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The holiday season and all of its festive finery have a way of turning gloomy, snow (or rain) filled days into magical wonderlands, thanks to the hardworking homeowners who spend hours putting up outdoor decorations for all to enjoy.

Die-hard decorators have their eyes trained on those shiny, new Christmas decorations that debut every year and reach the tops of must-have lists. As new trends emerge on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook, a whole new selection of never-before-seen decorations will soon begin to dot yards.

I’m excited to see some of these goodies displayed in front yards. My husband—one of those die-hard decorators—and I have a yearly tradition of driving around nearby neighborhoods to admire the sparkling awesomeness of the holiday season. After you peruse these top 12 trends and decorate your own home, perhaps you’ll be inspired to do the same.

Holiday shoppers are looking more and more to alternative Christmas traditions, replacing trees with ladders or stacks of books wrapped in lights or brainstorming fresh approaches to holiday wreaths. This light-up deer fits the bill for the latter. With its warm LED lights, this elegant animal will make your front door look modern and festive.

Get the Stag Head Christmas Light Decoration on Amazon for $76.99

Solar lights are having a moment in the land of Christmas trends, touted for their eco-friendliness and money-saving abilities. These highly rated solar string lights can be twisted, turned, and used in a variety of different ways, and they come with three solar charging panels that won’t affect your power bill.

Get a 3-pack of 72-foot Rophie Solar String Lights on Amazon for $41.99

Want to really stand out on your street this year? Skip the reindeer and opt for unusual Christmas animals that are sure to make passersby smile. I mean, how can you resist a tinsel-covered baby dinosaur in a Santa hat? There’s even a unicorn ($129.95) if you’re into that sort of thing. Tinsel decorations were prevalent back in the day, and they’ve reemerged as one of the hottest decor trends this year.

Get the Winter Wonders Lane Light-up Baby Dinosaur with Santa Hat on Amazon for $91.99

Everyone is gravitating toward natural materials this year, and this top decor trend found its way into holiday décor, too. These luminous globes woven together with willow branches will look just as lovely hanging on tree branches as from your porch eaves.

Get the 12” Natural Willow Branch Pendant Lamp on Amazon for $44.95

Used both indoors and outdoors, curtains of string lights have been growing in popularity and make any holiday décor even more enchanting. These highly rated LED lights have a remote control, a timer, and eight modes to switch things up, making them a great choice for virtually any home.

Get the Kohree 300 Led Curtain Icicle Lights on Amazon for $23.99

Scandinavian touches have found widespread use as winter décor, likely because they know a thing or two about winter and embrace coziness as the temperature drops, a practice called hygge. Represent traditional Scandinavian accents through hanging a Moravian star in the midst of your holiday décor, like this gorgeous 3D light.

Get the Elf Logic 21” Large White Moravian Star on Amazon for $33.95

Icicle lights are nothing new, but they’ve certainly gotten more impressive, with options that mimic falling rain or mini meteor showers. These icy blue lights cascade as if they’re melting, and they can be pretty mesmerizing. Imagine hanging dozens from the tree in your front yard or dangling them all along your porch.

Get the Vmanoo LED Outdoor Lights on Amazon for $21.99

Laser projectors have become big within the last couple years, and now there are endless varieties that feature all sorts of shapes and themes, like this projector that casts falling snowflakes onto a house. It’s waterproof, can be used outside or inside, and it’s an Amazon best seller. It’s a great way to get into the Christmas spirit, especially if snow is a rarity in your area.

Get the Centeni Christmas Projector on Amazon for $28.99

Chuzzle lights are a new trend this year. Their funny name really captures their fuzzy appearance, which certainly stands out from generic Christmas lights. These string lights have eight modes and are solar-powered, lasting up to 8 hours on a full charge. They’d look great draped on branches of a tree or dotting the edges of a door or window.

Get the Chuzzle Ball Solar String Lights on Amazon for $9.99 (clip the 10% coupon to save an extra $1)

The farmhouse trend keeps gaining steam, especially when it comes to this year’s holiday décor. Work the trend outdoors this Christmas with these five mason jars filled with white fairy lights, ready for hanging or illuminating a front porch or walkway. The lids double as solar panels so you don’t have to worry about batteries or finding outlets..

Get the 5 Pack Solar Mason Jar Lights on Amazon for $14.99

If you love fairy lights and tend to go colorful with your holiday decorations, these are the ideal lights to brighten up your house. Available in a rainbow of different hues, these dimmable, bendable copper lights are waterproof, battery-operated, and come with a remote. Feel free to twinkle away.

Get the B-right 100LED 34ft Multi-Color Dimmable Copper Wire String Lights on Amazon for $9.99

Someone must have had a light-bulb moment when it came to storing Christmas decorations. Although beautiful, all those large holiday decorations can be a pain to put away. Thankfully, this twinkling snowflake can be folded up and stored without the headache. It’s like giving yourself a Christmas gift even after the big day is over, and it’s one less thing to worry about while you’re untangling those lights next year.

Get the Kringle Traditions 20” LED Folding Snowflake Decoration on Amazon for $39.99

Prices are accurate at the time of publication, but may change over time.

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