Simple ideas to give balcony a festive look
Create a sparkling faux fire using a few strings of mini lights and a chiminea
When December arrives, my thoughts often turn to decorating the balcony. My wife and I spent many happy years in our condo, where decorating the balcony became a passion of mine. I would like to share with you a few of the ideas we used over the years that transformed the balcony into something we enjoyed each and every single day of the holidays.
First, here’s a creative use of some of the empty plant pots that may be sitting out on the balcony. Fill them with plastic grocery bags to the top, and scatter plastic Christmas ornaments over the top. The colours and sizes are entirely up to you. Add some background by sticking spruce or cedar boughs into the back of the arrangement. To highlight it all, consider adding a small spotlight to shine on it. You can easily find outdoor LED spotlights in most hardware stores.
Another idea begins with a small chiminea — a small, portable, outdoor wood stove in cast iron, ceramic or terra cotta. Now, I realize you can’t use these to burn wood on a balcony because of fire regulations, but you can certainly create a very interesting effect with some cellophane and mini lights.
In the bottom of the chiminea arrange a string of mini lights; the more the merrier. On top of the lights — but not touching them — lay down some orange and red cellophane, such as that used to wrap gift baskets. You should be able to find this in most craft stores. Now you have an instant outdoor fireplace. If you use blinking mini lights, you can enhance the effect even more.
This fireplace can be used yearround, creating mood lighting on a summer night or a cheery touch in winter. Just make sure to avoid fire hazard by placing the lights far enough away from the cellophane. To make it look authentic, place a small pile of firewood near the chiminea. Your woodpile will look particularly pretty when it snows.
You can also mix mini lights with spruce, pine or cedar boughs. Most garden centres and many supermarkets have fresh boughs available at this time of the year. Buy a few boughs of your choice and a string or two of clear mini lights. String the lights in the boughs, attaching them with twist ties. Don’t skimp — the brighter the display, the cheerier the look. Arrange the boughs in groupings in plant pots or even attach them to the railing to transform your balcony.
Since this is my last column in Condos before Christmas, I would like to wish all my readers and gardening friends a most joyous Christmas and holiday season and may the new year bring health, peace and much happiness to you and yours.