Christmas Ideas for Your Back Porch

Although it won't be seen by passers-by this Christmas, don't forget to decorate the back of your house as it is as much a part of your surroundings as the front of your house and can add a rich holiday feel. It can also be a wonderful touch if you intend to have family or friends over. Here are a few ideas that could help you brighten up your back porch during this festive season.

Wrap garland around the pillars that support the roof of the porch. Stick to one color or mix it up completely by making each pillar a different color. Through the garland loop Christmas lights as this will definitely brighten up the back yard when night falls.

If you don't expect rain or you have a screened in porch you can turn it into a mini toy land of sorts. If you have a bench, cover it with stuffed animals and toys. Buy yourself a small fake Christmas tree and put it up outside and decorate it. (Fake trees might cost a fraction more but they last very long and they don't drop needles everywhere.) Scatter wrapped gifts everywhere and even some "fake" ones to make it look plentiful. If you are fortunate enough to own one and your porch is big enough, a model train snaking around the scattered toys and even carrying some would give it a pleasant whimsical atmosphere.

A lot of places don't have snow during Christmas and in places like South Africa most people spend their Christmas in the pool. Have an outdoor Christmas if you live in sunny places and turn your porch into something of an island bar. If you live near a beach and you can get a hold of some, cover the floor with sea sand and use green garland to look like seaweed. Hang candy canes and other Christmas paraphernalia like plastic ornaments and wreaths everywhere to maintain a Christmassy feel.

Setup a relatively small nativity play on your back porch. Cheer up the wise men by putting Santa hats on their heads. Hang stars and figurine angels and don't forget those Christmas lights to create some magic at night.

If you want to create an earthy feel, make garland from pine cone and hang drape them everywhere. Hang up thick wreaths with pine cones and berries in them. Place a bowl out on the table if you have one with fruit, nuts and berries. Beautiful thick pine garland can also be wrapped around the pillars.

These are only a few ideas so have fun!

Article Resource: Maritza Retief