Holiday Lights Tips for Your Tree and Outdoors

When it comes to Christmas decorations, there are numerous decisions to make. From types of wreaths and trees, to the shape, color and even texture of ornaments, there is a lot to consider. However, one aspect that people take for granted are Christmas lights.

Christmas lights are one of those just-grab-it-and-go kind of decisions because you need to put a border around your house, or fill up a whole in the back of the tree. In reality, the type of lights you use are essential to creating a good design style for both inside and outside your home.

There are basically four types of Christmas lights: solid white with no color, solid color, multicolored and twinkling. I, for one, hate all twinkling lights unless you have them connected to some type of music. I can’t think of a reason why you should ever have twinkling lights, unless it’s part of a large-scale design — which I will save for a later post.

The Tree

The tree is the centerpiece of your indoor holiday decor and I have always been partial to solid white bulbs. The ornaments are the focal point for me, and I want something to illuminate them rather than overshadow or clash with them.

The only exceptions would be if your bulbs are all of one color and you wanted a specific color of light to accent your tree and ornaments. Otherwise, let the soft white light of the bulbs shine off the reflective surfaces to create a dazzling scene.

Outside

Decorating outside is a little more complicated. I try to stay away from the solid white lights for the outside because I like the lights to serve as the focal point, rather than just to illuminate my home. The only exception would be if you have a sculpture, or other large holiday decoration, that you want as the focal point. In this case, the standard white lights are ideal. Also, consider the background behind the lights (i.e. color of your home, fence, etc…). You want to create a cohesive look, rather than let colors clash here.

Other that that, it’s all about taste. If you are creating a design using multiple strands of different colors, just make sure they all go well together, and be careful when using several different colors, as it can make the design look too busy.

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