It’s hard to believe, but next week marks the one-month countdown to Christmas! While it may still be too early to turn on your holiday lights, taking advantage of the warm weather and putting them up now, is actually a good practice.
If you’re planning to hang your holiday lights soon, here’s some tips for safety:
- Check the lights first: this will allow you to find any burnt out bulbs and replace them before you hang them up. You’ll also want to attach the clips to the string lights while they are on the ground to make things easier.
- Map out where you want your lights to be: take into account corners, eaves and shrubs/trees.
- Locate the electrical outlets: and run extension cords. It’s not a bad idea to try using outlets that are hooked up to switches do you can easily turn your lights on and off.
- Setup your ladder on a safe surface: ensure you can easily reach the eaves and other areas you need (probably best to have a spotter, especially in bad weather).
- Attach lights: to your gutters or shingles, make sure the clips are all facing the same direction. If you’re attaching lights to trees, try a light-hanging pole, which will make your life a lot easier.
- Get a timer: you can purchase timers for your lights that will have them automatically turn off at a certain time, so you don’t have to get out bed when you forget.
And a couple other things to keep in mind:
- If entire lengths of light strings are not working, it is not a matter of replacing bulbs, there is a faulty fuse or wire.
- Make things easier on yourself for next year, and when you go to store them again, wind them.
Interested in hearing your thoughts on how early you put up your holiday lights, let us know on Twitter! You can also find more step-by-step guides on hanging holiday lights on the Lowe’s website here.
