Yard Plotted to scale, promise

okay, but where does it actually go?

You bought the giant inflatable. It does not fit.

Almost every yard goes wrong the same way. You buy pieces one at a time, nobody measures anything, and the sizes only become real once it is all out on the lawn.

Start with your lot shape instead. You get a to-scale map of where each piece goes, with the real measurements of everything on the list. Then the same layout priced four ways, so you can do it for $180 or for $1,800 and it still looks like you meant it.

Find my yard shape Show me the DIY stuff

Every price on this site was checked on or after 27 September 2026. Holiday pricing moves weekly, so if one has moved, tell us and we will fix the plan rather than the description.

a corner lot, 60′ × 75′ 7 spots to fill
To-scale site plan for a Corner LotA to-scale overhead site plan of a corner lot, 60 feet of street frontage by 75 feet deep, with the house set back 25 feet from the front sidewalk. The street runs along the top of the drawing. 0 of 12 marked positions are filled. Left empty: the star; sidekick, left; sidekick, right; path and perimeter lights; the corner moment; roofline and porch; side yard scene; under the porch roof; deeper, off to one side; along the eaves; porch posts and rail; the front door. STREETSIDE STREETDRIVEHOUSE60'ABCDEmax 3.5'FGPmax 8'HTRWmax 6.7'

first things first

Which holiday are we doing?

Every one of them wants something different from a yard, so start here.

how this works

Yard first. Shopping cart second.

Most decorating advice starts with a product roundup. That is exactly backwards, and it is how you end up with a 12 ft snowman two feet from your porch steps.

1

Pick your yard shape

Corner lot, shallow yard with a big porch, long skinny lot, circle drive. Every shape has its own sightlines and its own wind problem, and no two have the same number of spots worth filling.

2

Pick a vibe

Every theme works with every yard shape. The plan bends around your geometry instead of asking you to have the yard from the photo.

3

Pick a budget

The same layout at four price points, with the DIY version written out step by step. Every product comes with real measurements so nothing shows up in a box the size of a fridge.

the six spots

Every plan fills the same six roles

Once you know the roles, you can swap any piece for any other piece and the yard still holds together. This is the whole trick.

  • A The star Tallest thing out there. Everything else gets measured against it, so pick this one first and let it set the scale.
  • B/C The two sidekicks Matching pair either side of the walk. Keep them under about 60 percent of the star's height or nobody knows where to look.
  • D Path lights Low and cheap, in a straight line. More apparent size per dollar than anything else you can buy, and they walk the eye straight to the star.
  • E The corner momentkeep it short! Breaks up the symmetry and fills that dead patch of lawn. On a corner lot it sits near the intersection, where your city caps how tall it can be.
  • F Roofline and porch The up-high layer. On a shallow yard this one does most of the heavy lifting, since there is no depth to play with.
  • G The bonus scene Only if you have a second frontage. A corner lot has 40 to 70 ft of side yard sitting completely empty and it is such a waste.

start here

Which one is your yard?

To-scale site plan for a Wide Shallow, No PorchA to-scale overhead site plan of a wide shallow, no porch, 75 feet of street frontage by 48 feet deep, with the house set back 18 feet from the front sidewalk. The street runs along the top of the drawing. 0 of 9 marked positions are filled. Left empty: the star; sidekick, left; sidekick, right; walk and bed edge lights; roofline; past the driveway; deeper, off to one side; along the eaves; the front door. STREETDRIVEHOUSE75'Amax 10'Bmax 7'Cmax 7'DEFHmax 7'TWmax 6.7'

Wide Shallow, No Porch

The classic mistake: Lining everything up in one flat row parallel to the house. It turns your yard into a store display. Stagger the depths even a few feet.

  • 9 spots
  • 75′ across
  • 18′ deep
Show me the plan
To-scale site plan for a Narrow Shallow with PorchA to-scale overhead site plan of a narrow shallow with porch, 40 feet of street frontage by 45 feet deep, with the house set back 15 feet from the front sidewalk. The street runs along the top of the drawing. 0 of 9 marked positions are filled. Left empty: the star; sidekick, left; sidekick, right; path and porch edge lights; porch and roofline; under the porch roof; along the eaves; porch posts and rail; the front door. STREETDRIVEHOUSE40'Amax 9'Bmax 6.5'Cmax 6.5'DEPmax 8'TRWmax 6.7'

Narrow Shallow with Porch

The classic mistake: Buying one giant inflatable that fills the entire yard and blocks the porch. The porch is your best feature. Do not park something in front of it.

