If you haven’t planned your holiday hard decorations yet, it’s time to get crackin’. Your artificial turf is just sitting out there, looking pretty but pretty lonely. Surely, you can make it more festive!
First, a caution
Artificial turf is as tough as it is pretty, but it is not hole-friendly. Yes, the mesh backing has teeny tiny holes that facilitate excellent drainage in inclement weather. But those are the only holes allowed. So as you’re planning your outdoor decorating spectacular, keep in mind that items which require stakes, poles, or pins to hold them in place are a “no” on your artificial grass. Use them elsewhere or just move past them to the zillions of other options available to outdoor decorators.
Use your hardscaping and existing outdoor plants as foundation structures for decorating.
Gingerbread houses are trending for this holiday season. What a great way to doll-up your dog’s outdoor house as well as your artificial turf. In fact, you could make gingerbread the theme for your entire decorating project. Make garland out of big fake candies – or use them to adorn traditional green garland. Use a rainbow of ribbon colors instead of only traditional reds, greens, blues, and metallics.
Another trend that’s perfect for outdoor decorating? Outsized tree decorations. It takes a pretty big tree and room for this concept not to feel overwhelming indoors, but big is best for outdoor displays. Any holiday icon will add awe and wonder when made larger than life and positioned on your artificial grass. Decorate big boxes as presents. Or gumdrops. Make a giant dreidel, or a series of nutcrackers. Go big with candy canes – really big. Use them to decorate outdoor trees and make giant ones to line your front fence, mailbox, and/or front doorway.
Take a hike in the forest to collect cones, then spray paint them in all different colors to fill baskets, or string them together to make swags or garland.
Create a hearth scene. Construct a wall section with a build-in mantel and hole for a fireplace. Paint it to look like brick, hang a stocking or two and add the finishing touch – an inviting fire. This battery-operated LED model would be perfect.
Look for seasonal finds at your local thrift shops or flea markets – old wagons and sleds make great decorations as is and also containers for greens, flowers, etc.
Set small lit trees along the edge of your walkway to guide guests to your door. Orr around the perimeter of your artificial grass, to frame your big display.
Outdoor lights are fundamental. Whether you outline your home with tidy rows of colored lights, drape the eaves and fence with icicles, cover the bushes and bare branches with twinkly mesh, or project spotlights, every year there are more and more solar and battery-operated options that help eliminate the need for snaky, dangerous extension cords.
If you have a real outdoor fireplace, decorate the mantle just as you would inside. The more seasonally cozy it looks, the more you’ll be tempted to grab a comforter and a hot beverage and head out to enjoy the fire and the starry night.
Need more inspiration? House Beautiful has no less than 50 “stylish and fun” ideas to get your outdoor decorating juices flowing. For example, why hang just one wreath on your door when you can hang two? Or three?
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