“Can we make it like the Home Alone house?” Clara asked when we started planning our outdoor Christmas decor. She adores the movie — “Kevin and Bros,” as she calls it — and had even noticed that the house in the film resembles ours, only much larger and fancier. After a family brainstorming session (mostly Clara telling us what to do), we agreed on a simple plan:
- wreaths in every window tied with gold ribbon (Clara insisted no other color would do)
- lighted garland around the front portico
- plug-in candles in every windowsill, reused from our previous home
- three small red lanterns filled with twinkle lights
real seals with red Santa hats on the roof(Clara’s imaginative idea — we had to skip it for obvious reasons)
Here’s how everything turned out.
My favorite details are the wreaths in every window — they look great from both outside and inside — and the lighted garland draped along the portico railing. I also love how the red lanterns filled with lights sit near our blue door.
Another small joy is catching a glimpse of our still-to-be-decorated Christmas tree through the bay window. (Side note: I’ve been meaning to repaint those decorative white trim pieces that hang down; making them the same color as the siding while leaving the window trim white would, I think, tidy up that look.)
The wreaths ended up being a fantastic bargain after stacking a few sales. I scored eleven 24″ outdoor wreaths for $53 total instead of the full-price $88. They were already marked down, and then I found a holiday-decor coupon I could use on sale items, so the final price was much better than expected. I also picked up three large spools of gold ribbon so everything would match.
Hanging the wreaths took a bit of strategy. The upstairs windows were straightforward once we worked the storm windows and screens out of the way enough to open the window from the top and slide a wreath out with the ribbon holding it. A tip: hold on to that ribbon like it’s valuable, because dropping a wreath and running outside to fetch it is a quick way to waste time and patience.
With the wreath out the window and the end of the ribbon held, John would close the window on the ribbon so we could raise or lower the wreath by feeding more ribbon through as needed. Locking the window kept the ribbon snug, and for extra security we used a small thumbtack at the top of the wooden windowsill to hold the ribbon in place. That tack leaves only a tiny pinhole where the blinds cover it, so it felt like a reasonable compromise.
The lower-level windows presented more of a challenge. Their taller storm window panes didn’t allow us to slide wreaths out the top unless we removed those panes entirely, which wasn’t ideal on chilly days. Instead, we hung those wreaths from the outside using a ladder and plant hooks attached to the window trim.
To keep the ribbons flat and neat — like the upstairs ones — we made simple wooden “trapeze” pieces: short dowels with tiny holes at each end and a bit of wire threaded through to create a flat plane for the ribbon to wrap around. John could hang the trapeze over the plant hook, and then staple the ribbon to form a loop so the wreath hung at a consistent height. The staples are subtle and, after several days up, everything has stayed secure so far.
For the portico garland, we experimented with several placements before settling on a look that felt balanced. We tried running the garland up to the portico peak and around each pillar, but ultimately liked the visual better when it draped low and flowed down the steps. A few cable ties keep it anchored, and the porch light at the top creates a pleasant glow without competing with the garland lights.
I bought three strands of lighted garland a few years ago; they daisy-chain together into one long strand, which makes installation and plugging in much simpler. We also brought out the plug-in candle lights we’d used at our previous house — they fit perfectly in the window sills and added a warm, traditional touch. We had enough for most of the windows but not the garage, and since running out to turn lights on and off in the garage each night felt impractical, we left that area unlit.
The red lanterns from Ikea got a second life too. Each lantern holds a single strand of lights, and we linked them together and placed them on alternating steps. We tried several placements — walkway, flanking the door — but the stepped look won. Fortunately, an outlet on the porch powered both the garland and the lantern string so everything lit up without tripping breakers.
We’ve seen more extravagant displays around the neighborhood, and we have ideas for future years — like wrapping the holly-shaped tree on the corner or adding a large lighted wreath to the front door — but for our first holiday display in this house, we’re really pleased. A neighbor even stopped by to ask about the garland and lanterns, which was a lovely compliment. I admit I enjoyed chatting about the details; I love holiday lights and the cozy atmosphere they create.
I was worried it might look odd by day without the lights on, but I’m happy to report it still looks nice. (Another small aside: I meant to move a doormat at the bottom of the stairs into the garage after finding a wider one for the front door, but it somehow stayed in place — a minor quibble in an otherwise cheerful display.)
Are you decorating your house exterior this year? Do you follow the roofline with lights, or prefer draping trees and porch railings? We love seeing all the creative ways people use lights to transform their homes for the season.
Update: We’ve compiled some of our favorite holiday decor finds elsewhere; many affordable options make it easy to recreate a similar look at home.