At Christmastime, outdoor lights are nice; they twinkle and sparkle and light up the night. But a yard full of funny little characters will add even more. Today, we'll tell how to turn any front yard into a winter wonderland. You easily can turn your property into a full-blown land of wonder, complete with little seasonal characters like snowmen, reindeer, elves -- even Santa himself. All you need is a sheet of half-inch-thick plywood, some patterns from a craft shop, carbon paper and a little imagination. Lay the pattern on the wood with some carbon paper in-between, or use a heavy soft-lead pencil on the pattern back; then trace the pattern onto the wood. Remove the pattern and redraw the lines with a heavy black marker. Cut your character out with a jigsaw and add a coat of white oil-base primer -- front, back and on all edges. The black lines will bleed through, making it easy to fill in the colors that will bring your characters to life. And that's the On The House tip for today.