Holiday lights a beloved tradition

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Designer offers tips on getting out of decorating rut

For many families, decorating the exterior of their home is an annual tradition that brightens the holiday season, and this year, designer and artist Tiffany Pratt encourages you to switch things up.

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“It’s easy to get in a rut,” she says. “You have the same old ornaments you’ve always used or the same old lights you’ve always hung, or you’ve always hung them the same way. My message it to spice things up and try something new, try a new theme, try a new colour, try putting lights in a new place. It’s fun to stretch your creativity and look at your home and how you’re decorating it in a new, fresh way.”

A recent Ipsos survey commissioned by Kellanova found that holiday lights are a beloved tradition for Canadians, with six in 10 decorating the exterior of their home and five in 10 driving to see holiday lights.

For holiday light displays, design is the top priority for six in 10 Canadians, followed by colour at 50 per cent, cost at 30 per cent and size at 20 per cent.

While Pratt believes oversized white lights look beautiful on any style home and also likes traditional red, white and green lights, she suggests strings of multi-coloured lights this year.

“Especially in the world we live in, multi-coloured lights are back. They’re non-denominational. Everybody wins. Rainbow magic – everything is represented. It doesn’t matter which holiday you celebrate you can look at those multi-coloured stringed lights and feel joy.”

Pratt encourages homeowners to think of height when lighting their home. “Go high, medium and low because having all heights of your exterior lit up looks really elevated. Putting lights on the ground, perhaps on bushes or to light up characters, always makes it feel more special,” she says.

If you don’t have the bandwidth to frame your house with lights, a vignette at your front door is the way to go, Pratt assures. Consider hanging an oversized wreath with lights. Create a theme on your porch or stoop, such as candy land featuring oversized candy canes and other faux treats you either purchase or make yourselves.

Shine lights on anything with glitter and watch it sparkle. Other vignette ideas: stacks of wrapped presents or big bows everywhere, including doors, boxes and windows.

“Each of those bows can be glittery and filled with lights as well,” Pratt says. Another idea is to take advantage of Mother Nature and decorate your porch or stoop with oversized pinecones, a Christmas tree and a big cedar wreath.

Pratt cherishes memories of driving around and taking in Christmas lights as a youngster. “My mom would load us kids in the car, and we’d get our hot chocolate and drive around. We used to love buzzing in and out of neighbourhoods and seeing what everyone else did. It was such a delight.”