in a captivating glow. Alternatively a single spotlight at the front door also looks beautiful highlighting a Christmas wreath.

I prefer a warm light color but they have many colors available. These spotlights for Christmas (or halloween – just change the light color!) are perfect to shine on your front door, outdoor Christmas tree or reindeer and sleigh. 

Step 5: Hang Christmas Outdoor Lighting On Trees

We hung these super cool Enbrighten Edison bulb string lights on a nearby tree, and trust me, they are so much fun! Plus, they can even change colors!

Enbrighten Seasons Color-Changing Café Lights - Easy Outdoor Christmas Lights with Big Impact

Outdoor Christmas Decorating Ideas

1. Hang String Lights Around Your Home or a front porch.
2. Create a Christmas Tree out of Lights and Greenery.
3. Put Up Outdoor Nativity Scenes.
4. Light Up the Night with Pathway Luminaries.
5. Create a Snowman Topiary from Greenery and Ornaments.

large stucco home with bright outdoor christmas lights, front door spot light and Christmas sleigh and reindeer

Best Outdoor Christmas Decorations

Where you can buy our outdoor Christmas decorations:

More Christmas Decorating Ideas You Will Love

One of the biggest tips I can share when it comes to outdoor Christmas lights is to take your time packing them away when the season is over and invest in outdoor storage bins or bags to store lighting.

Dealing with a pile of tangled Christmas lights the next season is not fun!

You can pickup cheap outdoor Christmas decorations that will last year after year if you put them away neatly each year and be mindful of not crushing the lights when packing away. 

Whether you want a classic white Christmas light show, a rustic Christmas with vintage lights or a colorful blinking red and green light display, decorating for Christmas outside can be fun if you make a day of it! Sipping hot chocolate, listening to Christmas music and decorating for Christmas is one of my favorite times of year. 

Get our free

Ultimate Christmas Planner

Meet Jessica

What started as a hobby, Jessica’s blog now has millions of people visit yearly and while many of the projects and posts look and sound perfect, life hasn’t always been easy. Read Jessica’s story and how overcoming death, divorce and dementia was one of her biggest life lessons to date.

5 Comments

  1. Maura Loving says:

    Looks great!! I LOVE Christmas Tree Shop and am missing it so much. They dont have any on the west coast!!

  2. When are you coming to do my house, lol! Seriuosly, this is absolutely beautiful and you make it look so easy. Have a blessed holiday!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *