Holiday lights that brighten up whole neighborhoods with festive cheer is one of the reasons this season is so magical. Driving around town with family and admiring the twinkling displays are traditions many look forward to.
But how do you create a show-stopping lighting setup? You need careful planning and proper installation, especially with our Midwestern winters that can really put outdoor decor to the test with all the blustery winds, bone-chilling cold, and piles of snow!
That’s why it’s so important to map out your lighting design and install it correctly right from the start. You want a display that will last from Thanksgiving through the New Year, spreading holiday magic.
This season, let’s spread some cheer and make sure your home shines bright all winter with a vibrant display you can be proud of.
Planning Your Holiday Lighting Design
Bringing your home’s holiday spirit to life all starts with a well-planned lighting design. Here are some tips to map out a dazzling display:
Assess Your Home’s Exterior
Take a walk around your property and make note of the architectural features you’d like to highlight – rooflines, windows, porches, columns, etc. Don’t forget to account for landscaping like trees and bushes that can be beautifully illuminated too. Identify any potential obstacles or limitations.
Set a Budget
Before hitting the stores, determine how much you can realistically spend. Factor in the costs of lights, extension cords, clips, timers, and other accessories. Also consider your electricity usage – energy-efficient LED options can help reduce bills. Residents in Indiana and Ohio should ask about potential rebates for eco-friendly lighting.
Create a Layout
With your budget and home’s exterior in mind, sketch out a lighting design you’d like to achieve. This allows you to visualize spacing, symmetry, and balance. Aim for a cohesive look that guides the eye naturally from one area to the next.
Choose a Theme
Will you go classic with traditional warm white lights? Or maybe a whimsical theme with bright colors and fun accessories? Modern, elegant, or rustic? Let your personal style and regional inspirations guide you. For example, twinkling icicle lights can evoke a charming snowy Ohio landscape.
Selecting the Right Lights and Accessories
With your lighting design planned out, it’s time to go shopping for the right lights and accessories to bring that vision to life. Here are some tips on choosing quality products:
Types of Holiday Lights
The classic debate – LED or incandescent? LED lights are more energy-efficient, brighter, and longer-lasting. But some prefer the warm glow of incandescent bulbs. You’ll also find a variety of specialty lights like icicle strands, rope lighting, netted designs, and projection lights that cast fun patterns.
Weather-Resistant Options
For those of us in the cold, damp Indiana and Ohio winters, waterproof and weatherproof lights are an absolute must. You’ll want strands rated for outdoor use that can withstand rain, snow, ice, and wind without shorting out. Spending a little more on durable, well-insulated lights now will save you headaches later.
Choosing Accessories
Don’t forget about handy extras like plastic clips for easy hanging, timers to automate your display, and outdoor-rated extension cords. Smart lighting systems that sync to music or let you control the show from your phone are also popular these days. But be sure any accessories you buy are rated for exterior use and extreme temperatures.
Safety should be the top priority when outfitting your home for the holidays. Opt for top-dog products that have passed rigorous testing and been certified by reputable independent labs. A little preparation now means more peace of mind all season long.
Preparing for Installation
Before you start stringing those lights, there are a few things you can prepare to have a safe and successful installation:
Safety First
When you’re dealing with ladders and electricity, safety has to be top priority, so don’t take any shortcuts here. Make sure you’ve got a ladder that’s sturdy and tall enough for the job. And use a spotter if possible – an extra set of eyes never hurts.
Check over all your lights, extension cords, etc. and look for any sketchy wiring or frayed spots before plugging anything in. You don’t want to end up on Santa’s naughty list because of electrical fires!
Testing Lights
Here’s some advice we’ve learned the hard way – test every single strand of lights before you start installing them. There are few things more annoying than getting all your lights painstakingly hung, only to find half of them don’t work when you plug them in.
Do a bulb-by-bulb check, make sure all the connections are tight, and map out which sections will run off what outlets/extension cords. Troubleshooting while you’re up on that ladder is no fun.
