If all you know about decorating your house for Christmas is what you’ve seen in movies, you may have a grisly view of the process. Tangled lines, blown fuses, shattered bulbs and shaky ladders are all part of a familiar comic routine that makes successfully hanging Christmas lights seem as improbable as Santa fitting down a chimney.
The good news is that decking your house with Christmas lights doesn’t have to end in disaster. All you really need is a little forethought and organization.
Setting up your outdoor Christmas lights can be divided into five simple steps: Plan, assess, assemble, test and hang!
Here’s how:
Step 1: Develop a Lighting Plan
Envision Your Project
Don’t underestimate the value of planning ahead. A good lighting plan addresses practical issues such as where lights will be placed, where you will plug them in, the number of extension cords you’ll need, how much you want to spend on lights and being realistic about your willingness to hang them.
Start by brainstorming to envision your Christmas outdoor lights display.
You can light just about any architectural feature, exterior structure or object, including eaves, windows, door frames, awnings, porches, patios, trees, bushes and fencing. You’ll avoid a lot of frustration if you take time to think out – and even sketch out – your lighting plan.
Locate your electrical outlets. Calculate how many extension cords and power strips you may need and adjust your plan accordingly.
Aesthetics are important, too. Remember that balance is key to an attractive lightscape. Your plan should aim to distribute lights evenly both vertically and horizontally across your home and property.
Determine Your Budget and Commitment Level
Depending on the type and quantity of lights you want, a Christmas light display can get pricey. You’ll want to consider not only the initial purchase cost of incandescent vs LED Christmas lights, but also how long they will last, whether you’ll need to buy replacement bulbs and how they will affect your energy bill.
Do some pre-Christmas shopping to get an idea of lighting costs and determine how much you can reasonably spend. Does your lighting plan align with your budget, or do you need to scale it back? Building a light display season by season is a great way to keep costs manageable over time.
Also, be realistic about the amount of effort you are willing to put into your project. Hanging Christmas lights outside on a frigid November day is not for the faint of heart.
Step 2: Calculate Your Lighting Needs
Once you have developed a workable lighting plan, measure all the areas you want to decorate and calculate how many string lights (or foot length of cord) you’ll need to cover that area. Don’t forget to figure in the length of any extension cords you may need. Add a bit more to allow some slack.
In the U.S., Christmas string lights typically come in standard lengths like 25, 50 or 100 feet. Varied lengths let you choose the best Christmas lights for your project.
If a single set of lights isn’t long enough, though, don’t worry. Most Christmas light strings have end-to-end connectors, allowing you to string together multiple light strands.
However, be aware that there are limits to the number of Christmas light strands you can safely chain together and plug into a single outlet. Those limits are based on the amount of electrical current your lights draw, which determines how many light strings your outlet can safely handle. Overloaded lines and sockets could trigger an electrical fire.
For safety reasons, it’s important to calculate the electrical needs of your lights before plugging them in.
Voltage and amperage requirements vary based on whether your lights are LED or incandescent. Generally, LED Christmas lights use less electricity. This means you often can connect more LED string lights to a single outlet than you can with incandescent Christmas lights.
Check online product specifications or the box your lights came in to determine wattage and voltage requirements and calculate how many Christmas light strands you can connect safely.
If you plan to light a large area, play it smart. Break the project into smaller sections to distribute the electrical load across multiple outlets. After all, safety is a big part of why planning your outdoor Christmas lights display is so important.
Step 3: Assemble Your Lights and Accessories
While you’re gathering all the Christmas lights you want to use, make note of any additional supplies you’ll need.
For instance, will you need a ladder to reach higher areas? If so, consider adding a bucket to your supply list to hold lights and clips, along with a rope to lift the bucket, so both hands remain free while hanging.
Speaking of light clips, make sure you have plenty to spare so you don’t run out in the middle of the job. A hammer, nails and zip ties might also be helpful.
An automatic timer can be an indispensable accessory. These devices can be programmed to turn your lights on and off on a predetermined schedule, so you don’t have to worry about remembering to switch on the Christmas lights every night!
Step 4: Test Your Lights
The final step before hanging is to examine and test your Christmas lights.
Check that older light cords are in good condition. Replace any Christmas lights with cords that have cracks, frayed areas or exposed wires.
Plug in each strand and make sure all the bulbs light up. It is much easier to address blown fuses, broken bulbs and loose connections or any other problems with your outdoor Christmas string lights before they are hung.
Whether your light display is small or large, it can be helpful to lay out your Christmas light strings on the ground in the order you’ll need them, near the spot you plan to hang them.
Step 5: Hang Your Christmas Lights
If you’re adding lights to features like eaves and fence rails, loosely drape your Christmas light string along the area. This makes it easier to adjust them before securing the lights in place.
No one wants to get to the end of a 300-bulb string of Christmas lights and discover the plug won’t reach the nearest outlet. In fact, savvy decorators work from the power source outward to avoid this particular annoyance.
Gutter and universal clips hold Christmas lights in place to keep light strands in a nice, straight line. If you prefer to scallop your lights, count off a specific number of bulbs for each swag, securing the light string at each interval.
Alternatively, you can drape lights over nails, but do not insert nails or staples through the electrical cord! Not only will you damage the cord, you could also create a serious electrical hazard.
Remember that working with a partner makes the job of hanging outdoor Christmas lights easier and safer. A second pair of hands can help steady a ladder, hold long lengths of cord or retrieve supplies.
Hang Lights with Confidence
The process of hanging Christmas lights often gets bad PR, depicted in every way from slapstick humor to outright horror.
However, you can gain confidence in tackling a Christmas lights display by planning out the project and getting accurate measurements to determine your lighting needs. As you plan, always keep electrical safety in mind.
When you’re ready to hang your lights, gather and set out all of your supplies. Test your lights on the ground to avoid frustration later.
Additionally, keep safety in mind throughout the project.
With preparation and care, your dreams of decorating your house with Christmas lights can easily become a reality.