For many people, putting up holiday lights is a necessary chore in order to get to enjoy holiday decorations. Check out these Christmas light ideas and hacks as you decide how to hang Christmas lights around your home this year.
Christmas is the season of peace and joy… until you have to put the decorations up, that is.
I know hanging holiday lights seems idyllic and easy, but as someone who has done it for years and years now, let me tell you. It’s tricky and annoying! Until they’re hanging and looking lovely.
And if you’re anything like me, untangling holiday lights and climbing ladders doesn’t exactly fill you with holiday cheer.
But we have good news… we collected some terrific Christmas lights hacks to make hanging those lights much easier this year and for years to come.
Clever Holiday Lights Tips and Tricks
Confession time: I finally got so fed up enough with the process of hanging holiday lights that I decided to go searching for some tips to help make it easier.
I found some pretty genius ideas to help with everything from storing and hanging lights to taking pictures to creating magical spaces with lights – check them out!
Zip Ties to the Rescue | Family Handyman
I have tried so many ways to attach those Christmas lights to our railings. All of them failed. Every single option.
Until I found (and tried) this tip.
Use zip ties to tie holiday lights to railings. The zip ties won’t leave marks as tape and hooks do. They’re a snap to put on and a breeze to take off.
Add Variety to Your Lights | Vintage Revivals
Does your tree always look a little, well… boring? Maybe liven it up with two different bulb sizes.
Doesn’t the bottom half of this tree look magical? I never would have thought to do this, but look at the difference!
Add Some Sparkle With Twinkle Lights | Nest of Posies
Brighten your hallway and make it into a magical place all at the same time! To do it, simply cover your ceiling with twinkly lights.
Use Holiday Lights to Take Amazing Christmas Photos
Wrap your kiddos up with Christmas lights to take the best Christmas Photos EVER!
Huge Time Saver | My Six Ring Circus
Want to hang lights on brick? Forget everything else you’ve ever heard and break out the hot glue gun!
It’s surprisingly easy to do once you know this trick and saves a huge amount of time hanging lights.
Check more hot glue gun tricks!
Temporary Extension Cord Protection | Family Handyman
No one wants to get electrocuted during the holidays. Because safety is a priority, use an old plastic container with notches cut in the sides to protect extension cords during the Christmas season.
The Trick for Attaching to Fascia | Family Handyman
Use clothespins to easily clip holiday lights to fascia when you’re decorating your home’s exterior. It’s so much easier (and cheaper!) than light clips.
Keep Those Holiday Lights Tangle-Free
The very worst part about hanging holiday lights is untangling them. It takes forever! Do it differently this year with this hack.
Wrap Christmas lights around cardboard to keep them tangle-free and easy to prep for hanging.
DIY Wire Christmas Tree Lawn Decorations | 17 Apart
Make your own wire Christmas trees with tomato cages and strings of lights. Buying them is too expensive (and a pain to store all year long).
If you already have tomato cages that you cleaned out from your winter garden prep, this is a super frugal way to decorate the exterior of your home for the holiday season.
A New Twist on Christmas Lights | Instructables
Ping pong balls make excellent light diffusers, taking an ordinary set of lights and making them look absolutely beautiful (and unique). Here’s a tutorial to create your own string of ping pong ball lights!
Simple Way to Deflect Light | Real Simple
Or put some foil cupcake liners behind your lights to bounce a little more light off. This works well with lights around the windows and looks so amazing!
Store Holiday Lights Around Tubes |Savvy Housekeeping
Save cardboard tubes during the month of December to wrap your lights around when the season is over.
This Christmas light idea will keep your holiday lights from getting tangled in storage (so you save time when it comes time to hang them up again!).
Related Post: Amazingly Clever Toilet Paper Tube Hacks and Crafts
DIY Holiday Light Globe | The Garden Glove
Make a gorgeous holiday light globe by wiring two wire hanging baskets together and wrapping lights around them. Magical!
Top Christmas Lights Photography Tips | It’s Always Autumn
When photographing holiday lights, you may want to turn off your flash. The flash creates a gray, washed-out look. By turning off the flash, the lights look brighter because there’s more contrast.
Skip Lights Altogether and Use a Projector
Get the look of hanging thousands of lights without all the hassle. The star shower makes it beyond simple. Have you seen them shine into trees? Gorgeous!
Holiday Lights Mason Jars | Hometalk
Aren’t these jars adorable? Also known as fairy light jars, they’re easy to make and a snap add to any holiday decor display. Plus, they add just the right amount of light. Beautiful.
How are these for clever holiday lights tips? This year decorating with holiday lights doesn’t need to be a chore. With these Christmas light ideas, it can be fun, creative, and beautiful!
More Holiday Inspiration from One Crazy House
- Holiday Meal Prep Ideas – Make Ahead Christmas Dinner Ideas
- How to Clean your House for Guests this Holiday Season: 7 Quick Tips
- Awesome Hacks to Make Holiday Clean up a Breeze
- Simple Ways to Stay Below Your Holiday Budget
The post 16 Holiday Lights Tips That Make Christmas Easier appeared first on DIY House Hacks – One Crazy House.
