5 Creative Ways To Decorate Your Balcony For The Holidays

With the festive season just around the corner, what better way of expressing your holiday spirit than sprucing up your home for the celebrations? Home interior is often the priority for most homeowners when decorating for the holidays. However, for those with smaller houses, you surely understand the trouble of squeezing every decorative detail into such a tiny space. If you have a balcony, you can easily extend your holiday decorations outside to let the neighbors know you are ready for the festivities. 

Nonetheless, before going out on a shopping spree for your décors, there are a few things you need to be aware of. First, balconies come in different sizes, so you must decorate accordingly. You also need to check whether you have an electrical outlet on your balcony. This will help you prepare beforehand for the decorative details that might need to be powered to function, for instance, Christmas lighting, via White's Electrical. So if you are ready to give your balcony a fresh spin this holiday season, take some inspiration from the following tips.

Holiday lights, often referred to as Christmas lights, are among the most common types of decorations that you can find. They are loved for their versatility and range of options for any setting. There are plenty of ways to use lights to spruce up your balcony. However, the simplest way for almost every balcony is using string lights dangling on the railing. The beauty of string lights is that they come in various sizes and colors depending on your needs, and they will not only brighten up the space but are also visible from afar. Other than that, you can also choose unconventional types of lighting, for instance, candles or chandeliers. 

String lights are powered by electricity. But if you are worried about your electric bill skyrocketing, especially during the holidays, you will be glad to know there are ways to have energy-efficient lighting. According to the Department of Energy, shifting to LED lights that consume 90% less energy will save you a lot on energy bills during this holiday. Moreover, they also offer lengthy service of between 25,000 to 50,000 hours in service. Impressive right?

The balcony can be an excellent spot to showcase your impressive collection of plants this holiday season. Regardless of how big or small your balcony is, you will always get the right plant to match. However, before growing plants in this area, you must consider how much sunshine it experiences daily. Fortunately, plenty of plants love growing in direct sunlight or in complete shade. You must work with your balcony's conditions to ensure that your plants are healthy enough to bring bloom and color during the holidays. 

A good example of a holiday plant is the popular Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) which flowers between December to January. They are available in different shades, making them immensely adaptable to whatever theme you are going for, via the University of Minnesota Extension. Since they bloom in winter, the Poinsettia plant will help you spruce up your balcony during Christmas. Consider planting them in hanging baskets for aesthetics and to save some space on the ground.

While wreaths are often associated with Christmas celebrations, these popular decorative pieces are versatile and can be used on almost every holiday. They provide you with the luxury of adding color and personality to the balcony, not to mention how easy they are to install. Take advantage of the open and visible space on the balcony to install a large wreath or several smaller ones on the rail to give your balcony the necessary facelift. In addition, there are other ornamental decorations that you can install together with the wreaths for additional aesthetic appeal, for example, garlands and velvet bows. 

It is also worth mentioning that wreaths are easy to purchase, as well as making real ones from home. Natural wreaths have plenty of benefits than you may realize. Right off the bat, natural wreaths look way better than their artificial counterparts. Also, the smell of fresh pine carries more significance in reinforcing the true holiday or Christmas spirit. Other than the aforementioned benefits, the Michigan State University Extension also mentions that natural wreaths are good for the environment compared to artificial types, which are made of plastic.

You will be surprised just how important getting the colors right is for your balcony decoration. Holidays should be fun, with cheerful spirits filling the air. Using the wrong colors, however, might ruin the experience and make your balcony feel cold and uninviting. When it comes to color choices for a holiday, the warmer, the better, so color schemes like red and green will give a better look for the Christmas holidays than monochrome tones, via Sensational Colors. The trick here is to think out of the box and be creative. 

Decorating your balcony with the right colors doesn't need to feel like a science contest; you can also experiment with different color combinations. One rule of thumb you can implement is to choose a base color, for instance, red, and combine it with white and green; it is that simple. Ultimately, you must achieve a style that appeals to you and your family before impressing any other party. So if the color choices feel right to you, then that is exactly what you should do.

Let's face it, garlands have a way of injecting a subtle dose of holiday mood and spirits wherever they are installed. They are not just popular because they are versatile but are also a universal symbol used to usher in any festivities and celebrations. Essentially, garlands come in two varieties: artificial and natural. Nonetheless, natural garlands are highly encouraged for aesthetics and environmental reasons. But there is a caveat; you need to make them last longer, preferably the entire holiday. Today's Creative Life recommends soaking them in water as soon as you bring them home before spraying them with an anti–transpirant product once dry.

This should give your natural garlands shelf-life, at least until the holidays are over. Garlands are usually green; pairing them with your Christmas lights or other ornamental pieces like baubles is the best way to introduce color and drama to your balcony area. Finally, you must hang the garlands in the right places and consider placing them on railings for extra visual interest from a distance.