Christmas lights outside

DaphneBroon

Oh kitty that reminds me of one of the most moments of my life.
Some years ago I had put outdoor lights on a big pyracantha up the wall outside OUR front door and was on the phone to a neighbour who is also one of my best friends and a teaching colleague.
Without thinking what I was saying I told her I had put lights in my bush.
Apparently she was incapable of speech and nearly had a major Tena lady incident as she relayed that to her husband.
Ever since I get remarks about walking funnily in the festive season.
I still cringe!!

This brings back a memory. My final employment was 17 years in the NHS. The junior doctors on our ward were often asked to help A&E when busy. One day our doctor returned from helping out with a lady who had inserted a string of lights inside her nether regions and had been unable to remove them. He said she was ok but it would have been better had she not switched them on!!! It's another world, isn't it?

I love all these outdoor light ideas — it’s funny how something as simple as fairy lights can completely change the feel of a house. I used to only wrap them around one railing, but this year I wanted to do something a bit more special for the front porch and yard.

I actually found this video with a bunch of unique outdoor lighting setups, and it helped me figure out what would work for my space without making it look cluttered:
👉 youtu.be/8rNh2Lx71z0

I ended up adding a small lit tree and some warm lights along the porch — nothing too over the top, but it made the entrance feel so cozy. Sometimes just seeing how others arrange their lights gives you that little spark of inspiration you were missing. 😊

cornergran I have been thinking of buying some solar powered lights to put permanently in the garden, but not sure which ones to go for. Yours sound very reliable, can you tell me the make or where you bought them please.......thank you

Delia Smith once said that the best things about Christmas was she could light up her thatch!

We always used to put a lovely row of fancy lights across the front of our home. Then, one year, we got new neighbours. One night we arrived home from work and their home looked like Blackpool. If was absolutely festooned, they even had nodding reindeers in the front garden. We didn't bother with ours after that, they would have looked like the poor relations

I could be wrong, but I think it was Phoenix who had lights in her bush last year. Obviously passed the thought to Daphneb too. I love Christmas lights. Don't have any outside but loads indoors.

We have outside lights all year round draped over some bushes in the back garden. White, solar powered and static, or as static as the wind allows them to be . One set stays on most of the night even in the Winter gloom. They cheer me when I'm on a 2a.m. prowl, I love them.

We are lucky in that we have an outside plug near a tree so it's simple to put lights in the tree. I also have a standard holly that I move to the front door and put battery operated red berries in it. It was recently coved in real berries but those pesky little birds ate them?

It's difficult to accept that, at our own sad times, the rest of the world just keeps turning, isn't in Shanma.

Daphne that really made me laugh...Thank You

You all, or most of you probably know my feelings on Christmas, I am probably christened Mrs Scrooge if the truth is told , so you will not be surprised to read that we do not have them. I dislike the tacky ones, but there are one or two near here with tiny twinkly lights draped in the trees, and they do look very nice, must be a nightmare putting them up though.

The worse thing that comes to mind happened 12 years ago. My father died a week before Christmas, and was cremated. At the Crematorium there is a gate house, probably someone who works there in a tied house, and I suppose they had Children, but in view of where it was I found it distasteful that outside the door they had a blow up Santa about ten feet tall!! It was ghastly.

I do not go overboard inside, a tree with lights and some lights over a tall cabinet in the dining room. Just cards apart from that. If I had the energy I might do more but I haven't.

None here, DH is a bit sniffy about twinkly lights outside, but I usually make a holly wreath for the front door, and inside , Christmas tree with lights, and a couple of candle bridges.Tbh I don't want it to be OTT inside, so much to pack away again,but do like some Christmas bits.

daphne lol!!

We (well, DH) string white icicle lights all along the front porch and along the long garage wall; everyone seems to put up some lights in our area of the road, but nothing OTT.

It just looks lovely when you drive up the road, neighbours put lights in trees and around their front porches, and there are always several candle bridges in windows.

Lol @ Daphne ??? the thought makes my eyes water! Thanks for the laugh !

We always put lights in the trees along the drive and around the cotoneaster under the window.
Now we are in the new house I have been pondering a new scheme. The garage is too far away to plug anything in. We have an open wood beamed porch, so I'm thinking of two garlands of pine cones, intertwined with battery operated, white lights on each upright. For the top of each I've got three large reindeer bells, to be tied with a large hessian bow!
I have all the bits ready to assemble at the beginning of December.

we put quite a lot of ligts on our conifers they plug in through the garage door and I have battery operated ones on timers that go on the shrubs at the front door .I love the lights and hate taking them down after the new year ,the street looks much duller and colder without all the lovely colours twinkling at night .The timer ones come from QVC ,they stay on for 4 or 5 hours then switch off and on again the next evening at the same time.Think they were about £25 2 or 3 years ago.One set of batteries lasted the whole month of December

That's lovely, sal. I bet they will love the light!

Purpledaffodil the lights are not 99p, that was for another accessory on the drop down list. I found one for £18.88 and have ordered it for DD1 and 3 DGCs. They enjoy decorating their current house from December 1st. Their controlling father used to make them wait until Christmas eve, but since he left them they go over the top! I hope the lights will not be a disappointment.

I think we have given up for this year! We decided that permanent ones round the eaves etc are a much better idea than anything on the plants and, as we are struggling to find an electrician just to change the light fitting in the kitchen, we feel there is not a cat in hell's chance of getting lights done before Christmas.

Could someone check in about August that we have started looking for someone to do it. Many thanks!!

Shysal I have seen those laser lights in our local garden centre. They cost £50 so I would be a bit worried about 99p ones. Cheaper to replace though if they got pinched from your front garden.
.

Oh you two have really made me laugh ?

I put lights along porch gutter using those special clips. We plug them in by passing wire through front window. The rubber seal accommodates the thin wire beautifully.
Where my brother lives in Canada there is always a socket intended for outdoor lights in the hall coat cupboard.
? DaphneBroon The only time I ever complained to a noisy music making neighbour I said "Your throbbing organ is going right through me"

Oh, so it was YOU DaphneB who caused such hilarity on the forum last Christmas with the comment about a lighted bush.

I'd be worried that it would walk, Gd!! We have a pub at the top of the road which seems to mean high jinx at about 11.30 in the run up to Christmas!

If you'd particularly like a tree, what about one of the lit cherry blossoms that you can stand in the front garden? We pass a house which has one near to Christmas time and it is very effective. I thought it was a real tree with lights on it, but it's not there during the year.