51 Outdoor Christmas Lights Ideas to Brighten Your Holiday

Festive outdoor Christmas lights on raised porch

The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

Lighting your home for the holidays is an uplifting way to enhance your curb appeal and make the neighborhood a little merrier. Add warmth and holiday curb appeal to your front yard or front porch with string lights, lanterns, lighted wreaths, garlands, trees, and more. 

Check out these outdoor Christmas lights ideas for simple, stylish ways to illuminate your home for the holidays. 

Choose Safe Outdoor Lighting

For safety reasons, always use string lights and bulbs specifically rated for the outdoors. Check for an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certification to ensure they will stand up to the elements.

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    Festooned Lights

    outdoor christmas lights ideas

    Design by AHG Interiors / Photo by Nick Glimenakis

    Highlight the roofline of your home with festoon lights spaced widely apart. AHG Interiors lit the facade of this 1960s A-frame cabin in the Catskills of New York State with warm string light bulbs that makes it glow like a life-sized gingerbread house nestled in the woods.

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    Warm Front Door Lights

    ideas for christmas lights outdoor

    Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

    Design lighting that complements the style of your home. Emily Henderson Design draped a holiday-ready red door with a Christmas garland laced with string lights that spills onto the front walkway for a timeless and charming display.

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    DIY Christmas Porch Lights

    outdoor christmas lights ideas

    Design and Photo by Sandra Foster

    Decorate your tiny house with green wreaths and garlands lit with twinkly string lights and tied with red bows. This Victorian-style tiny house from Sandra Foster in the Catskills of New York doesn't need much embellishment to look like a romantic Christmas movie come to life.

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    Paper Christmas Lanterns

    outdoor christmas lights

    Modern Glam

    Infuse your front porch with Scandinavian style by hanging large DIY paper snowflake lanterns from the ceiling, like this Christmas porch from Modern Glam.

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    Lighted Porch Column Garlands

    outdoor christmas lights ideas

    Photo by dszc / Getty Images

    If your front porch has large columns, wrapping them with chunky green garlands, tying them with bright red bows, and stringing them with large bright white string lights will add a welcoming and festive glow. Even better if your front steps and porch are covered in a pristine pile of fresh white snow.

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    Small LED Twinkle Lights

    christmas lights front yard ideas

    A Beautiful Mess

    Stringing the frosted faux greenery on this kitschy Christmas front door from A Beautiful Mess with tiny twinkly LED lights adds just the right amount of light to animate the scene without pushing it over the top.

    Tip

    Given the climate emergency, it's vital to switch to LED lights when designing your outdoor holiday display.

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    White Lighted Garland

    outdoor christmas lights

    Inspired by Charm

    Light up a small front porch and landscaping to extend a welcome holiday feel. Inspired By Charm lit the bushes on the other side of the wrought iron railing as well as the garland around the door frame and complemented the bright white lighting with traditional colors for a modern look.

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    Draped Bulb Lights

    outdoor christmas lights ideas

    Liz Marie Blog

    If you live in an all-white house in a wintry climate, decorate with white lights that will complement the facade. This snowy white porch from blogger Liz Marie has a charming farmhouse feel, with rows of draped bulb lights leading to an outdoor Christmas tree.

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    Layered Christmas Lights

    outdoor lighting ideas

    Modern Glam

    Adding balanced lighting to your front entrance will help reduce shadows and make it feel warm and inviting. This vintage-inspired front porch Christmas light display from Modern Glam features layered lighting, from the string lights to the lighted mini trees, to the LED pillar candles filling the hurricane lanterns that help light the path to the door.

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    Prelit Christmas Wreaths

    outdoor christmas lights ideas

    Decor and the Dog

    Use prelit wreaths to create a simple DIY Christmas front door. Blogger Michelle from Decor and the Dog made a festive three-ring Christmas wreath decorated with a giant red metal bow, with two lighted mini trees flanking the door.

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    Front Step Lanterns

    ideas for christmas lights outdoor

    Craftberry Bush

    Fill lanterns with LED string lights to decorate your front steps. This Christmas stoop from Craftberry Bush is decorated with layers of lush greenery and bright white lights that give it a moody and grown-up holiday feel.

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    Front Yard Christmas Tree

    outdoor christmas lights

    Photo by YinYang / Getty Images

    If you have a small front porch and a big front yard with an evergreen, dress it up with colorful ball ornaments and Christmas lights. Placing the focus on something closer to the road is one way to send holiday greetings to neighbors and passersby, and works particularly well if your home is set back from the road.

