When you’re looking to put up Christmas outdoor lighting, it can be slightly overwhelming. With all the options out there to measuring your home for the first time, we want to help you have a streamlined experience to make it as enjoyable as possible and efficient year after year! 

How to Put up Christmas Lights

Here are the most useful tips, from mapping out the area to taking down the lights and storing them for next year.

Map Out Your Christmas Lighting Plan

To bring a cohesive look to your home, whether you’re going for a traditional lighting design or a fun and colorful one, the process is generally the same. You’ll look at the location you want to see lights and balance it across the home.

Whether you keep it simple with a few strands or want to incorporate a layering Christmas lights approach, you’ll start with your main focal points.

We recommend highlighting the roofline first. Then consider bringing light along your ridgeline using our ridge clips to bring the light along the peaks. Covering front to back ensures you have a more dynamic look. From there, you can consider the walkways, hedges and trees, and then the windows and doorframes.

Once your plan is in place, you’ll need to measure well for length. To do this, grab your tape measurer, walk the home, and write down the precise length to ensure you can determine the number of bulbs and clips and length of cording you need.

With an outline in hand, you can shop for anything you need. We’d love to help you in person at DW Pro Lights or online via our video tutorials and shop! Our educated sales team can also map your roofline in-store to determine the footage needed.

Prep and Install the Outdoor Christmas Lights

With your materials and plans in hand, the most important thing to do is add the bulb and clip the socket cord as you go. Be sure to have them ready to reach when you start hanging the lights.

Consider your safety and have the appropriate ladders and/or harnesses. And having a helper will always make this process go smoother.

As you are installing, you can cut the socket cord to size and install the connectors as needed. Use lamp cord for any gaps you need between two lines of commercial-grade Christmas lights. And installing a timer will save you time and money over the course of the holiday season. Photocell options are simple and come on automatically as the sun sets.

Take Down the Christmas Lights with Next Year in Mind

When you’re ready to bring the new year in and say goodbye to the holiday spirit, be sure to take a picture of your hard work. From here, simply reverse the installation, taking things down in an orderly manner, with the storage solutions ready to house the supplies. Mark the landmark bulbs for various spaces with colored zip ties to keep everything clear on where it needs to go next season!

And there you have it. Some of our best tips on how to put up Christmas light this season — and helpful ways to keep everything organized for the years of joy after! Be sure to subscribe to our DW Pro Lights YouTube channel for more inspiration and helpful tips!