  • 9 spots
  • 40′ across
  • 15′ deep
Show me the plan
To-scale site plan for a L-Shaped with Projecting GarageA to-scale overhead site plan of a l-shaped with projecting garage, 62 feet of street frontage by 62 feet deep, with the house set back 26 feet from the front sidewalk. The street runs along the top of the drawing. 0 of 11 marked positions are filled. Left empty: the star; sidekick, left; sidekick, right; walk and alcove lights; roofline, both planes; the garage wall; under the porch roof; deeper, off to one side; along the eaves; porch posts and rail; the front door. STREETDRIVEHOUSEGARAGE62'ABmax 6'Cmax 6'DEFPmax 8'Hmax 6'TRWmax 6.7'

L-Shaped with Projecting Garage

The classic mistake: Treating the entry as the center of the house and spacing everything around it. The entry is off to one side. Symmetry built around it looks lopsided from the street.

  • 11 spots
  • 62′ across
  • 26′ deep
Show me the plan
To-scale site plan for a Deep NarrowA to-scale overhead site plan of a deep narrow, 42 feet of street frontage by 95 feet deep, with the house set back 55 feet from the front sidewalk. The street runs along the top of the drawing. 0 of 10 marked positions are filled. Left empty: the star; sidekick, left; sidekick, right; the approach lights; roofline and porch; the halfway moment; under the porch roof; along the eaves; porch posts and rail; the front door. STREETDRIVEHOUSE42'ABmax 7'Cmax 7'DEFPmax 8'TRWmax 6.7'

Deep Narrow

The classic mistake: Putting everything up by the house where you can see it from the front door. From the street it collapses into one small cluster with 40 ft of empty lawn in front of it.

  • 10 spots
  • 42′ across
  • 55′ deep
Show me the plan
To-scale site plan for a Corner LotA to-scale overhead site plan of a corner lot, 60 feet of street frontage by 75 feet deep, with the house set back 25 feet from the front sidewalk. The street runs along the top of the drawing. 0 of 12 marked positions are filled. Left empty: the star; sidekick, left; sidekick, right; path and perimeter lights; the corner moment; roofline and porch; side yard scene; under the porch roof; deeper, off to one side; along the eaves; porch posts and rail; the front door. STREETSIDE STREETDRIVEHOUSE60'ABCDEmax 3.5'FGPmax 8'HTRWmax 6.7'

Corner Lot

The classic mistake: Decorating the front door and leaving the whole side street bare. Half the neighborhood sees that side first.

  • 12 spots
  • 60′ across
  • 25′ deep
Show me the plan
To-scale site plan for a Split-Level or Raised RanchA to-scale overhead site plan of a split-level or raised ranch, 58 feet of street frontage by 55 feet deep, with the house set back 24 feet from the front sidewalk. The street runs along the top of the drawing. 0 of 10 marked positions are filled. Left empty: the star; sidekick, left; sidekick, right; walk and stair rail lights; roofline; the bed under the entry; under the porch roof; along the eaves; porch posts and rail; the front door. STREETDRIVEHOUSE7 STEPS58'ABmax 6'Cmax 6'DEFmax 4'Pmax 8'TRWmax 6.7'

Split-Level or Raised Ranch

The classic mistake: Crowding the top landing. It is about four feet deep, it is the only way in and out, and everything up there is invisible from the road anyway.

  • 10 spots
  • 58′ across
  • 24′ deep
Show me the plan
To-scale site plan for a Sloped or TerracedA to-scale overhead site plan of a sloped or terraced, 55 feet of street frontage by 60 feet deep, with the house set back 30 feet from the front sidewalk. The street runs along the top of the drawing. 0 of 11 marked positions are filled. Left empty: the star; sidekick, left; sidekick, right; the step lights; roofline and porch; the bottom tier; under the porch roof; deeper, off to one side; along the eaves; porch posts and rail; the front door. STREETRETAINING WALLHOUSE8 STEPS55'ABmax 6'Cmax 6'DEFmax 5'Pmax 8'Hmax 6'TRWmax 6.7'

Sloped or Terraced

The classic mistake: Putting the tallest thing on the bottom tier because it is the easiest to carry to. It hides everything above it. Height goes up the hill, not down.

  • 11 spots
  • 55′ across
  • 30′ deep
Show me the plan
To-scale site plan for a Small Urban Postage StampA to-scale overhead site plan of a small urban postage stamp, 26 feet of street frontage by 40 feet deep, with the house set back 12 feet from the front sidewalk. The street runs along the top of the drawing. 0 of 8 marked positions are filled. Left empty: the star, the stoop side, fence and path lights, doorway and facade, under the porch roof, along the eaves, porch posts and rail, the front door. STREETHOUSE4 STEPS26'Amax 7'Bmax 6.5'CDPmax 8'TRWmax 6.7'

Small Urban Postage Stamp

The classic mistake: Buying at the same scale as a suburban yard. A 9 ft inflatable in a 12 ft setback is not festive, it is a wall.

