7 Reasons To Skip Those Inflatable Prefab Christmas Decorations
(Gemmy Industries/Wayfair.com)
Wander down almost any neighborhood in early December and you’re bound to see some festive front-lawn flair, from twinkling lights to rattan reindeer and inflatable Darth Vaders in Santa hats.
But there’s an unspoken dividing line among homeowners when it comes to a Christmas decorating style: you’re either for or you’re against holiday inflatables.
We’re talking about the crop of fan-powered plastic lawn sculptures– bobsledding snowmen, camouflaged Santas and yes, even jolly Angry Birds – that makes an appearance around Thanksgiving and stays until New Years. Before we ignite a “National Lampoon”-worthy Christmas battle between neighbors, let’s remember that everyone’s entitled to their version of festive accouterments! But if you are looking for a reason to deflate the spinning snow globe and try out some DIY lawn cheer instead, here are several.
1. You’ll never have to worry that your neighbor will be wearing the same outfit as you.
When you make your own decorations, there’s no chance your display will look just like the one next door or across the street. DIY decorator Kristina Rubio of Canton, Ohio, is in the business of giving facelifts to castaway furniture to sell at flea markets to vintage junkies. During the holidays she treats the outside of her home like another room and dresses it with her upcycled finds: a vintage sled is given a fresh coat of paint and leans on the porch, a simple two-by-four turns into a snowman, and a burlap holiday sign hangs in the front yard. “Even with the same materials, every house can look different. There’s no right way or wrong way when it’s your vision,” Rubio says.
via Gillian Stevens
2. You can show off what Christmas means to you.
The message and meaning of the holidays is easily lost in all the white noise of a jam-packed social calendar and shopping stress. Infuse your home with the traditions that mean something to your family. Where do you start? “Look for materials that remind you of Christmas and put your own spin on it,” Rubio says. “I found a pair of kids ice skates and hung them up with ribbon and some pine branches.”
via Vibeke Design
3. You’ve already got what it takes.
Repurpose supplies you have to fit the season. “A galvanized bucket used for mums in the fall can be filled with pinecones and cheap plastic ornaments for Christmas. You can move it from season to season,” Rubio says.
via Wit and Whistle
4. You can let your lights shine! (Read: You can still go nuts.)
DIY doesn’t have to mean subdued. Some of the most over-the-top Christmas houses are the creations of unexpected DIY experts. Former electricians, computer programmers and other crafty homeowners spend months preparing to line their homes and lawns with lights and Christmas scenes.
The website Tacky Light Tour celebrates this brighter side of Christmas creativity by providing maps of the most brightly lit home attractions in cities all over the world. The site’s administrator, Matt Burgess, explains: “I look at the houses as works of art. The homeowners on the tour have something in mind that they’re going to put together in their front yard or on their house…And the purists do everything by hand. Everything is one of a kind.”
via Flicker/Teaks
5. You can let out your inner techie.
Plugging in a fan-operated lawn ornament does not a DIY Christmas decoration make! Just take it from Burgess, who sees homeowners building custom props, programming synchronized light and music shows, and even making animatronic Christmas characters to put on display. Burgess celebrates innovation, but admits that not all of it is homemade. ”Inflatables started popping up in the mid to late 90s. They’re a lot more available and affordable now that you can go to Home Depot to buy them. In the past you had to create your own.”
6. You’ll save energy…and money.
A typical inflatable consumes 150 to 200 watts per hour, according to National Grid. With a conservative 10 hours per day usage (that means 14 hours of the day your lawn is littered with deflated piles), you’ll spend an extra $10 a month on your electric bill with each inflatable. Keep your electric bill low by switching to repurposed decorations and by using LED lights in your homemade creations.
via Roubinek
7. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Make decorations with your own two hands and it will become the first thing you save in that basement flood. Forget the trips to the store every year to buy the latest red and green plastic product. As Rubio puts it: “With homemade decorations, you didn’t just buy it. It’s your heart and soul. You have pride in it so you want to take care of it. It gives you joy.”
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