Decorating your Terrace for Christmas

The festive season of Christmas is celebrated with a lot of zeal and enthusiasm. Families plan the celebrations well in advance and the Christmas decorations are done from the front gate to the backyard and from the living room to the terrace.

Some important tips for decorating terrace for Christmas are:

• Decide the theme for the terrace. The theme could be a continuation of the theme that is used for the entire house or a different theme can be used for terrace. Depending on the size of the terrace, you can go for multiple themes also. If there are plants on the terrace, a green theme is most convenient. If the terrace is an open space than snow or other themes can be used. To give the effect of Christmas, common colors that are used for themes are snow-white, evergreen and heart red. Use of silver and golden colors is also popular as it adds glitter to the overall décor.
• If terrace is not frequently visited, do not use very small objects to decorate the terrace. Empty cans and bottles can be colored using spray paint and arranged in the balcony or terrace for decorations. Also, depending on the size of the terrace, a big teddy or a small tree can be used for decoration.

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  If you are planning to highlight your balcony or terrace and expect visitors there, it is a good idea to clean the terrace and remove all the items that do not add value to the overall décor. Any unused furniture, old cans, bottles etc should be disposed before you start decoration.

• If there is enough space on the terrace, it is advisable to have some seating arrangements so that you can invite your guests on your terrace to enjoy the decorations. The sitting arrangements need not be very elaborate. Simple stool or chair can be used for the purpose of sitting. Remember to invite guests for a drink on your terrace keeping capacity of the terrace in mind.
• The terrace should be well lighted. There is very little utility in decorating a place that will remain dark during the night. A well lighted terrace adds to the overall effect of decoration. The boundary of terrace can be lighted with the help of candles or lighting series. The corners can further be lighted using multiple colored lighting or dancing LEDs. As there will be multiple lamps etc that will be used to light the terrace, it is important to use good quality cables and switches for electrical connections. Any loose connection or open wires should be discouraged as they may lead to short circuits. The last thing you want on Christmas is an electrical failure or any other mishap.
• Depending on the area of the terrace, you can go for carpets to cover the entire area of the terrace. Old carpet or old rug can be used as carpets. You can even cover the carpet with bedcovers and coupled with pillows can use on terrace for sitting. The theme of the balcony or terrace can be used while selecting the color of pillow covers and bedcovers.
• The outer wall of the terrace can be decorated using garlands or hanging wreaths. Though any garland or wreath can be used for decoration, it is always better to use a garland whose color is in contract to the color of the wall. If possible, directional lighting can be used to highlight the decorations on the wall during the night giving outer walls of the terrace a special effect. Garlands can also be used to decorate the inner walls.
• It is good to have a trash can on the terrace so that the waste can be disposed continently. Having a trash can on terrace helps in keeping the terrace clean.
• It is important for the terrace to smell good. As terrace is mostly an open space, it is subject to outside smells. Therefore, special care should be taken that the terrace smells good. Flowers can be used for decoration of the terrace and they are a good way of subsiding outside smell. Perfumes or scents can also be used on terrace for having the desired smell.