What is your Christmas Display

[SantaPaws]

Everyone who has a Christmas display is in their own category. They are nomally animated lights, blowmolds, inflatables, or movers and shakers.(movers and shakers are animated ferris wheel, trains, etc) So which one are you? what does you display have in it?

And also, what got you intersted in making things for Christmas?

[Mummy deer-est]

Well, in the past I have just been lights...but this year, I hope to do more. :)

[Mistress Muffy]

Yes for us it is the lights too, but last year we added some candy things & a lifesize Santa on a ladder going up to the roof. The game plan now is to work toward making the outside of the house into a Gingerbread House.

We also do a lot of decorating inside. Will we be able to post our Xmas pictures here the way we do in the Halloween Forum?

the Muffster?

P.S. I don't even have all my pictures posted yet from Halloween! eewww!!

[lyssa-anne]

My inside is decorated more then the outside, I never really know what to put outside besides lights - we (i) do lights and the lighted deer , trees, presents etc...but trying to think of other things to do - not really into those blow ups (but I should get one for the kids - they love them )
Mistress Muffy - love your idea with the santa! - where did u get a life size santa?
I would like to do a huge display one year that will stop traffic (not that we get a whole lot of traffic lol) - that was my plan for halloween this yr also - but I kinda ran outta time, but I must say my son said all the kids on his bus loved it!
I would like to have a santa and sled on the roof! or a santa stuck in the chimmey ( but we use the fireplace, so that wouldn't work).

[lyssa-anne]

The things that got me interested in making things for Christmas is ...hmmm well, I have always enjoyed decorating for special Occasions (halloween, Christmas, themed birthday parties). This yr. I have done a winterwonderland surprise party for my mom, Princess party - complete with a huge castle etc..(made outta a ton of refrigator boxes), a priate party (complete with pirate ships - also made outta boxes) a luau party ( which people are still talking about), of course I haunted the house for Halloween and will soon be decking the house for Christmas !! :-)

[Sickie Ickie]

I have planned for this year, a sleigh, deer, and an animated santa falling off the roof with the Christmas lights around his foot. Thank the members here for that idea. :)

[SantaPaws]

I guess it is my turn since I am the one who started it.

I started out building up animated dolls to put into my window at home. I used to buy these old dolls on ebay and fix them up. They looked pretty nice, till my rot got to one of them. LOL. Then I found a person that didn't live to far in Geneva, Illinois(www.twasthenightbefore.com) who was into lights. That is how I got into animated lighting. I have a video of my first year. Now at this time I didn't have a radio transmitter but I had a speaker out in the yard for people to hear. This is what my first year looked like. I don't have video of the following year on line at this time. Maybe later.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y260/lovermonkey/Christmas/th_2004.jpg

[Mistress Muffy]

lyssa-anne I just had one of those Santa outfits that my waiters & waitresses use to wear in my diner when they waited on your table. The kids went nuts over that. Anyways I stuffed that thing and I found a Santa mask & we stapled that to a Halloween treat bucket, one of those 98 cents jobs from walmart. We then wired him to a ladder and added boots & gloves and also I added that santa set with the fake hair & beard. The plan was to keep moving him toward the roof till Xmas day.

Muf

[Mummy deer-est]

I would like to have a santa and sled on the roof! or a santa stuck in the chimmey ( but we use the fireplace, so that wouldn't work).

You could fabricate a fake chimney to put on the opposite side of the house, and stuff the santa in that!

[lyssa-anne]

Good ideas ...thanks

[Mummy deer-est]

Love your lights, SP...how long does it take to set up?

[EnlightenedGrinch]

My decor is pretty much just lights. I try to use a variety of single color light strings.
Last year I did display two animated reindeer that I "modified". I'll post pics of those soon, too.
This year I'm going to experiment with the Mr. Christmas light controller (the poor man's Light-o-Rama) and see what it can do.

[SantaPaws]

Love your lights, SP...how long does it take to set up?

Depends on how many channels you have. This one was my first year, so I only had 16 channels. Normally takes around 3hrs to setup. The programming was a bit more. Not that it is hard, just trying to figure out how I wanted it done is all.

