The Complete Guide to Installing (and Storing) Outdoor Holiday Lights

Watching Clark Griswold fumble hanging Christmas lights in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation may be a fun annual holiday tradition, but in real life, a home decorating mishap is anything but funny . According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 15,000 people in the U.S. go to the emergency room each year due to holiday decorating-related injuries. And no one keeps track of the countless serious eye injuries I suffer from seeing neighbors bungling their lights. So let’s avoid all that trouble with this complete guide to Christmas lights, covering planning, tools, tips, safety precautions, and storage.

Make a plan for hanging Christmas lights

Thinking about how to hang your holiday lights shouldn’t happen until you’re already on the ladder, so sit down and create a detailed garland plan before you do anything else. Here are a few steps and points to keep in mind:

• Assess the space : consider the roofline, windows, trees, shrubs, and paths, and decide what exactly you’ll be illuminating. Then develop an overall lighting concept.

• Is this enough ? Decide what design style you prefer: maximalist, minimalist, or traditional.

• Choose a color scheme : A harmonious look for your holiday lighting is so important that I’ve dedicated an entire section below to it. Skip if necessary.

• Accentuate architectural details : You want light to flow around windows, roofs, and doorways.

• Decide on the lighting : do you need garlands, icicles, mesh lights, projectors?

• Props and other decorations: There are so many outdoor decorations for all styles, from rather modest arrangements to Santa in a pickup truck , that you simply have to choose something. The main thing is that it matches the overall atmosphere. We strive for cohesion.

• Measure: Now that you know what you’re going to do, it’s time to measure . The first step to measuring is to throw out the old tape measures and buy a laser rangefinder . Here’s a laser rangefinder for under $30 . Buy something like this, and you won’t have to climb a ladder to find out the length of your roof.

• Think about power : Make sure you know where the outlets are and whether you have enough extension cords.

• Check your old lights : Part of planning is checking to see if what you already have is still working, so whip up some eggnog and check to see if your old lights are still working.

Choose your color palette wisely

Anyone can light a string of lights, but it’s the intentional lighting that separates us from chimpanzees. Here’s a little color theory for your Christmas light show:

• Choose a palette : The most obvious choice is red, green, and white, but consider other options, such as white, blue, and silver for a winter wonderland look, or red, white, and pink for a candy cane vibe.

• Limit your use of colors : You can go for a maximalist look that combines every color, but it will be difficult to achieve without looking like a Christmas gift shop.

• Be careful with the accent : If you’re going to use twinkling, flashing, or color-changing lights, make sure they fit into the overall design. A single flashing bulb among a multitude of static lights isn’t what you want.

Remember that LED Christmas lights are superior to all others.

If you’re still using old mini incandescent bulbs, shame on you. Stop being a caveman . LED bulbs are better than incandescent bulbs for all these reasons:

• They’re cool : LED bulbs put out about half the heat of older bulbs, so they’re unlikely to set anything on fire even if you tried.

• They’re eternal : LEDs can last tens of thousands of hours. They’ll outlive you.

• They consume less energy: LEDs consume about 10% of the energy consumed by old light bulbs.

• They’re independent : remember how, when one bulb burned out, the entire string of lights went out? That’s a thing of the past, dude. LEDs don’t care whether the others burned out or not.

• They’re versatile: LEDs can be very bright or dim. You can buy LEDs that change color, blink, simulate meteor showers , and create other special effects. There are also LED lights that can be controlled by a phone or run on batteries. They’re simply better.

Gather your supplies and tools

Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll know exactly how many feet of garland you need and what color it should be, but that’s not all. You’ll also need tools and other materials.

• Good Stairs : Make sure your stairs are safe.

• Clamps : You will need a lot of clamps and hooks.

• Extension cords

• Gloves and ties

How to hang Christmas lights

Here are some tips for hanging lamps:

• Safety first : Hanging holiday lights is the most awkward way to get injured. It’s not worth it, so plan carefully beforehand, play it safe, and have a helper hold the ladder.

• Start at the power source : Always start where your lights will be plugged in. Starting anywhere else is a Griswold move that will ruin Christmas. Start at the outlet to avoid the cord extending halfway down the roof.

• Check the lights again: You should have checked them already, but before you string them, check each light again. It’s much easier to fix a loose connection on the ground than on a ladder.

• Use clamps and hooks instead of nails : Nails can damage your home or even cause a fire, so avoid nailing anything. Bonus: hooks make it much easier to remove everything in January.

• Hang your lamps evenly : space the bulbs apart to avoid a cluttered mess. Follow the contours of your home for the best results.

• Carefully wrap trees and shrubs : start at the trunk and work your way outward. Wrap small shrubs in a spiral from the bottom up.

How to Remove and Store Christmas Lights

When the holidays are over, it’s time to put everything back in its place for next year. Resist the temptation to just dump everything in a pile and throw it in boxes—you’ll be dissatisfied with yourself next year. And don’t just leave everything lying around: you’re a cultured person, after all.

• Reverse installation : Perform the entire process in reverse order. Remove the garlands starting from the point furthest from the outlet. Remove the garlands from the trees, starting from the outside in and working from the bottom up.

• Wrap carefully : To avoid a ‘ball of despair’ next Christmas, wrap your lights around something – a homemade spool or a simple piece of cardboard works wonders.

• Mark each strand : Mark where it went (roof line, bushes, tree, etc.) using a piece of tape and a Sharpie marker.

• Store hooks and clips : A separate container is essential for hooks and clips. Fishing boxes are ideal for this.

• Store safely : Store all gear in a cool, dry place in a plastic container to be ready for next year. Don’t use cardboard boxes. Instead, consider something like these Rubbermaid containers .

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