This year, I took a very relaxed approach to my exterior Christmas décor. That meant re-using last year’s decorations, re-purposing items with rustic burlap, and leaving most outbuildings undecorated. The whole effort was quick and inexpensive, and the understated result reflects my mood at year-end in a satisfying way.

I waited to post these photos, hoping that we’d get some snow after I put up this year’s decorations in mid-December.  It finally arrived, on Christmas Eve morning. It now looks like a proper New England Christmas.

The Barns

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For the barn closest to the main house, I used last year’s grapevine wreath and simply attached a new bow. I am still on my jewel-tone kick for exterior Christmas decorations and do love the rich, deep red of the flocked velvet bow. It’s a fantastic pop of color that I like even more than last year’s purple.

This project was superfast to complete since I took only one trip to the garden center for the bow then one trip up and down a stepladder to pin it on the wreath. I never removed the wreath after last year’s Christmas since it’s so heavy and when left plain it almost disappears against the barn.

The other barn is unadorned this year, but it’s still a beauty. Here’s a “shy” shot of it in the distance, taken today, on Christmas Eve:

The Houses

For the front entrance to the main house and the little house, I wanted something other than a traditional wreath or garland. I settled on two four-foot Christmas trees, which worked well for several reasons: they have a properly-scaled, lovely presence that can be ornate or subdued – both choices are festive. They’re also less expensive, much easier to transport, and require fewer lights and decorations than large trees.

To keep things pretty and limit the color palette, I wanted a fabric-covered base and planned to use either five-gallon plastic containers that were stored in the barn or planters that I’d used this spring and summer. The trees were so full that the plastic containers just looked too small. Also, their mouths were so narrow that it would have been too difficult to place a tree stand inside. My sister lent me the perfect choice: her plastic planters that she’d used this year to grow tomatoes.

Choosing the fabric took a bit longer than I thought it would though I limited myself to a few online searches and one trip to the fabric store. Ultimately, I decided to keep everything simple and rustic and selected burlap. It’s relatively inexpensive, rugged, and the store had a burlap ribbon whose color matched the flocked velvet merlot bows that I was going to re-use.

It took my sister and me about twenty minutes to wrap each planter and set up each tree. That may not sound like a laid-back approach, but it really is when compared to what I was contemplating in early November. We secured the burlap with duct tape and big binder clips, hidden in the back. The toppers are the bows that I used on the barn wreaths last Christmas.

The Main House

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This tree is centered on the top step at the front door. It’s completely unprotected from the elements so we staked it to the ground on either side, using twine and narrow wooden posts. It has swayed in vicious winds but remained upright. We wrapped the tree in small, warm-white faceted lights which up-light the house and the two merlot bows with gold backing – an unanticipated and beautiful flourish.

Yes, the house needs to be painted!

The Little House

This wee gem is undergoing protracted renovations, but it still deserves a touch of the holiday spirit. Although it has a covered porch which offers a fair amount of protection, the tree that I placed on the porch fell over a few times in high winds. Its trunk was too narrow to fit firmly within the tree stand so we used various sticks as shims. It has since remained upright for the past couple of weeks despite some very blustery days and nights. We wrapped the tree in small, gold faceted lights which provide an even warmer glow than the warm white that I really like.

About a week later, I added a juniper swag festooned with merlot ribbon that I bought last year. I think the swag would look better if I’d placed it lower and hung it by the ribbon, but I’m enjoying it just as it is.

Merry Christmas! Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season.