Getting an arbor built in your yard provides you with a number of benefits throughout the year, but it's easy to especially be excited about the presence of this structure when Christmas comes around. If your arbor is positioned over the front walkway or otherwise between your driveway and the front door, you have the foundation for a picturesque way for visitors to approach your home around the holidays. Whether you have a Christmas party planned or you just want to bolster the look of your yard, here are some ideas for decorating an arbor at this time of the year.

Lights

Strings of lights are a must when it comes to decorating your arbor for the holidays. If you're putting up lights on your home or in the trees in your yard, the lights on your arbor should match them. If you aren't using other lights, you can choose any look that suits you. Colorful lights add a fun feel to your arbor and the yard as a whole, while white lights provide a certain degree of classiness. You may wish to plug your arbor lights into a timer so that they come on automatically in the evening.

Garland

An evergreen garland is another valuable decoration piece for your arbor around the holidays. If you're really crafty, you may wish to take pine branches and wrap them to the arbor with small pieces of green or black wire. For someone who isn't much of a do-it-yourself enthusiast, you can buy artificial garlands wherever you buy seasonal decorations. Mixed with the lights, a garland that stretches up one side of the arbor, across the top, and down the other side can add visual appeal to the structure.

Decorations

While there's nothing wrong with simply adorning the arbor with lights and a garland, you can also include some additional Christmas decorations. There are many ways to pursue this idea. Christmas balls, such as those that you'd hang on your Christmas tree, are ideal. You can affix them to the garland on the sides and top to provide a splash of color. If you have children, bold decorations of Santa Claus or reindeer sitting on the top of the arbor can be fun. You could also consider hanging a mistletoe ornament from the top of the arbor to give your visitors a fun place to steal a kiss as they walk toward your front door.