The Ultimate Guide To Installing Christmas Lights (From Start To Finish)

It doesn’t feel like the holidays have truly started until you can see your light display twinkling in all its glory. A considered approach to installing your Christmas lights can produce truly stunning results.

There are plenty of things to consider, though, before you’ve even taken the lights out of their box. Will you have indoor and outdoor lights? What style will you opt for? How many lights will you need? When you break the process down into these parts, you will realize there are several considerations to be accounted for. Taking this time in advance is worth it, though, for the end result.

In this article, we’ll examine how to plan and install your Christmas light display for maximum effect (including both indoor and outdoor guidance). Once you’ve followed this process once, you’ll want to follow it year-after-year.

 

Planning your light display

The first step is considering what you want your display to look like. Here are some questions you should think about beforehand:

Do I want an indoor display, an outdoor display, or both?

This will determine the scale of your display. There will be different considerations for indoor and outdoor light installations.

Are there any focal points of my property that I want to highlight?

While the Christmas tree will certainly be the main attraction of your display, there may be other internal features you wish to decorate (railings, pillars, etc.). Large outdoor trees are perfect for elegant decoration (with the right equipment).

What is my budget?

If you’re planning an extravagant display, it is worth considering how much you are willing to spend on additional strings of lights. You should also factor in additional items like timers and installation tools.

How much free time do I have to install these lights?

Installing Christmas lights can be a time-consuming task! If you’re planning to tackle this by yourself, work out a day and time when you plan to complete the installation. It will be soul-destroying to get halfway through the job on a Sunday night, only to be faced with a full work week and the knowledge you’ll have to complete the work in your evenings after work.

With this knowledge in hand, it can be valuable to measure the surface area you want to cover with Christmas lights. 

 

Choosing the lights

Not all Christmas lights are created equal - and your choice will really depend on the vibe you are aiming for with your display.

A popular and versatile indoor option are mini string lights, which provide a soft, sparkling glow without overwhelming the other features of your home. Use lights with a green wire on the Christmas tree itself, and white wires elsewhere in your home. Fairy lights and micro LEDs provide a similar effect but are easier to bend around table centerpieces and other small objects.

There is an ongoing debate about LEDS vs. incandescent bulbs. LEDs have a higher upfront cost, but are much more energy efficient and durable. They also run much cooler than incandescent bulbs, which do give off a classic, nostalgic glow but tend to have a shorter lifespan.  

If you want to go for a more colorful style, there are color-changing LEDs that can be programmed with a mobile app. These can be particularly striking on the outside of your home. In fact, when it comes to the outdoor setup, there is a wide array of options. Icicle lights can provide a classy touch, while net lights, rope lights and even projection displays can be utilized to cover larger areas. Solar-powered lights are eco-friendly and do not require a trailing cord to a power supply, but they typically do not shine as brightly. 

 

Equipment and safety considerations

You might think this is a redundant step - until you come to hang those lights from your home’s rooftop and find that the ladder doesn’t quite reach. Check in advance that you have the necessary equipment to install your Christmas lights, including power strips, ladders and step stools. 

You might be wondering about the best way to secure your Christmas lights outdoors. TreE-Z Wrap’s unique solution saves you time and ensures a professional finish - learn more about it here.

There are a couple of safety considerations to bear in mind - particularly when hanging lights outside. As with any electrical installation, beware of overloading outlets, and don’t install your lights in severe wind or rain. You will also need to ensure that the lights are UL-rated and approved for outdoor use. Try to minimize trailing electrical cords in high-traffic areas. 

How to install indoor Christmas lights

The easiest way to wrap an indoor Christmas tree is to start at the base and wrap your way around and up the tree. Take regular breaks to make sure that your lights are evenly spaced and look good from all angles (particularly the side of the tree that will be most visible). Hide the plugs for connecting lights deep inside the branches. Using string lights with a green wire will minimize the exposure of the wire.

For other indoor spots, you can wrap lights around garland on surfaces like mantels or railings for a decorative finish. Larger surfaces (such as pillars) may require more careful installation, although TreE-Z Wrap can significantly reduce the time and complexity of the job.

 

How to install outdoor Christmas lights

With bigger surfaces to cover, outdoor light installations often require forethought and planning. It is also harder to adjust anything that looks out of place when it needs you to climb up a ladder to fix it.

Make sure that your lights are securely fastened to protect them from inclement weather conditions. When installing lights on tall objects (such as trees, or on rooftops), it can be useful to have a ‘spotter’ on the ground who can advise of any alterations that need to be made. For both aesthetic and safety reasons, wires and cords should be anchored in place.

When installing Christmas lights on the outside of your home, it can be worth periodically taking a stroll up and down your street to see how it looks from various angles. While it may look excellent from your driveway, passers by may view your display from a different viewpoint. 

 

Troubleshooting tips and advice

These often overlooked tips can improve the chances of a stress-free installation.

- Check your lights before installation. If your lights have been sitting in the garage for most of the year, check them before you spend precious minutes or hours wrapping them around your home - only to find that they no longer work. Also, take this time to untangle them. 

- For outdoor installations, check the weather forecast a few days beforehand. Nobody wants to be (or frankly, should be!) putting up lights in the driving rain, thunderstorms, or snow and ice. 

- Don’t leave it to the last minute. The longer you put the job off, the more likely it is that you will rush the actual work, which will have an impact on the final installation. Starting a little earlier also reduces the chance of the weather affecting your plans. 

- Store lights safely. When the season is over, wrapping the lights in their original container can prolong their life and prevent them from damage. You can also label the boxes if they were used for specific areas of your home - this will save time when putting the lights up next year.