[Sickie Ickie]

sooooo modest. :D

[Secret Santa]

Don't know if anyone has seen this site - http://www.collectionsetc.com/ - but they have some neat decorations and I kinda like the lifesize santa on this page http://www.collectionsetc.com/Item88242.aspx- lyssa-anne this may be just what you are looking for :D Anyway, there is nothing over $20 and we have ordered from them in the past and have been very happy with the service and the products :D

[Brightside]

Wow, there is some nice stuff there and modest prices too. Thanks

[Mummy deer-est]

Oh, I love that santa! There has to be money in the budget for that!
Thanks for the info!

[bethene]

I mostly have lights, but I also put a big star on the chimney, my dad made it when I was a kid, he worked at Reynolds Metals, so it is out of aluminum with lights. I also have a standing santa, also was my dad's, so for nostalgia's sake, I always use them. I have a large lighted nativity, but haven't put it up yet. It was my mother in laws, and hubby is afraid some one will steal or wreck something in it.

[Sickie Ickie]

Oh, I love that santa! There has to be money in the budget for that!
Thanks for the info!

If you get it, I'd like to see your pics about how it looks in real life.

[thehoghunter]

Someone asked as they saw my Halloween display what I do for Christmas - that's what got me started (although thinking up scary stuff is easier).

So, with all the different things we had (no theme), I came up with penguins decorating the house. I use reindeer motors (give the reindeer to my sister Sandy) to make the penguins move (hanging large snowflake from the roof or trying to put christmas balls on the small palm tree).

This year I hope to have 3 or 4 penguins skating.

Christmas-past (http://s215.photobucket.com/albums/cc162/hunters-moon/Christmas/Christmas-past/)

[gingerbreadhouse]

You could fabricate a fake chimney to put on the opposite side of the house, and stuff the santa in that!

I found this prop last year half off. I believe I got it at osh. I am not sure if they still sell them But if they pick one up they are pretty cool. Here is a video.
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb101/haverghastasylum/th_MVI_1764.jpg

[Mummy deer-est]

How do you attach it to the roof, Gingerbread?

[spookineer]

It won't be much this year. We'll be in the middle of the Pacific on a cruise ship for Christmas and New Years. We are taking a very small (24") pre-lit tree, a mini tree skirt, some mini ornaments, and a small string of lights to put around the cabin window.
But our Christmas spirit is HUGE!

[Sickie Ickie]

I believe you, Spook! :D

those penguins are adorable!

[gingerbreadhouse]

How do you attach it to the roof, Gingerbread?

I just bought it last year, so I will have to figure out a way to attach it. The
prop is made out of a mesh material, So I don,t think it will be caught by wind.

[spookineer]

those penguins are adorable!

We're not going quite that far south this time, just to Hawaii.

[Sickie Ickie]

little hula skirts. :)

[SantaPaws]

I love it!

[navidadnm2010]

Ours is a Combo of Lights, some Homemade stuff (this year), a couple new Inflatables, the rest are Inflatables, Blowmolds and Lights.
But we combine them, to give our yard a Santa's Village look.

[Mr. Griswold]

We are a candy cane themed yard but we also have penguins santa frosty polar bears deer and trains. This year we are bringing the nativity scene to the display and on the opposite side of the house we will have our homemade Nightmare Before Christmas Scene

[propmistress]

My husband has a shed full of homemade props (many he made when he was a teenager)
And we used to have the lighted grapevine deers but none of them survived.

This year we are adding to our collection... so far we have bought lighted trees and candy canes.

I will post pics once we are done decorating.

[Sickie Ickie]

Looking forward to it. :)

[chris]

I go with the tacky christmas display everything and anything I can get into my yard! Lol its not really tacky I just like all christmas things. This year the theme is The North Pole.

[cougar1217]

I'd say I am an anything goes display except inflatables. I like the effect of lights and inflatables just don't do it for me. This year we are trying to get a uniformed look so we are going with only red white and green lights. Plus blowmolds, home made displays, trees, etc. etc..

[propmistress]

Chris.... I gotta keep on eye on your posts.... we want to do a North Pole theme or a Santa's Workshop... but we need more ideas and decorations to do either

[putrid]

My display is plastic.

