DIY: Outdoor Lawn Christmas Decorations

Decorating your yard for the holidays does not mean you need to head to the store and spend a lot of money. Dig through your storage sheds and pull out old winter and Christmas decorations from years gone by to create rustic holiday vignettes throughout your yard. There is no need to get out the power tools. Simple transformations can be crafted using leftover paints in the garage, or by marrying natural elements with outdoor winter toys.

Things You'll Need

• Window screen, average size for double-hung windows
• Drop cloth
• Dark blue spray paint
• Kitchen sponge
• White exterior house paint
• Pink acrylic enamel paint
• Orange dimensional fabric paint
• Ruler
• Black dimensional fabric paint
• Fabric scrap
• Craft knife
• Wooden sled with iron runners
• 18-inch pine bough wreath
• Craft wire
• Wire cutters
• Pinecones
• 3-inch wide Christmas ribbon

Instructions

Snowman Window Screen

1. Lay your old window screen flat on a drop cloth in a well-ventilated area. Completely cover the side facing up, including the frame, with dark blue spray paint.

2. Tear a 2-inch chunk from an ordinary kitchen sponge. Dip the sponge in white exterior house paint. Sponge the shape of a snowman on the window screen. The snowman should fit within the frame of the screen with the top of the snowman just below the top of the frame and the bottom just above the bottom of the frame. No two snowmen will look exactly alike. Fill in the snowman outline with sponged white paint.

3. Dip the 2-inch chunk of sponge in pink acrylic enamel paint. Lightly sponge two circles on the face for the cheeks.

4. Paint an elongated triangle on its side in the center of the face for the carrot nose. Use orange dimensional fabric paint make the base of the triangle 1 inch wide and the length of the triangle 3 inches long.

5. Draw 1/2-inch-diameter circles for the eyes and three buttons down the front of the snowman, using black dimensional fabric paint. Draw a large smile from one cheek to the other using black dimensional fabric paint. Allow the fabric paint to dry. Fabric paint will take several hours to set and up to 24 hours to completely dry.

6. Cut a 2 1/2-inch-by-36-inch strip of fabric. Cut a 1/2-inch vertical slit in the screen on each side of the snowman's neck using a craft knife. Thread the ends of the fabric strip through the slits, tying the ends in a bow at the center front of the neck; you've created the snowman's scarf. Trim the ends as desired.

Welcoming Sled and Wreath

1. Lay an old wooden sled on your work surface. Place an 18-inch pine bough wreath on top of the sled at the front edge. Cut 12-inch lengths of craft wire using wire cutters and wrap them around the wreath and the slats of the sled. Twist the ends together to secure under the sled.

2. Attach pinecones in a pleasing arrangement on the wreath using 6-inch lengths of craft wire.

3. Cut a 36-inch-length of 3-inch-wide Christmas ribbon. Tie the ribbon into a bow. Cut a 12-inch-length of craft wire. Thread the wire through the knot on the back of the bow. Stand the sled on it's back end. Wire the bow to the top of the wreath. Lean the sled against a tree or gate to display.

Tips & Warnings

• Average size double-hung house windows are approximately 36 inches wide by 60 inches long. Adjust and alter the snowman size to accommodate a screen that is larger, smaller or a different shape.