When you want to fully express yourself, your car makes the perfect canvas. Whether you are cheering on your favourite team, celebrating a holiday or taking part in a parade, there are plenty of ways to use your car as a way to join in on the fun. But you may be wondering how to decorate your car exterior without damaging the paint or surface.
When it comes to car decorations, some people hold nothing back, including complete car modifications. For most, however, car decoration is simply a way to take part in a specific event or celebration. Decorations are meant to be temporary and harmless to the car’s surface.
We’ve put together 10 ways on how to decorate your car exterior. Use these decorating ideas to decorate your car exterior and find inspiration to express yourself!
Car Decorating Idea #1: Strings of Letters
Strings can be tied to latches just under the hood and/or to the car interior, using an open window. Inexpensive and easy to read, strings of letters can let everyone know if you are “Just Married”, a “Birthday Girl” or cheering for the hometown team. The best thing about sharing your message this way is the quick clean up.
Car Decorating Idea #2: Trunk
Using your trunk is another interesting way on how to decorate your car exterior. The trunk of your car provides a perfect latch for securing decorations in place. You can tie or tape all kinds of streamers, flags, nylon ribbons, posters, cotton or other decorations to the inside of your car and have them held firmly in place by your trunk’s door.
Car Decorating Idea #3: Headlights
If you’re looking to give your car some personality, consider using paper or plastic to create pupils—immediately transforming your headlights into eyes. Whether you use black or coloured materials for the pupil, you can also use colour for the iris, leaving the headlight to act as the white of the eye.
Car Decorating Idea #4: Taillights
When it comes to car decorations, your taillights provide an expressive way to communicate with the cars behind you. While you can’t cover them completely—the cars around you need to know when you’re slowing down—you can use them in creative ways. Consider making a stencil out of vinyl or plastic to outline a letter, shape or logo, just for fun.
Car Decorating Idea #5: Balloons
Nothing says you’re celebrating quite like a bunch of balloons. Whether you are marking a graduation, an anniversary or a birthday, there are themed balloons to match your needs. Be sure you don’t have far to travel, as balloons don’t fare well over long distances or at highway speeds. For local celebrations, consider attaching balloons to your antennae or side mirrors.
Car Decorating Idea #6: Pom-Poms
Made of plastic, tissue or paper, pom pom flowers provide a versatile, colourful way to decorate your car. You can either make or buy pom poms to cover your car or truck with flowers, creating either a sparsely-covered look or a thickly-curated pattern.
When making your plan, be sure to think carefully about how to stick these decorations to your car’s paint. While masking tape or scotch tape can be safely applied to windows, you may need magnetic tape or other safety-tested tape for the painted surface of your car.
Car Decorating Idea #7: Window Paint
Another colourful option for decorating your car includes window paint. No matter if you are cheering for a team, announcing birthday wishes or taking part in a parade, window paint provides a creative, flexible way to get deliver your message. Be sure to buy paint specific to car windows and avoid using the window paint on any other part of the car.
Car Decorating Idea #8: Net of Lights
If your celebration is set for the night, think about using colourful lights to decorate your car. You can use something bold and slightly bigger, including battery-operated Christmas lights or you can choose a net of fairy lights, designed specifically to drape over your vehicle. A gentle, small series of lights can create a magical look without distracting your driver.
Car Decorating Idea #9: Grille Ornaments
With its sturdy structure and front-facing location, the grille on the front of your car is an ideal place to attach a decoration. Whether you want to apply colour covers for each grille element or simply fix something like a Christmas wreath or a make-shift nose, the grille is an ideal fixture for most decorations given that it can hold them securely in place.
Car Decorating Idea #10: Decals
If you’ve got time and money to spare, a temporary car decal or sticker will say exactly what you want to express. Some decals work as vinyl stickers while others work as magnetic car signs. Whichever you choose, you will have a speedy clean-up when the celebrating is over.
