How to Hang Lights for an Outdoor Christmas Display

The holidays mean different things to different people. It’s a time for family and friends to get together, and for people to exchange gifts and express their heartfelt emotions for one another. We’d be remiss, however, if we didn’t mention that Christmas is a time for jaw-dropping light displays. If you want to hang lights all around your home’s exterior to impress your neighbors and passersby, here are a few helpful tips to get you going.

Gather All Necessary Gear

If you’ve never had the occasion to hang lights for the holidays, you might want to keep it simple. You’ll need to start with the right kinds of lights, so make sure that whatever lights you choose are designed for outdoor use. There are several different kinds of lights available, so you should decide if you want icicle style lights, colored lights, white lights, or fancy LED lights that change colors. To hang the lights, you’ll need light clips, and you should consider using timers or controllers to turn the lights on and off whether you’re home or not.

Develop a Plan

When you decide to hang lights for Christmas, you might be so excited that you just start throwing lights all over the place. This is a bad idea. Before you get started, you’ll want to have a lighting design in place. Take a good look at the front of your home as if you’re seeing it for the first time. Look for a focal point, and hang lights around that. Perhaps you’ll want to draw attention to your front door, or to a tree in the yard that you’re fond of. Whatever it is, developing a focal point will prevent your Christmas lighting from looking sloppy and haphazard.

Take Measurements

Before you start to hang lights, you’ll have to take stock of the situation. Measure all the places where you plan to put the lights so you’ll know precisely how many strands of lights you’ll need. This will ensure that you’ll have neither too many nor too few lights, and can be helpful in determining how you’d like to hang and space out all the lights for maximum effectiveness.

Test the Lights

It may seem obvious, but anyone can forget to test the lights before hanging them. Before you take the steps to hang lights, test them in advance to make sure they all work. This will make it easier to locate the burned out lights and replace them before they’re hanging up all over your house.

Contact Us at Handyman Connection of Boise, ID

The most important thing is to have fun! You’re doing this because you want to, not because you have to — and if you need any help with hanging lights (or any other of your holiday preparations) don’t hesitate to contact the professionals at Handyman Connection of Boise, ID.