  • 8 spots
  • 26′ across
  • 12′ deep
Show me the plan
To-scale site plan for a Circular DrivewayA to-scale overhead site plan of a circular driveway, 90 feet of street frontage by 80 feet deep, with the house set back 45 feet from the front sidewalk. The street runs along the top of the drawing. 0 of 11 marked positions are filled. Left empty: the island; sidekick, left; sidekick, right; the loop lights; roofline and porch; the outside curve; under the porch roof; deeper, off to one side; along the eaves; porch posts and rail; the front door. STREETHOUSE90'ABmax 7'Cmax 7'DEFPmax 8'Hmax 7'TRWmax 7'

Circular Driveway

The classic mistake: Decorating the island and leaving the house behind it dark. The island reads as a floating blob with no context unless the roofline is lit too.

  • 11 spots
  • 90′ across
  • 45′ deep
Show me the plan
To-scale site plan for a Long Driveway, Rural FrontageA to-scale overhead site plan of a long driveway, rural frontage, 120 feet of street frontage by 140 feet deep, with the house set back 100 feet from the front sidewalk. The street runs along the top of the drawing. 0 of 10 marked positions are filled. Left empty: the star; sidekick, left; sidekick, right; the last stretch of drive; roofline and porch; the mailbox end; under the porch roof; along the eaves; porch posts and rail; the front door. STREETDRIVEHOUSE120'ABmax 8'Cmax 8'DEFPmax 8'TRWmax 6.7'

Long Driveway, Rural Frontage

The classic mistake: Putting everything at the house, where the road cannot see any of it, and leaving the mailbox end completely dark. Most of your audience never gets past the mailbox.

  • 10 spots
  • 120′ across
  • 100′ deep
Show me the plan

out in the wild

Real yards, real people

Sent in by the people who built them.

A giant green-and-black inflatable spider sitting on a narrow strip of front lawn in late afternoon sun, with cotton webbing and small black spiders strung along the porch railing behind it.
Kat, Metro Detroit, MI
The same yard at dusk with the lights on: purple string lights outlining the porch and path, green uplight on the steps, and a rope web running from the porch roof down to the verge.
Kat, Metro Detroit, MI
The same yard after dark, shot from the street. The whole facade reads in purple and green, the rope web is the brightest thing in the frame, and the lit spider sits low in the planting bed.
Kat, Metro Detroit, MI
See them all Send yours in

things people ask

Yard decorating, answered

What is a yard decoration layout guide?

A yard decoration layout guide is a to-scale map of where every holiday decoration goes in a specific yard shape. It marks out six spots: the big centerpiece, a matching pair to frame the walk, path lighting, a low corner accent, something along the roofline and a second scene if the yard has room. Then it fills them with real products, each one sized to the spot it was given.

How do I know what size Christmas inflatable to buy for my yard?

Measure from the sidewalk to the front of the house, then keep your tallest piece under about half that number. Your front door is 80 inches tall and it is already standing there, so use it: a 12 ft inflatable is roughly one and a half doors stacked up, and on a yard with an 18 ft setback it will eat the house.

How much does it cost to decorate a front yard for Christmas?

A full front yard Christmas display runs about $150 to $250 if you build most of it yourself, $250 to $500 for store-bought with one showstopper, $500 to $1,000 once you want several lit anchors, and $1,000 and up for the big animatronic situation with commercial-grade lights.

How many outlets do outdoor Christmas decorations need?

Every inflatable needs its own outlet and pulls about 1 amp, because the blower runs all night. LED string lights are much lighter, around 0.2 amps per 24 ft string. One normal 15 amp household circuit should carry no more than 12 amps all night, so four inflatables plus six strings is already a two-circuit display.

When should you start planning a holiday yard display?

Plan a Halloween yard in early September and a Christmas yard in early October. The good inflatables and lit figures sell out four to six weeks before the holiday, and starting early also means you are painting plywood in nice weather instead of in a wind tunnel.

How should you decorate a corner lot for Christmas?

A corner lot faces two streets, so every piece has to look good from both. Skip flat one-sided signs. Run your lights along both street-facing rooflines, and put something low and sweet near the intersection, which is the most-seen square foot you own. Check your city's corner sight rules before anything tall goes near that intersection.

All 31 questions