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    LED Pillar Candles

    ideas for christmas lights outdoor

    Craftberry Bush

    Fill outdoor lanterns with LED pillar candles to create a safe outdoor display. Small whimsical touches like a lantern filled with LED candles and some string lights draped casually on the floor of the porch add charm to this Christmas outdoor lighting display from Craftberry Bush.

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    Colorful Christmas Lights

    outdoor christmas lights

    Modern Glam

    Create a fun and festive feel with a string of colorful Christmas lights draped around the front door. This kid-friendly front door from Modern Glam complements the pastel pink front door and DIY wreath.

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    Christmas Bush Lights

    outdoor christmas lights

    Inspired by Charm

    If your side porch is visible from the front of the house, don't forget to spread the light around. Inspired by Charm strung the porch ceiling and hedges with a generous amount of cool white lights to give the black-and-white home a Christmas makeover.

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    Layered String Lights

    outdoor christmas lights

    Inspired By Charm

    Layer small and large string lights to illuminate the facade of your home, like this front porch from Inspired By Charm. Use smaller lights on garlands or mini trees, and drape a large bulb garland from the porch ceiling.

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    String Lights and Metallics

    outdoor christmas lights ideas

    Maison de Cinq

    Mix string lights with metallic accents for extra shine. Maison de Cinq added gold mini pear ornaments and ribbon-tied bells to these Christmas double doors that reflect and bounce the light around.

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    Mini Lighted Christmas Tree

    outdoor christmas light ideas

    Modern Glam

    If you want to keep it simple, focus on a single lighting accent, like the mini tree on this Christmassy front porch from Modern Glam. Be generous with the string lights so that it stands out, especially if you're not adding any additional decorations.

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    Warm Christmas Lights

    outdoor christmas lights

    Modern Glam

    Create a welcoming glow by choosing warm lighting, like this cozy front porch decorated for Christmas from Modern Glam.

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    Picket Fence Garland

    outdoor christmas lights

    Photo by chapin31 / Getty Images

    Instead of focusing on the front porch, the outdoor Christmas lighting display on this old ranch house is anchored by the white picket fence, which is decked with draped garlands tied with red ribbons and lit with warm string lights. The roofline is outlined in bright pure white string lights to create dimension.

    Tip

    For the sake of the planet—and the neighbors—keep Christmas lights up just long enough to celebrate the season before putting them away until next year.

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    Indoor-Outdoor Lights

    ideas for christmas lights outdoor

    Inspired By Charm

    If your front door has sidelight windows that allow for a peek inside, consider using simple lighting on the exterior garland that echoes the Christmas tree lights visible from the front stoop, like this simple display from Inspired By Charm.

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    Outdoor Tree Lights

    outdoor christmas lighting ideas

    Liz Marie

    If you have the space and the budget, give your winter porch an enchanted feel with an outdoor Christmas tree lit with simple white lights. Blogger Liz Marie turned her ornamental round side porch into a glowing Christmas wonderland by lighting a tall tree and wrapping the outside of the circular gazebo-like dome with string lights.

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    Minimalist Porch Lights

    outdoor christmas lights

    Modern Glam

    Adding a single strand of open bulb string lights to a front porch seating area decorated for Christmas is a simple way to connect it to the front door lighting scheme. Modern Glam kept it casual with white bulb lights on this front porch decorated with Christmas plaid pillows.

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    Front Yard Christmas Lights

    outdoor christmas lights

    Inspired by Charm

    If your home is set back from the road, extend your lighting scheme beyond the facade. Add a string of lights across the front lawn or wrap some greenery on a mailbox located in the front of the lawn to act as a visual bridge, like this one from Inspired by Charm.

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    Mini Tree Christmas Lights

    outdoor christmas lights

    On Sutton Place

    Flank your front door with mini Christmas trees outfitted with LED string lights. This front porch Christmas decor from On Sutton Place shines in the daytime thanks to a colorful wreath an doormat, while mini trees lit with a smattering of lights adds a lit bit of understated cheer.

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    Front Path Christmas Lights

    outdoor christmas lights

    Photo by aimintang / Getty Images

    When designing your outdoor holiday lighting scheme, work around the architecture of your home. This outdoor entrance has a long winding path to the front door that is lit with garlands and white lights tied with red bows to create a festive entrance.

