If you couldn’t tell by the copious amounts of lights and the same fifteen songs coming from the store speakers, it’s Christmastime. If you’re like many people, you’re probably setting up Christmas decorations while it’s still weirdly warm in Kelowna for this time of year. What you might not realize is that there are key ways to make setting up said decorations less of a hassle. We’ve compiled some of the best ones for you below. Hopefully, with our help, you’ll be able to outshine that neighbour that always goes overboard with their decorations. You know the one.

Christmas Lights

Preparation and Planning

If you’re new to the Christmas lights scene it can seem overwhelming to even start. Don’t immediately go out and spend $100 plus on lights. Instead, focus on bringing attention with a couple strands to a key area of your yard or door. That way you can still create a great display with minimal takedown and light investment.

For those who want to spend more time to create a truly impressive display, it’s important to plan out where you’re going to put certain strands. This is especially true if you have different types of lights and things on your front yard can only be seen from certain angles. Often, different brands will have different lengths of lights strands so make sure you have enough lights for however far they must be strung. If you’re buying new lights, make sure they are actually rated to be used outdoors. Otherwise, they could potentially cause electrical issues in addition to being quickly destroyed by the weather. It’s also a good idea to go through all your lights and make sure they all light up properly and replace the ones that have burnt out.

Setting Up

If you have to get lights up high and need some kind of ladder, make sure you have someone there helping you hold it so you stay safe while stringing them up. For stake lighting, consider lining driveways or walking paths to create a sort of twinkling walkway. While permanent hanging objects like nails, hooks, and even staples can be great in the short term, they can be a pain to deal with when you eventually have to take the lights down. Instead, invest in shingle tabs, parapet clips, or even electrical tape (you can even get it in festive colours) to hang up lights. All are less noticeable when hung up and make for easy and simple take down.

Tree Decorating

If you really want the most amazing Christmas tree there are a couple tips that can ensure all the work you put into decorating doesn’t go to waste. Following our tips ensures you don’t wake up on Christmas just to find all the presents smushed from the tree falling over. One of the most important tips to keep in mind is the placement of your decorations. It’s a good idea to place them evenly around the tree as much as possible so it stays balanced. In particular, place the heaviest ornaments at the bottom of the tree and the lightest decorations at the top. This way your tree doesn’t end up top-heavy, and even if the heaviest ornaments fall off, they are much less likely to break from falling.

If you’re wanting to decorate your home with even more Christmas items, try to stick to one colour scheme or style to avoid things clashing between rooms. Plus, it’ll look even more impressive as your friends and family walk through your home.

Did we miss any tips? What tips can you offer for people looking to set up their own Christmas lights and decorations? Let us know in the comments below and a have Merry Christmas from everyone on the Phantom Screens Okanagan team!