How to Hang Christmas Lights Outside Around Door & Windows
Decorating your house with Christmas lights is a time-honored holiday tradition. Lining the windows, doors and other architectural features with outside lights makes a house stand out. Use multicolored lights for a festive look or simple white lights for a more elegant, upscale effect. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Outdoor Christmas lights
- Heavy-duty exterior extension cords
- Ladder
- Plastic tube light clips or nail-on clips
- Hammer, if needed
- Screwdriver, if needed
Instructions
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1
Measure the perimeter of the doors and windows you plan to decorate with lights -- including the connective areas between them -- and the dimensions of any other areas or objects you'd like to outline. Sketch out a plan based on the light strings you have, starting with the door then continuing to the windows and outlying features. Figure out how many additional strings you'll need to buy. If all lights will connect to one outlet, then all strings will need to be connected.
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2
Test each string of lights before installing them. First examine all light sockets, looking for broken or missing lights that need replacing. Plug in every string, to make sure they light correctly. Replace blown fuses as needed.
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3
Locate the nearest grounded electrical outlet, and make sure your outdoor extension cord can reach it. If you do not have an outdoor outlet, purchase outlets that screw into porch lights.
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4
Secure the tube or nail-on clips around the door and windows, spacing them about every 12 inches
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Run the lights up and around the frame, slipping the light strings into the clips, starting at the bottom of the window or door and ending back at the bottom. Join two strands of lights together, if needed, to frame larger windows. You can continue to the next window with any leftover length of lights; remove the "in between" bulbs so they do not glow.
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Continue stringing lights in this manner until you've completed your plan. Connect your extension cord to the first light string, then plug the cord into your outlet to test your light installation.
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Tips & Warnings
The larger the bulbs, the more dramatic your lights will appear. The smaller the bulbs, the more subdued and elegant.
If you don't want to install light clips, consider using a temporary putty-like adhesive sturdy enough for decorations.
Do not use staples or nails to attach light strings. Both can damage protective insulation on wiring, creating an electrical and fire hazard.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Digital Vision./Digital Vision/Getty Images
