8 Simple Tips to Make Hanging Outdoor Christmas Lights Easier

When you aren’t well-prepared, the chore of hanging your outdoor decorations can become laborious and take away from the holiday spirit. The good news is that you can make this annual chore a breeze with some forward-thinking. The eight guidelines will help you hang your outdoor lights like a pro.

1- Construct a Comprehensive Strategy

Take an objective look at your home from the curb (or snap a snapshot) to determine which features need more illumination. Lights strung over the eaves, pillars, posts, windows, and doorways can help draw attention to the building’s design details. Check out the trees, shrubs, planters, and window boxes. Finally, you’ll want to think about how you’ll illuminate walkways and any lone characters.

2- Let There Be Light

Know exactly how many packages of lights you’ll need before making the trip to the store. Window and door frames, fences, railings, etc., should all be measured for length before being decorated, and the placement of an electrical outlet or extension cord should also be noted. If you want to thread the strands around the places you’re sprucing up, you’ll need more or lengthier ones. To avoid the hassle of estimating how many light strands you’ll need to cover the branches of bushes and shrubs, use net lights instead. Consider the number of bulbs listed on the packaging as well. More bulbs per strand are needed to achieve the desired level of illumination.

3- Perform a Preliminary Evaluation of Your Tools

Make that all outdoor lighting is in working order and meets safety standards. To find out how many lights you can string together securely, consult the manufacturer’s guidelines. Never share an electrical circuit or outlet with an incompatible set of lights.

4- Choose Plastic

Swap your nails and hammers for plastic clips that keep your lights in place on your roof, gutters, windows, and even railings. Place bulbs in light posts and line pathways, driveways, and garden borders with light. These plastic ornaments are easily removable and reusable year after year.

5- Take a Stroll around the Block

It’s fine to get inspiration from other homes, but you shouldn’t imitate them verbatim. That’s not going to help either family’s reputation. Talk to your neighbors and see how they decorate for the holidays if you’re new to the area. You may find that your street is the place to be during the holiday season because of the residents’ excessive decoration with lights.

6- Confirm the Distance of Your Lights

Holiday lights are simple to enjoy but not so simple to hang. Check the light’s overall length first. Make sure it has enough wire to reach the total size of your window, whether you plan on making a sparkling border or designing an icicle effect. Testing the length of your lights before commencing the installation is the easiest method to avoid making mistakes. Still, most individuals are too eager and rush right into installing their outdoor Christmas lights.

7- Buy Proper Bulbs

It’s not all about presentation, whether for understated elegance or a striking look. First, make sure the lights can withstand the elements, and then find the closest power source; if the distance between the plug and the socket is greater than the length of your lead wire, you’ll need to invest in an extension cable, a watertight extension lead enclosure.

8- Put It to the Test First

Nothing is more frustrating than spending a good chunk of your evening stringing Christmas lights around the exterior of your home only to discover that the bulbs in your old set have finally died. One blown bulb can allow the overall system to go dark, so if you find any that aren’t working correctly, get rid of them immediately.