Very soon, homes around Sarasota, FL will start to feel the minor Floridian chill and realize that the holiday season is upon them, which means only one thing: time to hang Christmas lights. While they are pretty and can certainly make the holiday more festive, they are also sometimes difficult to work with. Here are some tips to help you make your home bright and cheerful all the way to Christmas.
Tips for Hanging Lights Outside
Some of the most popular places to hang lights outside include your driveway, the front porch, on the roof, and along bushes/trees. Because each one has it’s own unique shape, you should carefully plan what lights you want to use and how many you need. Measure the area where you will hang the lights and compare it to the length of your strands. From there, you can calculate how many lights you’ll need.
Tools to Help You Hang Lights
- A ladder
- Work Gloves
- Hardware for hanging the lights (such as clips, nails, etc)
- Extension cords
To maximize the appeal of your outdoor lights, keep in mind a focus point. For bushes, net lights work best. When you start hanging lights from trees (or house columns), start from the top and work your way down. You can apply adhesives as you go. However, the most critical step to hanging lights is testing them first. The last thing you want is to hang all those lights and find out they don’t work. Plug them in and test them first.
Tips for Hanging Lights Inside
Hanging lights inside your home builds on that festive appearance you’ve been longing for this holiday season. Great places to consider hanging lights include the fireplace mantel, up the stair rail, or along bedroom walls. Again, you should measure the area where you plan to hang lights and gather your supplies. Common light hanging tools include transparent tape, tacks, and twist ties.
For lights around the windows, you can tape down the cords, so they don’t get in the way. If you use tacks, be sure you don’t pierce the electrical wiring. If you need to wrap lights around your Christmas tree, start from the top and work your way down. For lights that don’t stay put, you can use the twist ties to hold them together.
Decorating Your Sarasota Home for the Holidays
These are are just a few simple tips to follow when hanging holiday lights around your house. You can easily gather some ideas from around the internet and plan accordingly with the steps you learned in this article.