Assembling Tools and Materials
Get all your gear lined up before installation day. You’ll want your lights, clips, zip ties, power strips, timers, a nice tall ladder, and any other tools you might need like pliers or a staple gun. Having it all laid out in an organized way will make you look like a total pro.
Oh, and don’t forget spare bulbs and fuses in case anything burns out mid-install. There’s nothing worse than having to make multiple trips to the store!
Installing Your Holiday Lighting
Okay, time for the fun part – actually getting those lights up! Here’s the step-by-step process:
Step-by-Step Installation Process
Start at the top by outlining those rooflines and eaves first. This creates a nice foundation that makes your display look cohesive from the ground up. From the roof, work your way down by adding strands around windows, door frames, porch railings and columns. Anywhere you want to draw the eye!
Once you’ve got the house itself covered, bring it all together by incorporating your landscaping elements. Wrap tree trunks, line walkways, or create a twinkling garden scene by weaving strands through bushes and planters. Just be mindful of any potential tripping hazards for passersby.
Pro Tips for a Secure Installation
Use plastic clips or hooks instead of nails or staples to hang lights. This makes for a clean, damage-free look. And take some time to neatly run extension cords behind gutters, landscaping, or along the home’s exterior trim – nobody wants a tangle of orange cables ruining their gorgeous lighting design! Use zip ties to keep cords secure and organized along the way.
For strands spanning longer distances, it’s best to map out your plan ahead of time to ensure you have enough lights and extension cords to cover the area. Measure twice, purchase once! Investing in a few outdoor-rated power stakes can help minimize extension cord clutter across yards or driveways too.
Enhancing the Display
With the basics installed, think about taking it to the next level. Timers allow you to set your lights to automatically turn on and off according to a customized schedule. This saves energy and lets you “set it and forget it” without having to remember to hit the switch each night.
If you’re really looking to wow the neighborhood, invest in some music-synced or color-changing lights that’ll make your display dynamic and interactive. You can even pick up inexpensive smart plugs to control individual sections of your lights from a phone app. Talk about easy automation!
For an extra dose of holiday spirit, try working in some fun novelty pieces like light-up characters, projectors that cast patterns on your home’s facade, or pathway markers to illuminate the sidewalk or driveway. Just don’t go too overboard – a little whimsy goes a long way!
Just take it one step at a time, and before you know it, your home will be the brightest, merriest one on the block. Don’t be afraid to get creative and add your own personal flair.
Maintenance and Troubleshooting
Even the most meticulously installed holiday lighting isn’t immune to issues once winter weather kicks in. A little maintenance and troubleshooting know-how will go a long way:
Regular Checks
Do a full walk-around of your display every few days to inspect for any outages, damage, or loose wires. Catch small problems early before they turn into bigger headaches! Lights flickering or whole sections not working? Time to roll up those sleeves.
Quick Fixes for Common Problems
If just a bulb or two has burned out, that’s an easy fix – simply swap in a new one from your spare stash. For loose connections that are causing outages, a little electrical tape can temporarily secure things until you can properly splice the wires back together.
But before you start fiddling, make sure you shut off the breaker to avoid any shocks! And don’t overload circuits by plugging in too many high-wattage strands. That’s just asking for your home’s electrical system to take a holiday itself.
Winter Weather Tips
We all know how brutal Midwest winters can be on outdoor decorations. Wet snow can quickly cause electrical hazards, while heavy ice buildup weighs down and damages lights and clips. After any major winter storm, do another full check of your display once it’s safe to go outside.
Use de-icing spray on stubborn ice patches and gently remove any snow pileup with a soft broom (never use a stiff tool that could break bulbs!). For extra protection, invest in some durable weatherproof light covers or run strands through insulated pipes to prevent moisture penetration.
A little preventative maintenance will ensure your holiday display keeps shining all season long – no matter what kind of wintry mix gets thrown its way!
