Unusual Uses: Christmas Lights Outdoors - 5 Fresh Ideas

Bored with traditional strings of lights in your yard? Break out with these 5 fresh ideas for decorating outdoors with electric holiday lights. They're guaranteed to make your home's entrance-way sparkle ... easily and inexpensively. What better way to spread comfort and joy in your neighborhood?

1. Paper Doily Wreath. From Martha comes this stunning wreath invoking flickering candle lights in snow. It's surprisingly simple to make, too. White holiday lights are strung on onto a wire frame and covered with decorative paper doilies. Beautiful ... but don't leave this one unattended.

No time for fussing with doilies? Here's an alternative for the time-pressed decorator: just string a bare ready-made twig wreath with lights. It's easy and costs only a few dollars.

2. Cascade of lights. Multiple strings of twinkling lights hung vertically on a solid surface creates a high-impact yet simple focal point. Try using a brick wall or wooden fence for the foundation.

3. Glowing hanging baskets. Poinsettias are pretty but they won't illuminate your yard at night and you can't reuse them. Try filling your hanging vine baskets with lights instead. Remove any soil and/or moss liners, then nestle balls of holiday lights inside. Depending on the basket you may need to push individual light bulbs through gaps in the vine to help the light shine through.

4. Winter topiary. If you're feeling crafty, fashion a star or globe-shaped wire form and string it with lights. Place atop a planter or urn that's bare from winter cold. A delightfully simple alternative: stuff a string of lights into an upside-down hurricane jar or vase.

5. Bright birds. Stuff a glass-sided bird feeder with a string of battery operated lights. Hang your "bird lantern" right beside your other bird feeder/s and enjoy the bright spot from indoors on dark winter evenings.