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    Cascading Christmas Lights

    outdoor christmas lights front yard

    Design by bauhaus1000 / Getty Images

    If you live in a Victorian-style home with a double porch, decorating the top floor porch railing with cascading Christmas lights will help to frame the architecture and illuminate the facade. Work your way down to the front door, steps, and yard to create a balanced look.

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    Christmas Hurricane Lanterns

    ideas for christmas lights outdoor

    Design by Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

    Competitive, over-the-top holiday light displays are an American tradition that has long served as fodder for holiday comedies and local news stories, but there's no reason to go over the top when designing a Christmas lighting display. Emily Henderson Design added tall modern hurricane lanterns with pillar candles that gently glow when lit after dark for an understated feel.

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    Spare Christmas Lights

    outdoor christmas lighting ideas

    Jordan Jean Blog

    Use simple white lighting to accent areas like windows or the front door for a spare Christmas lighting scheme. From the street, using a mix of frosted and dark greenery creates a neutral almost black-and-white look on the facade of this home from the Jordan Jean Blog.

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    Roofline Lighting

    outdoor christmas light ideas

    Design by Coldcoffee / Getty Images

    Use lighting to enhance your home's best features, like this Christmas cottage whose sloping fairytale roofline is highlighted with white lights that add dimension on snowy winter nights.

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    Tree Planter Lights

    outdoor christmas lights ideas

    Liz Marie

    Flank your front door with lighted trees. DIY porch planter boxes from Liz Marie Blog fit with the farmhouse vibe of her spacious front porch and give the pair of lighted Christmas trees flanking the front door some lift.

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    Spare Christmas Lights

    outdoor christmas lights ideas

    Thistlewood Farms

    Balance over-the-top decor with subtle lighting. This maximalist outdoor Christmas decor from Thistlewood Farms includes a ribbon-tied wreath on every window, with a lighting scheme that focuses on a central wreath lit with white bulbs that creates a focal point.

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    Covered Porch Lights

    outdoor christmas lights ideas

    Photo by Anastasiia Krivenok / Getty Images

    Make an outdoor space like a covered porch inviting for winter with cozy lighting. Complement a prelit wreath with plenty of throw pillows and extra throws for a warm hygge feel.

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    Candle Displays

    outdoor christmas light ideas

    Home Made By Carmona

    Even if you decorate your porch with electric Christmas lights, keep a stash of candles handy. Blogger Ursula Carmona of Home Made By Carmona keeps LED flameless pillar candles in a basket under her bench and displays a trio of decorative DIY Mason jar gel candles on the ledge of her front porch so that she can add a real candlelit Christmas glow when the mood strikes.

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    White Christmas Lights

    outdoor christmas light ideas

    Photo by YinYang / Getty Images

    Lighting your front yard is all about balance. The bushes on either end of this one story home and the main central window are lit to add warmth and seasonal glow to the home while remaining understated.

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    Greenhouse Christmas Lights

    outdoor christmas lighting ideas

    Liz Marie

    Give outdoor spaces like a greenhouse a magical feel with thoughtful lighting. Liz Marie Blog set a charming Christmas table inside of her greenhouse, lit with frosted Christmas trees, overhead chandeliers, and layered candlelight that glows on the inside and is visible from the outside.

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    Balanced Christmas Lighting

    outdoor christmas lights ideas

    Thistlewood Farms

    If your house has a large facade, extend your front porch lighting scheme to the windows to make it feel more expansive and well distributed. This symmetrical outdoor holiday lighting scheme from Thistlewood Farms has lighting on the front hedges, too, to create a sense of depth and dimension.

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    Frosted Tree Lights

    outdoor christmas lighting ideas

    Jordan Jean Blog

    Use warm lighting to make frosted trees feel cozy. This outdoor Christmas lighting display from the Jordan Jean Blog creates a black-and-white effect with a dark garland sparsely lit with large warm bulbs, and a pair of lighted frosted trees of varying heights off to one side.

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    Back Porch Christmas Lights

    outdoor christmas lighting ideas

    My 100 Year Old House

    Create a simple DIY votive candle chandelier to add charm to a Christmas porch. This Nutcracker-themed back porch Christmas dinner table setting from My 100 Year Old House mixes a tall prelit LED tree with a DIY light centerpiece that includes 20 glass jars filled with real candles that float above the table.

