Thinking of lighting up your yard for Christmas? If this is your first time doing it, it may seem overwhelming but remember to start small and build it up from there.

There are so many ways in which to decorate your lawn with lights for the festive season. This is why a theme is very important- do you like colorful lights or do you prefer a single color? Are you interested in lighting up a Christmas tree or do you want to have lit-up Santas, reindeer and angels? As a general rule of thumb for outdoor Christmas lights, less is more so remember that you need less than you think!

Try and decorate a small area (such as an evergreen tree or your eaves) and see how you like the effect. If the effect is pleasing, you could decorate another area in the same way. Remember to measure each area before heading off to the hardware store for supplies!

Once you know how you want to decorate your property, make a list of the lights you will need to buy. Incandescent lights are the least expensive and you should be able to find a wide variety of colors and options (eg. strings of mini-lights or nets) at your local hardware store. Alternatively, you could opt for LED lights which, although more expensive, are more durable. Always remember to check your lights before hanging them as there is nothing worse than a burnt-out globe when they’ve already been hung!

When decorating, think about how it will appear to folks passing your property. They won’t see the backs of trees and objects at strange angles, so save yourself some money on electricity and decorate only what they will see.

Finally, safety is always essential when decorating your property for the festive season! Lights should only be plugged into GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlets and avoid hanging lights if you think they will touch a power line.

Happy holidays!