Traditional Tales

Christmas is a time for family, friends, and of course, festive decorations. But creating an impressive outdoor holiday lights display that includes your trees can be a challenge. If you’ve done some searching online, chances are you’ve found plenty of products available to purchase. But most don’t offer decorating tips, not to mention the design steps required to create the outdoor holiday trees of your dreams. In this guide, we walk you through a step-by-step design process for decorating your outdoor trees for the holidays. From safety to landscape preparation, as well as answer questions like, “how many Christmas lights do I need?” Planning out your display is the key to a safe, successful, and festive holiday display.

Start with Safety

When planning to decorate outdoor trees for the holidays, safety should be your first consideration. There are critical safety guidelines to follow when using lights outdoors. For example, before deciding how many outdoor Christmas lights to put on your trees, it’s important to ensure that you have sufficient electrical power and the correct fuse ratings to support the electrical demand. This is especially important for outdoor tree lighting, as some trees may be located far from the house. It’s also extremely important to use lights, extension cords, and power boxes that are rated for outdoor use. Not only will outdoor-rated products be more rugged and weather resistant, but they are built to handle the electrical draw of many lights. This will help you answer the question, “how many Christmas lights do I need?” Equally important is making sure that you have a plan to safely install lights on your outdoor trees. For most people, this will require using ladders. But ladders pose safety risks unless used carefully and correctly. The safest way to install lights on your outdoor trees is to hire a professional holiday lighting service. But if you plan to do it yourself, make sure you take the time to learn proper ladder safety techniques and always have a spotter when working with outdoor lights. Also, never allow children to climb or play on ladders or to play near a ladder while you are using it. By starting with safety, you can get your outdoor holiday light display planning off to the right start! Here is a quick summary of the things you need to do before you start decorating:

• Check to ensure your lights, cords, and accessories are rated for outdoor use.
• Determine how many feet of Christmas lights for tree(s).
• Confirm the electrical circuits you intend to use can handle the additional load. Make sure you have a ladder high enough to do the job (never use the top rung of a ladder).
• Follow proper ladder safety techniques (always have a spotter).
• Consider hiring a professional holiday lighting service.

Determine Display Size

Once you have safety covered, it’s time to think about the size of your outdoor holiday display. The most important factor here is how much of your home’s exterior you plan to decorate. Are you just planning to light your exterior trees, or do you want to decorate other landscaping elements and/or your home’s exterior? Knowing the scope of your display beforehand is the key to effective planning for your outdoor holiday lights display. In this way, you can better determine how many Christmas lights you will need to create the effect you want.

Less Can Be More

When it comes to outdoor holiday lighting, there is a common misconception that the more lights you use, the better. It’s easy to get excited and a little carried away during the planning phase. This can lead many people to buy more outdoor lights than they need or can use, resulting in an outdoor holiday display that is over the top and tacky. Too many lights and decorations can create a confusing visual effect, overwhelming viewers in an unpleasant way. So, how many lights should you put on a Christmas tree outside? Well, that will depend on how big the tree is, how high you want to extend the lights, and what type of lighting effect you want to create. How many lights for a 6ft tree versus a 10ft tree may be different or the same depending on how you want to string the lights. To make sure that your holiday lights inspire awe, not annoyance, try to focus on creating an exterior display that is tastefully lit but not over the top. Related Topic: Can You Have Too Many Holiday Decorations?

Pick a Theme

Choosing a holiday lighting theme is another crucial step in outdoor holiday tree decorating. A theme can help bring cohesiveness and visual interest to your outdoor holiday display. Plus, by choosing a theme, you can easily tie in other outdoor decorations and landscaping elements to create a unified outdoor decorating look. Some popular outdoor holiday lighting themes include:

• Classic white and green or white and red outdoor decoration, with minimal pops of brighter colors and festive outdoor lighting.
• Rustic outdoor decorating, with outdoor lights paired with lanterns and other rustic elements.
• Retro outdoor holiday decorations, with vintage or mid-century style decorations.
• Modern outdoor holiday decorations, with sleek outdoor lighting and contemporary decor elements.

Visually Connect Your Internal Decorations

As you plan your outdoor lighting and theme, take the time to create a visual connection between the outdoor decorations and the interior decorations. For example, consider using the same theme for both your indoor and outdoor Christmas trees. Another way to add spectacle and drama to your holiday lights display is to position your indoor tree so that it is visible through a window and then time your lights so that when the indoor tree’s lights are on, the exterior lights are off. By creating a visual connection between your indoor and outdoor lights, you can give your home a polished, well-thought-out look that will delight guests and visitors.

Prep Trees

Once you have a theme and your indoor and outdoor holiday displays planned out, it’s time to get ready to decorate! Before you start buying and wrapping lights, however, it’s important to get your trees and landscaping ready for your holiday display. This means making sure that outdoor trees and shrubs are pruned back, and fallen leaves and other debris are removed from your yard, gutters, and other outdoor spaces. Be sure to use proper safety around ladders and landscaping tools, and always wear gloves, safety goggles, and other protective gear when working with power tools and other landscaping equipment.