[Papa Noel]

My display includes animated lights, static lights, trees, presents ,snowman, Santa, train, wagon, candycane, and some other items.

[theedwin]

I tend toward the Penguins....

[propmistress]

I tend toward the Penguins....

Ok.. if you tend toward the penguins... I have to post this link...

YouTube- Do You Love Me? (Now That I Can Dance)

idea:If you dedicate this to Santa.... and project it out a window... it could be considered decorations....

[Drayvan]

The inside of the house always gets more attention than the outside. I enjoy working on my ever growing villiage each year so I hope to expand that. I usually have lights and a small amount of static props with no theme. I am wanting to begin planning for a theme for the outside and knowing some of the people here from haunting I know that I will get the knowledge to do so.

[coffee4106]

im just a light person because i cant afford much... BUT when i moved into this house the girl left a ton of Christmas candy canes and little yard signs.. im happy!.. I had given my aunt some of my big lighted signs and some outdoor candles.. they told me i get those back and more of their stuff.. SOOO this year..... we are deckin the halls!.. im HOPING my aunt gets me the light display for my birthday hHAA...

[Warrant2000]

Building facades out of foam board to turn my house into a giant gingerbread candy house. I guess I should get started...

[CaliforniaMelanie]

I'm very pagan-ey when it comes to my Christmas decorations. I love natural stuff (like tons of greenery, though it's faux--real greenery is $$$$), logs with snow on them and a winter bird perched here and there, and Bavarian/old world style Santas. That sort of thing. All things natur-ey and mystical and magical.

I also do quite a few lights.

[Sickie Ickie]

Sounds like you have an awesome olde world display!

[merryblackfog]

Last year we bought the gemmy light show for the outline of our house. It was awesome. I build six 5 foot trees all in different colored lights and group them in three. Then I have just one with presents all around it that I made. I have a big 6 foot lighted snowman that I got from home depot a couple of years ago that I loved so much I got two and keep the other one inside the house till spring, and then have a string of snowflakes in front of him that have a six function pattern. I also picked up the gemmy lollypops that change colors. I wrap my poles on the porch with red ribbon. Lights on the bushes. Under the bay window and living room windows I have a bough of greens with lights on them and a bow. I made two hugh candy canes out of pvc and criss cross them and put a hugh bow where they meet. I also change my bay window with a different scene each year that I make. This year I will use the Santa that I made kneeling beside a manger that I have to build. Then on the garage windows and upstairs I have snowflakes that I made that are about 15X15 inches out of foamboard poster board that I cut into a snowflake and patterned a design and stuck white lights of 50 into it that have an 11 function control that I can change. I have them hung inside the windows. The inside is fully decorated with greens and lights on the fireplace and banisters and above my dining room hutch that I keep up till spring. A small tree in the foyer that I also leave up to. We get a real tree that can stay as long as it wants to lol. One year it wouldn't die and we had it up till almost Valentine's day! We were embarressed to put it out with the trash and just leaned it up against the house for the birds lol! I take anything Santa down after the 6th, the Epiphany. I keep all of my snowmen up till spring when they melt lol! All outside lights and decorations are taken down about the 6th as well. The wreath on the door stays and the dining room scene gets changed to a 20 foot lighted snowman and the small group of christmas trees with white lights and snow stay as well. I am going to make a bare tree with twigs and put birds on it to go with an outdoor winter scene. I just started to decorate the inside yesterday and might take advantage of the nice warmer weather to assemble the trees outside. I have always enjoyed all the decorating and creating new ones.

