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Tips For Creating A Dazzling Christmas Lights Display

With holiday cheer entering the atmosphere, it's time to turn on the Christmas tunes and put up the lights.  Not sure how to create the best holiday lighting design?  Fear not!  Christmas Décor Ottawa's professional holiday lighting installers are here to help you get the job done right!  Read on for tips to create your own festive layout.

Plan your display
Ho-ho-hopefully you have planned your holiday lighting designs in advance to minimize the hassle of installing Christmas lights.  Planning ahead can help you avoid these common obstacles:

  • Running out of lights
  • Having too many/too bright of lights, which can blow a fuse
  • Not having an outlet to plug the lights into
  • Mismatching strands

There are a few things you can do to avoid these issues.  First, figure out where you want your lights to go.  To give you some ideas, here are a few places worth considering:

  • Along the gutters
  • Around door and window frames
  • Through trees and shrubbery
  • Along paths or fences
  • Around birdbaths and statues
  • Lining the roof

Get creative!  You may have specific architectural or landscaping aspects of your property that could be enhanced by some strategically placed lights. 

Once you've figured out the areas you want our Ottawa holiday lighting installers to illuminate, measure them.  By measuring the areas, you can be sure to buy the appropriate amount of lights for the job.  Plan your voltage and make sure it isn't too much for the circuit to avoid blowing a fuse.  Make sure to get an exterior extension cord and find all the outlets on the exterior of your home.  No outlets?  No problem!  Simply run the cord through a window and block out the cold with blankets and towels. 

Pick your bulbs
Retro or LED?  Large or small?  Multi-coloured or solid?  Icicle, net or rope?  What kind of lights do you want to complete your holiday lighting designs?  Decide on the look you want to go with.  This may depend on which area of your home you're lighting but generally it looks best if you go with one type of bulb for the whole display.

Of course, you can always experiment with different types.  With icicle lights on the gutters and net lights over the shrubbery, you may be able to create a beautiful display of festivity that will illuminate the cold winter evening. Lights come in flashing or solid light patterns. Both look great – the choice is up to you!

LED is a new trend that many homeowners adore.  LEDs last longer, are more energy efficient, and emit less heat, therefore reducing the possibility of a fire hazard. No matter what kind of lights you use, be sure to check those bulbs!  Replace any burnt out bulbs to keep your holiday lighting designs looking great and to avoid wasting energy. 

Consider the theme
Christmas comes in many forms with many tales.  Consider these tales and whether or not you'd like the accompanying theme:

  • A Nutcracker Christmas
  • How The Grinch Stole Christmas
  • Frosty the Snowman
  • Rudolph
  • T'was the Night Before Christmas

Look for inspiration anywhere.  Whether it's a decoration of sugar plum wreaths and garlands that brings about visions of The Night Before Christmas, or nutcrackers for the Nutcracker Christmas, adding themes can create a wonderful display.  You can even create your own theme!

As with light bulbs, it's best to stick with one theme when designing your own dazzling holiday lighting. 

Let Christmas Décor Ottawa be holiday lighting installers today!  Check out our gallery for examples of our work, and inspiration for your holiday lighting designs.

Beat the Christmas rush this season.  Book your appointment with Christmas Décor's Ottawa holiday lighting installers today!