By Sam Bellows
One of the great joys of Christmas is the decorating that comes along with the holiday. And, one can’t even begin to think of decorating for Christmas without thinking of Christmas lights. One of the favourite pastimes of families over the holidays is to drive around their neighbourhoods looking at all of the wonderful light displays. There are so many ways to go when decorating with lights and there are some important factors to keep in mind.
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When doing exterior decorating with Christmas lights, there is so much more that can be done with them other than just outlining the roof and windows. While this is a beautiful way to decorate, it doesn’t have to be abandoned entirely but it can be complemented with other types of illumination such as LED Christmas lights that also save on energy..
There are many moulds and outlines that can be used with lights, such as reindeer or stars and these can be beautifully illuminated with lights. To really make these decorations “pop”, use a separate color for each decoration. This will keep them from all blending together and will make for a very beautiful display.
Another thing that can be done with Christmas lights is to make a wreath for the front door. Again, there are frames that can be used and the lights can be beautifully wound around the frame and hung on a door. Mini-lights are wonderful for this purpose and can create a truly unique decoration!
Another popular decoration that can be used with Christmas lights is to buy plastic candles that are beautifully illuminated from inside with a light. There are small candles that can be purchased and placed inside the home in windows. For a bolder look, there are very large candles that can be purchased and placed outside. When doing this, it’s nice to line a sidewalk or driveway with them or even outline a winter garden. These lights can be a very beautiful addition to any Christmas yard.
It’s important to choose color wisely when it comes to Christmas lights. There are so many available but you don’t want to overwhelm your lawn or your home with too wide of a selection. Any time that color is being used, it’s wise to keep a solid color to one string, especially if outlining a shape such as a reindeer or a star. Multi-colored strings work well with lining outside trees and can really add to the beauty of the tree.
The type of light is also important to keep in mind. There are icicles, net lights, blinking lights, chasers, lights that have a number of different speeds and can blink quickly or slowly, or lights that don’t do anything at all except shine. When combining different types of lights, it’s best to stay with no more than three different types. By combining too many different kinds of lights, it only makes the lawn seem overcrowded and comes across as overwhelming.
Sam Bellows writes about LED Christmas lights and other energy-saving methods during the Holiday season.