[chris]

Last year we bought the gemmy light show for the outline of our house. It was awesome. I build six 5 foot trees all in different colored lights and group them in three. Then I have just one with presents all around it that I made. I have a big 6 foot lighted snowman that I got from home depot a couple of years ago that I loved so much I got two and keep the other one inside the house till spring, and then have a string of snowflakes in front of him that have a six function pattern. I also picked up the gemmy lollypops that change colors. I wrap my poles on the porch with red ribbon. Lights on the bushes. Under the bay window and living room windows I have a bough of greens with lights on them and a bow. I made two hugh candy canes out of pvc and criss cross them and put a hugh bow where they meet. I also change my bay window with a different scene each year that I make. This year I will use the Santa that I made kneeling beside a manger that I have to build. Then on the garage windows and upstairs I have snowflakes that I made that are about 15X15 inches out of foamboard poster board that I cut into a snowflake and patterned a design and stuck white lights of 50 into it that have an 11 function control that I can change. I have them hung inside the windows. The inside is fully decorated with greens and lights on the fireplace and banisters and above my dining room hutch that I keep up till spring. A small tree in the foyer that I also leave up to. We get a real tree that can stay as long as it wants to lol. One year it wouldn't die and we had it up till almost Valentine's day! We were embarressed to put it out with the trash and just leaned it up against the house for the birds lol! I take anything Santa down after the 6th, the Epiphany. I keep all of my snowmen up till spring when they melt lol! All outside lights and decorations are taken down about the 6th as well. The wreath on the door stays and the dining room scene gets changed to a 20 foot lighted snowman and the small group of christmas trees with white lights and snow stay as well. I am going to make a bare tree with twigs and put birds on it to go with an outdoor winter scene. I just started to decorate the inside yesterday and might take advantage of the nice warmer weather to assemble the trees outside. I have always enjoyed all the decorating and creating new ones.

Wow sounds like a great display! I also you Mr. Christmas in a box. I think they work great!:) Show pics this year!

[Mr. Griswold]

Every year I mix it up a bit...last year it was the Griswald home stapled solid. This year its what I call "Nuclear Candy Cane" I had a vision of my house glowing like a plutonium rod that was peppermint flavored. :) As for the yard decor its a mix of homemade and bought. I will have the forest with deer roaming on one side of the yard. The other side will be Christmas Town. The Side Yard is where My Nightmare Before Christmas Scene will be. I have the house nearly done and I am starting on the forest tonight.

[chris]

Every year I mix it up a bit...last year it was the Griswald home stapled solid. This year its what I call "Nuclear Candy Cane" I had a vision of my house glowing like a plutonium rod that was peppermint flavored. :) As for the yard decor its a mix of homemade and bought. I will have the forest with deer roaming on one side of the yard. The other side will be Christmas Town. The Side Yard is where My Nightmare Before Christmas Scene will be. I have the house nearly done and I am starting on the forest tonight.


Mr Griswold your pics are great! You scored nice load of christmas props this year totally cool:cool:! LOL looks like your just as busy as me, hope everything is coming along great!:)

[cinders]

This will be my first year actually having a display on the lawn. It was a spur of the moment decision that began when my neighbor two doors down put her lights and stuff out. I admit, I was jealous of the festive-ness of her house! So I put my Halloween fireplace out on the lawn and decorated it and I have a group of light-up presents that I've had for about five years unopened in the package still. I bought a real tree and a light up snowman. Most of the stuff for the lawn display is up now, but needs to have finishing touches and tweaking. Its going to be an "inside" scene, but outside. Something like after Santa came. I'm wishing now that I would have thought about doing this sooner. I would have repainted the fireplace. It still looks Halloweeny to me!

I don't think I'll be able to get any lights on the gutters this year. I can't get the ladder up in the front because I have lots of pvc pipes and wood tombstones stored behind the bushes. I'll have to see what I can do after Thanksgiving to make this come together. I've got three holidays all colliding together in my house right now and I'm kind of overwhelmed with how I'm going to store all this stuff.

[Sickie Ickie]

Three holidays? Christmas, Halloween, and what's the third?

[NJWilk]

I have a small intown lot in a very walkable old neighborhood, so my display is intended to be enjoyed in the day as well as at night and has a lot of small details for walkers to enjoy. Main theme is the Rudolph Express, my train. Santa's driving the train, the engine is made from a 55-gallon drum, coal car is filled with presents and the reindeer ride on the flatcar. I also have a little group of snowmen which will be growing this year. Lighting is a variety of styles - C9s, mini lights, rope lights, spotlights - all red-white-green.

[irish santa]

my theme is more a santa's toyland I have lights but I have more blowmolds and homemade yard art