Hire a Professional Service

After following these design steps, you may realize that planning and carrying out an impressive outdoor holiday display requires considerable time and effort. It takes time, preparation, and proper safety measures to pull it all off. It can also be hard to determine exactly how many feet of Christmas lights you need for each tree and how to connect your exterior lights safely to avoid the risk of electrical overload or fire. The good news is that avoiding these potential problems is easy when you call Your Holiday Lights! We can help you design and install the custom outdoor holiday light display you’ve always wanted, all without the hassle and hazards of doing it yourself! Visit us online to learn more and to schedule your design consultation today!

Is it possible to have too many holiday decorations? In a word, yes!

For many people, holiday decorations are an important part of our most treasured celebrations. But having too many holiday decorations can be a serious problem. Not only can excessive decorations create safety hazards, but they can also drain your time and energy as you struggle to set them up and take them down. They can also lead to issues with storage space and create visual clutter that takes away from your holiday décor and the enjoyment of individual pieces. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the issues of having too many holiday decorations and provide tips on how to reduce the number of decorations that may currently be cluttering your home.

Safety Concerns

One of the biggest issues with having too many holiday decorations is the increased risk of fire or other safety hazards. So, what happens if you string too many holiday lights together? A house filled with multiple strings of lights, overloaded power strips, and flammable items such as dried-out live trees or garlands can become a potential hazard. Therefore, it’s important to follow all safety guidelines for your decorations and not exceed the recommended number of lights or other items on a single power source.

Another serious safety hazard related to holiday decorations is the risk of injury from ladders. According to the American National Standards Institute, there are more than 300 ladder-related deaths and over 130,000 emergency room visits related to ladders each year, as well as 2,000 ladder-related injuries every day. When attempting to hang multiple strings of lights or heavy decorations, it’s important to know and follow proper ladder safety. Using a sturdy ladder and having someone there to spot you can prevent accidents.

Time Drain

In addition to safety concerns, having too many holiday decorations can also lead to an overwhelming time commitment. Ask yourself: how much time do I spend hauling out and packing away decorations each year? If your answer is more than a day or two, you may have too many holiday decorations!

The process of setting up and taking down all of your decorations can quickly become a major chore, especially if your decorations are spread throughout your entire home. This can also lead to added stress during a time that is supposed to be enjoyable and relaxing.

Instead of trying to fill every corner of your house with holiday cheer, consider focusing on just one or two areas where you can really make an impact with your decorations. Another option would be to hire a professional service to handle some of the set-up and take-down for you. This will not only save you time but can also create a more cohesive and enjoyable holiday display.

Overburdened Storage Space

In addition to the time commitment, having too many holiday decorations can also lead to storage issues. Many people struggle with finding adequate space for their holiday decorations in between seasons and may even need to rent a storage unit just for these items. With holiday decorations taking up so much closet space, where will you store other essential household items?

Crowded or improper storage of holiday decorations can become a serious safety hazard. For this reason, if you have too many decorations to safely and neatly store in your home, it may be time to downsize your holiday decor. When deciding how many decorations to keep or purchase, consider their size and whether or not they can be neatly stored in a designated area of your home.

Visual Clutter

While there is nothing wrong with wanting to bring the holiday spirit into your home, too many decorations can create visual clutter and take away from the overall aesthetic of your space. Rather than overwhelming a room with multiple small trinkets or knick-knacks, consider choosing a few larger statement pieces that will have more impact and be less cluttered.

When shopping for holiday decorations, think about the overall design and style of your home and choose pieces that will complement it rather than clash with it. Remember: less is often more when it comes to achieving a cohesive and visually pleasing holiday display.

 How to Reduce Decorations

If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by your holiday decorations, there are a few steps you can take to downsize.

• Start by taking inventory of all of your decorations and decide which ones you actually use each year. If you have decorations you rarely use, it’s probably time to let them go.
• The same thing goes for decorations that don’t match your home decor or holiday decorating theme. If you have items you are hanging on to but don’t coordinate with your other decor, consider donating or selling them.
• If you like to change up your holiday decorations year to year, try rotating different sets of decorations each year to keep things fresh. This can help you avoid buying new ones every season.
• Finally, next time you are shopping for holiday decorations, only purchase items that have a clear purpose or meaning and will complement your existing collection.

Hire a Professional Service

If you find yourself struggling with the thought of reducing your holiday decorations, consider hiring a professional holiday decorating service. A professional decorating service can handle all the set-up and take-down for you, freeing you up to enjoy the holidays. Hiring a service means you don’t have to worry about the takedown and storage of holiday decorations (what a great holiday gift). They can also offer expert advice on how to create a cohesive, dazzling, and enjoyable holiday display without overwhelming your home.

While it may seem counterintuitive to hire someone else for holiday decorating, remember that the holidays are a time for relaxation and enjoyment. By outsourcing some of the work, you can focus on what truly matters during this special time of year (time with family and friends).

At Your Holiday Lights, we have the holiday decorating solutions you need to reclaim your time, your storage space, and your enjoyment of the holiday season! Visit our website to contact us and to learn more about our quality holiday lighting services.