Tips for Safe and Efficient Holiday Lighting
Safety and efficiency should be top priorities when decking your halls this year. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
Avoiding Electrical Overloads
You don’t want your holiday cheer turning into a nightmare before Christmas because you overloaded your home’s electrical system. Take a walk around and map out a plan for distributing lights across multiple outlets and circuits. Trying to plug everything into one or two spots is just begging for trouble.
And don’t be that person who strings extension cords across the whole yard either. That’s an accident waiting to happen! Use surge protectors on each outlet to prevent damage from power surges and fluctuations too. A little preparation goes a long way.
Energy Efficiency Tips
Nowadays, making the switch to LED lights for your holiday display just makes sense. Those old incandescent strands are serious energy hogs that’ll have your utility bills skyrocketing faster than Santa’s sleigh. LEDs run way cooler and can slash your electricity costs by up to 90%! That’s a nice present for your wallet.
Most LED sets also come with handy timers now so you can put that lighting on an automated schedule. No more forgetting to unplug the lights in the morning and wasting all that money. Smart!
If you live around these parts, be sure to check if your local power company offers any rebates or incentives for going green with your holiday decorating.
Safety with Kids and Pets
For those of you with kids or four-legged friends running around, you’ll need to take some extra precautions with your lighting setup. Secure all cords down and out of the way using zip ties, clips, or covers. The last thing you need is someone tripping over a tangle of wires and taking a tumble.
If you’ve got curious pets who might try to chew on strands, stick to low-voltage landscape lighting or battery-powered decor along paths and sidewalks. Anything dangling or plugged in is just asking for trouble. Same goes for delicate ornaments and light-up decorations – keep those well out of reach unless you want to be vacuuming up shattered bulbs all season.
Taking Down and Storing Your Lights
Once the holidays are over, it’s time to take down those lights and pack them away for next year. But don’t just rip everything down haphazardly! A little care now will save you major headaches come next December.
Proper Removal Techniques
Take it slow and easy when detaching those light strands. Gently remove clips and hooks rather than yanking on the cords themselves. This prevents fraying and damage that could leave you with a bunch of duds later on.
As you take each section down, immediately wrap the cord in a figure-eight pattern to avoid tangling and knotting. We’ve all been there – nothing kills the holiday spirit faster than spending hours untangling a rats nest of lights!
Storage Solutions
Investing in a few plastic storage bins or reels is a game-changer for keeping your lights nice and organized until next season. If you just toss everything into a box all willy-nilly, you’re asking for a world of hurt down the road.
Take the time to wrap each strand neatly and secure it so none of the bulbs get smashed in storage. You can even use hanging clips or command strips to store strands vertically on walls if you’re short on space.
And don’t forget to label each bin! Clearly mark which lights went where so you don’t have to spend half of next December trying to sort through the jumbled mess. Separating by color, length, type of light, etc. will make installation a million times easier.
A little upfront effort packing away your holiday décor properly goes a long way. With a neat, organized system for storing your lights, you’ll be able to hit the ground running next year instead of wasting time detangling and replacing duds. Why make things harder than they need to be?
Bring the “Wow” Factor with Bassett’s Gemstone Holiday Lights!
Tired of the same old boring holiday light displays? This year, kick things up a notch and make your home the envy of the neighborhood with Bassett’s premium Gemstone Lights collection. These top-notch LED strands come in a rainbow of rich jewel tones that’ll make your exterior decorations pop like never before.
The lighting gurus at Bassett Services are like trusty basset hounds – loyal, determined, and always by your side with friendly advice (no gimmicks, just straightforward expertise). Bassett will always be by your side to design the perfect Gemstone lighting setup to complement your home’s unique architecture and landscaping.
Whether you need the full installation service or just some tips, we’ve got you covered. This holiday season, sound the hound at (317) 360-0054 and let Bassett create a lighting panorama that’ll have everyone talking. With our Gemstone Lights, your place is guaranteed to be the brightest, merriest house on the block!
When locals need help spreading some serious holiday magic, they know to call in Bassett for a better breed of service. Don’t settle for basic – explore our Gemstone Lights options online and treat your home to a truly brilliant, one-of-a-kind seasonal glow that’ll spark all the joy.
