Do it yourself Free
One weekend, a sheet of plywood and some string lights. Costs almost nothing and still stops traffic.
| Spot | What to get | How big | How many | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A |
36 in. Giant Egg Stack (opens in a new tab)
Amazon
3 pieces
The star. Top terrace, beside the walk. Being uphill already adds apparent height, so you can go a size smaller than you would on flat ground and still have it tower over the sidewalk. This one works just as well mirrored to the other side of the walk, so if a tree, a slope or the way you come and go says the far side is better, swap it and swap its partner with it. What matters is that it is beside the path and not standing in it.
|
3' H | 1 | $49 |
| B |
18 in. Giant Easter Eggs, 6 pack (opens in a new tab)
Amazon
6 pieces
Sidekick, left. Top terrace, left of the steps. Level the base with a shim or a paver. Anything standing on a slope leans downhill and looks drunk from the street.
|
1' 6" H | 1 | $26.99 |
| C |
Pastel Bunting, 30 ft (opens in a new tab)
Amazon
24 pieces
Sidekick, right. Top terrace, right of the steps, levelled the same way.
|
10" H | 1 | $18.99 |
| D |
Solar Path Light Stakes, 10 pack (opens in a new tab)
Amazon
10 pieces
The step lights. Both sides of the steps all the way up, then along the top of each retaining wall. Lighting the wall edges is what makes the tiers visible after dark, and it also stops guests from walking off one.
|
1' 3" H | 2 | $49.38 |
| E |
Warm White Incandescent Mini Lights, 300 count (opens in a new tab)
Amazon
300 pieces
Roofline and porch. Gutter line and porch. Remember the house already sits above eye level, so the roofline is further up than the ladder you used last year.
|
2" H | 2 | $51.98 |
2 things need an outlet, about 2 amps all together. That all fits on one 15 amp circuit, you are fine. Outdoor GFCI outlets only, and leave a drip loop in the cord at every plug so rain runs off instead of in.
You will also need
The cord is the part everybody forgets, and stores run out of them at the peak of every season. Outdoor rated only, and plugged into a GFCI outlet.
- 1× 25 ft Outdoor Extension Cord, 16 gauge (opens in a new tab) 2 plug-in pieces across 1 spot $16.98
- 1× Outdoor Timer with Photocell (opens in a new tab) Switches the whole display on and off on its own $14.98
About $31.96 of hardware, on top of the $196.34 of decorations. Buy it once and it comes back out every year.