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    Front Door Christmas Lights

    outdoor christmas lights ideas

    Modern Glam

    Highlight your front door with simple string lights. This front porch holiday lighting scheme from Modern Glam features fresh greens and festive firewood logs piled in galvanized firewood buckets and lit with plenty of golden string lights for a modern farmhouse vibe.

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    Tall Candelabra

    outdoor christmas lights ideas

    Photo by Andreas von Einsiedel / Getty Images

    Not all outdoor Christmas lighting displays have to face the street. If you have a back porch or other private outdoor area, light it up for you and yours to create another cozy spot to celebrate the season, like this back London porch lit with ceiling string lights, a collection of glowing lanterns, and a tall standing candelabra.

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    Indoor-Outdoor Window Lights

    outdoor christmas lighting ideas

    Jordan Jean Blog

    Light your windows from the inside with electric candles that will be visible from the street, like this Christmas light display from the Jordan Jean Blog that complements outdoor lighting on the front entrance Christmas trees and garland.

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    Light-Wrapped Palm Trees

    outdoor christmas lights

    Photo by Juan Silva / Getty Images

    If your home includes palm trees on the front lawn, create a tropical Christmas feel by wrapping their tall trunks with white lights. Scatter a lighted reindeer family around the yard for a look that is just the right side of kitsch.

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    Lighted Window Wreath

    outdoor christmas lights ideas

    Maison de Cinq

    Hang a lighted wreath on the outside of street-facing windows. This Christmas lighting display from Maison de Cinq has an indoor outdoor feel, with the central bank of windows lined with greenery and framed with light, while a large bright lighted wreath hangs in the center.

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    Two-Tone Lights

    outdoor christmas lights ideas

    Photo by Tim Bieber / Getty Images

    Highlight zones with two-toned lighting. This remote Michigan cabin makes use of the large side deck visible from the front of the house to display a large glowing golden outdoor Christmas tree. A few small strands of red light on the stair railing leading up to the front porch gives the entrance its own identity.

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    Porch Lights

    outdoor christmas lighting ideas

    Liz Marie

    Complement existing porch lights with string lights for a harmonious mix, like this rustic farmhouse porch from blogger Liz Marie Blog.

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    Gazebo Christmas Lights

    outdoor christmas lighting ideas

    Liz Marie

    Decorate an outdoor gazebo or covered porch with string lights and a lighted Christmas tree, like this space from Liz Marie Blog.

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    Porch Floor Lighting

    outdoor christmas lights ideas

    Maison de Cinq

    If you have a deep and narrow front porch, be sure to light it from the ground up so that it feels cheerful and well lit, like this romantic front porch from Maison de Cinq. Candlelit lanterns on the porch floor at the entry frame the scene, a mini Christmas tree lights the middle, and a generous garland draped around the double doors fills in the rest.

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    Window Garland Lights

    outdoor christmas lights ideas

    Photo by Perry Mastrovito / Getty Images

    Lighted garlands on top of every window will give your home a cozy and welcoming feel. This rustic Quebec log cabin looks magical with its snow-covered roof and every window lit for Christmas, from the front of the facade to the side windows on both floors.

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    Backyard Pool String Lights

    outdoor christmas light ideas

    My 100 Year Old Home

    Decorate a large backyard with draped rows of string bulb lights that stretch the width of the lot, like this Southern California space from My 100 Year Old Home. Position the lights so that they are reflected in the pool to create a festive atmosphere.

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    DIY Christmas Porch Lights

    outdoor christmas lights ideas

    Design and Photo by Sandra Foster

    Golden string lights on the green wreaths and garlands glow against the snow white paint and snowy woodland setting of Sandra Foster's tiny Victorian cottage in the Catskills of New York. The outdoor Christmas lights blend perfectly with the surrounding landscape and reflect the owner's shabby chic style on the interior.

What is the best color of Christmas lights to use outside? 

White lights are the most timeless, classic, and elegant choice to complement any style home. Choose warm or cool whites depending on the look you want to achieve.

What is the easiest way to hang outdoor lights for Christmas? 

The easiest way to hang outdoor Christmas lights is to use affordable plastic light clips that won’t damage your home exterior. Install permanent DIY Christmas lights if you want to invest the time and effort up front that will pay off in future years. 

What type of Christmas lights are most popular? 

The most popular Christmas lights are LED string lights. They are durable, energy-efficient, and come in a range of styles and colors.