Holiday lights help put you in a festive mood and ring in the holiday season. You may be dreading the thought of hanging lights around your home, but it doesn’t have to be a dreaded chore. There are actually several ways you can make it easier and more convenient to dress up your Louisville, KY, home with brightly colored lights this season.
Work Your Schedule Around the Weather
When deciding when you’ll hang the outdoor lights, the weather plays an important role. The first Saturday morning in December may work for you, but it’s not a good idea if you have high winds or rain. Choose several different days to get the lights hung, and then go do the project on the first day when the weather is nice.
Have a Plan and Check it Out First
You don’t want to start hanging lights and then have to redo your work, particularly if you’re hanging lights from the eaves and need to use a ladder. Have a master plan in place. Consider exactly where your lights will go, then take measurements to ensure you have all the lights you need. Untangle and test every strand before you finalize the plan and start climbing the ladder.
Balance Out the Images
Whether your lights are going inside or out, remember to balance the overall image. Lights along the eaves are grand, but you also need something at ground level. Illuminated wreaths are a great choice, or you can add lights around the gardens and pillars. If the weather is mild and you’re still spending time out back, remember to decorate the patio as well as the front porch.
Brighten the Forgotten Areas
The trees get lights, and homes are outlined, but those aren’t the only places to illuminate your Kentucky home. Remember to wrap pillars, put net lights in the bushes and line the driveway and walking paths with strings of lights. You can also go around windows and doors to take your home to the next level.
Inside the home, consider running lights around the top edge of your wall like crown molding. Add lights to a mirror. The light will reflect off the glass to extend even further. Add lights to the stair rail, fireplace mantel and around the ceilings in bedrooms.
Use special gutter clips to go around the eaves, or you can install plastic clips around the soffit. If they’re protected from the sun, these clips can be left in place year-round. Wrap lights around trees in one direction and avoid overlapping the lines for easy removal.
Inside the house, you can use clear tape to hang lights on walls without damaging the surface. Attach lights to windows with suction cup hangars or special hangars with adhesive backs.
Lighting Safety
When hanging lights, take care not to overload circuits. LED lights use less power, and you can run more strings together. Every strand should have a safety label clearly stating how many strands can be run together. Use extension cords as needed to avoid overloading the lines. If you’ll be climbing a ladder, have a friend with you for safety.
Spreading Holiday Joy Through Lights
Make your home more welcoming and attractive this holiday season by investing in extra lights and illuminating your home. Lights can be added to all areas of your home to help create the festive mood and get you in the holiday spirit. You’ll love how welcoming the house is when you get creative and have fun with the twinkling lights.
