Deck the House With Holiday Lighting
The holidays are right around the corner and there is nothing better to add color to the blank palette of the winter landscape than holiday lighting. Your lush fall foliage may have dropped its leaves, so now there’s plenty of space for holiday decor to bring cheer to the season.
1. Go Vibrant
Traditional holiday decorating may be white, but colorful lights are making a comeback. Add some color to your season. Mix in multicolor lights on your Christmas tree or outdoor display. Another comeback- large bulbs are back in fashion over mini lights.
2. Use LED Holiday Lighting
LED bulbs consume far less electricity than incandescent bulbs, and decorative LED light strings such as Christmas tree lights are no different. Not only do LED holiday lights consume less electricity, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, they also have the following advantages:
Safer: LEDs are much cooler than incandescent lights, reducing the risk of combustion or burnt fingers.
Sturdier: LEDs are made with epoxy lenses, not glass, and are much more resistant to breakage.
Longer lasting: The same LED string could still be decorating your house years later.
Easier to install: Up to 25 strings of LEDs can be connected end-to-end without overloading a circuit.
3. Lights On Timers
For maximum convenience, especially like when you are out for the evening, put your holiday lighting displays on a timer. It’s a low maintenance solution to manually plugging in and out the strings of light and saves energy too. It means your house is on holiday autopilot.
4. Lighting For Landscape
The holiday season was made for entertaining! Keep your residents safe by making sure your walkways and stairs are well lit. Replace colored bulbs for traditional white ones for a festive mood. Or, replace year-round bulbs with those with lower wattage to allow holiday lights to take center stage. String small bushes and perimeter plantings with lights for just a little added ambiance and safety lighting.
5. It’s A Wrap
We love the look of deciduous trees outlines by scores of lights, but pack your patience. Using mini-lights (and plenty of them), start at the base and wrap the lights around in a spiral. Remember you don’t have to wrap every branch, just enough to make it look even. Most of the strings of lights will stay in place if wrapped tight enough, but keep some zip ties at the ready.