Though a neighborhood decorated for Christmas is certainly a festive sight, decorating isn’t always the most enjoyable project to take on. If you shrink from being a Scrooge this Christmas by going lightless, use these tips to help you hang your own Christmas lights — and enjoy doing it.

To make outdoor Christmas decorating as easy as possible, invest in the right accessories. Over the decades, people have used staple guns, nails, and duct tape to hang Christmas lights (really!), but these methods can irreversibly damage wood. Instead, use light clips. Light clips are your safe and affordable answer to easily mounting lights on virtually any surface.

It is also important to make sure you find the right kind of light for each surface you would like to decorate. Instead of running strings of lights everywhere, buy net lights from Christmas Lights, Etc. to drape over bushes quickly and easily. You’ll save time and energy, and the result can be breathtaking.

Check the Lights First

Don’t wait to find out that your lights aren’t working until after you already have them hung. Test all of your light strands before hanging them, helping you avoid installing strands that then fail to light up. Call us paranoid, but the one strand you fail to check ahead of time is the one you can guarantee to give you the biggest headache when it fails to work. Carefully checking all of your lights can also help you make sure that your Christmas lights don’t suffer from wire issues, and it gives you the chance to replace broken bulbs, helping prevent fire hazard to your home.

Create Safety in Numbers

For your safety — and sanity — don’t hang your lights alone. Get family members involved, or if you’re a bachelor far away from family, invite your friends over for eggnog and decorating. If for no other reason than that ladders are typically a part of Christmas decorating, you shouldn’t tackle such a project without having someone else around, just in case.

Buy the Right Lights

The type of lights you use matter a great deal. If you hang lights outside, they should be water-resistant, and they should be approved for outdoor use. LED lights typically work well outside, and although they can be on the pricey side, they are worth the cost if for no other reason than that they often last longer than traditional strands of lights. But, no matter which kind of lights you choose, if you plan to use them outside be sure to locate an appropriate outlet for connecting them, or else use an extension cord designed specifically for outdoor use.

Hanging Christmas lights doesn’t have to be a headache. With proper planning and preparation, as well as using the right accessories, outdoor Christmas decorating can be a fun project and a great way to spend time with friends and family. Whether you live in an apartment or in a house, try kickstarting your holiday season by putting up some festive lights.

Top photo: tarale/Flickr