Don't blink — the "ber" months are approaching. What better way to ring in the festive season than with a sparkling light display? Of course, Christmas isn't the only reason to illuminate your house — you still have plenty of holidays in between.
Whether decorating with spooky ghosts and goblins or capturing an old-fashioned Clark Griswold-inspired exhibit, here are the best tips and tricks to hang holiday lights.
Planning Your Light Display
Decking the halls with lights galore demands a plan of action. After all, you want your display to capture the magic and fun of the holidays. Your first step is to decide on a theme or style in which you might consider your home's architectural design and landscaping.
Do you have a colonial or farmhouse-style home? Maybe you have a giant tree you can decorate on the front lawn. These features may dictate whether you choose colored or white lights, classic string lights, window candles, icicles or projector lights.
It's also important to measure accurately and set a budget, especially since the cost of decorating with holiday lights adds up:
- Incandescent bulbs: $5 to $30 per strand
- Light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs: $13 to $20 per strand
- Dome lights: $6 to $15 per strand
- Professional installation: Depends on the size of the house but averages at $420
Although incandescent string lights are the most cost-effective, LEDs are energy-efficient and last longer. Additionally, dome lights are more durable for the home's exterior.
How to Hang Holiday Lights
Hanging holiday lights can be tricky for first-timers. Fortunately, there is a straightforward process for creating a sparkly light display for every festive affair.
Collect Necessary Equipment
Ensure you have the necessary equipment if you're going to hang lights for Christmas or another holiday. In addition to the right amount of strands, you'll need the following:
- Extension cords and adapters
- Measuring tape
- Different types of hooks — clips, zip ties, Command strips or wire, among others
- Outdoor programmable or daylight sensor timer
- Ladder or extension pole
You can find 40-foot ladders at home improvement stores, but climbing them can be dangerous. A spider lift is a much safer alternative for hanging lights. Some models can even navigate a 40% grade on uneven terrain and have a much better reach.
Choose the Right Hooks
You'll need various hooks for different surfaces of the home. Clips are better for hanging lights from the gutter, while adhesive hooks or clips are more suitable for windows. Meanwhile, you can adorn a fence or deck with wire, zip ties or deck clips.
Decorating your house’s siding requires a different approach. Use Command strips as a temporary option for traditional vinyl or Hardie plank — these won't leave a mark. However, a hot glue gun is better for brick. Don't be alarmed, though — you can easily remove hot glue from bricks by scraping them with a putty knife.
Test the Lights
The bane of any homeowner's existence is hanging holiday lights, turning them on and realizing a strand is out. Then, they must go through each light to see if it's from one bulb or the whole strand.
Test the lights before you hang them. Plug each strand into an outlet to ensure all the bulbs light up. It's much easier than figuring it out once you've strung them.
Hang Them Up
After getting organized and ensuring your lights work, you should follow your original plan and use the correct hooks for each location. If you're short on one or two strands, simply buy more and connect them until the display is complete.
Attach an extension cord to the end of the lights and plug it into the outlet. A programmable or daylight sensor timer will save you the trouble of manually turning the lights on and off every evening.
A timer can also help you save energy and manage utility costs. For instance, those who light their homes from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. throughout December may pay $33 more for electricity if they use incandescent bulbs, while LEDs may cost up to $7 more. The more lights you use and the longer you keep them on, the higher the energy costs.
Landscape and Indoor Lighting
Don't overlook other outdoor areas to hang Christmas lights. For instance, you might use a light net to illuminate the bushes or change your walkway lights to different colors for each holiday. Some people also like adding light-up inflatables or lawn ornaments to their yards.
Additionally, you can decorate the staircase railing, mantel, windowsills, and tables inside your house with string and twinkle lights. This will create a cozier atmosphere throughout the season.
Storing Lights Properly
Proper light storage is essential to avoid knots the following year. Buy separate bins for each holiday's lights and use a power cord wheel or coat hanger to wrap them. Label the bins correctly with the holiday you used them for and where you placed them on the house.
You could also use the original boxes if you've kept them, so you know what each strand is without the extra guesswork.
Lighting the Way to Each Holiday Celebration
Whether you save your light display for Christmas or have a set for every annual festivity, the sparkling decor makes each special occasion magical. This year, make the neighbors jealous with a dazzling and memorable holiday light show.
