Holiday lights are the perfect way to make your home in The Villages glow this season. Although the Christmas tree is the most popular spot to mount these lights, there are plenty of other places inside and outside of a home to illuminate. With the right planning and materials, decorating will be faster, safer and more enjoyable. Here are some ideas and tips for lighting up your home this holiday season:
Outdoor Spots & Tips to Hang Holiday Lights
The outside of your home is ideal for sharing holiday spirit with friends and neighbors. Many homeowners put lights around the front door, windows, and porch pillars to greet visitors. Bushes and trees are greatly enhanced by strings of lights. Turn your home into a sparkling Christmas castle by mounting lights along the roof, and create a magical runway by lining your driveway with lights.
Before you get started, be sure to have the right lights and materials. While regular incandescent holiday lights are cheapest, LED lights will stay lit far longer and cost less to run. Be sure to have gloves, ladders, and extension cords designed for outdoor use. Keep hooks, clips, wire, stakes and adhesives on hand for mounting.
A holiday helper will make mounting lights easier. First, test all light strings and replace bulbs that are missing. Don’t connect more than three strings of lights together. If you’re decorating trees, start at the top.
Indoor Spots & Tips to Hang Holiday Lights
Indoor holiday lights will complete the Christmas mood in your home. The Christmas tree is essential, but there are plenty of other options to consider. Battery-mounted lights are perfect for circling windows. Decorate mantels and stair rails for a special touch, and light up your bedroom walls to bring the mood to bed with you.
Make sure you have enough holiday lights for your needs by measuring your planned decoration areas before you shop. Tacks or tape will work for attaching lights to walls and windows, and twist ties are easy solutions for getting wires to stay in place on the Christmas tree.
Test all lights, then untangle the lines before you start mounting them. If you’re using tacks, rest the wire on top of the tacks. Don’t ever stick tacks through the wires. Battery-operated lights work best on wreaths because they eliminate the need to have an outlet nearby. When you put lights on the Christmas tree, always start at the top and work your way down. If necessary, use twist ties to secure the wires in place along the way.
Decorating Your Home for the Holidays
With the above tips, you can ensure that your home in The Villages displays your holiday spirit and enhances these feelings in your neighbors. The sheer number of options for using holiday lights means that your own decorating scheme can be a truly unique creation. Have fun decorating, and enjoy your dazzling home this holiday season.