| Outdoor-lighted decorations can really add some zest | | | | you can use them in more outdoor places than you |
| to your Christmas holiday decorating. Many people | | | | thought. In addition, they use less electricity, which will |
| concentrate on decorating the inside of their homes or | | | | either lower your bill or allow you to use more lights. |
| apartments. However, another group enjoys extending | | | | Rope lights may be either incandescent lights or LED |
| those decorations to the outside. For them, the sky is | | | | lights. Rope lights allow you to arrange Christmas lights |
| the limit when it comes to outdoor Christmas | | | | in hard to place areas or in areas where you wish to |
| decorations. | | | | have a more subdued lighting affect. Since rope lights |
| When you drive by existing homes that have outdoor | | | | are lights enclosed in a tube, you can cut these to the |
| decorations, you will note that these decorations fall | | | | length required without harming the string. |
| into four primary categories: | | | | Specialty Lighting |
| - Traditional outdoor-lighted decorations | | | | I have included net lighting as a type of specialty |
| - LED lighting | | | | lighting. In a traditional lighting setting, the homeowner |
| - Specialty lighting | | | | would string some lights together and arrange them a |
| - Other outdoor-lighted decorations or lawn art | | | | row at a time on the hedgerow or wrap them |
| Traditional outdoor-lighting decorations | | | | individually around a tree trunk. Net lights are lights |
| These easy, quick fix decorations seemingly do not | | | | arranged in a mesh or net pattern, which allows for |
| take a lot of effort. Just follow these simple instructions | | | | quick installation by just placing it over the bush or tree. |
| and you too will have an eye-catching display: | | | | There are other specialty lights such as teardrop |
| - Dust off the box of outdoor Christmas lights from | | | | shaped, strawberry shaped, or globe shaped lights that |
| last year. These could be the large C6, C7 or C9 bulbs | | | | add their own unique perspective to your lighting |
| with screw in bases. | | | | design. |
| - Other traditional lights include icicle lights and mini-lights. | | | | Other outdoor-lighted decorations or lawn art |
| - Inspect each string of lights for any broken or frayed | | | | Lawn art is making its presence known throughout the |
| wires. If any are discovered, discard them and get | | | | country. Made from weather resistant materials, these |
| new strings. Do not try to repair them. | | | | lighted-outdoor decorations take many shapes. |
| - Test each string for working lights by plugging them in | | | | Wire molds shaped to resemble animals and outlined |
| to an active electrical socket. Replace any burned out | | | | with mini-lights are quite popular. Ease of installation is |
| bulbs. | | | | one of the primary selling points for this decoration. |
| - If outlining the roof of your house or garage with | | | | For the person using outdoor Christmas decorations, |
| lights, be sure to use a sturdy ladder on a level footing. | | | | many commercially manufactured decorations are |
| Use an assistant to steady the ladder if necessary. | | | | available. Adding the illusion of motion to characters |
| - Hang the lights using appropriate hangers to avoid | | | | and other shapes, a lighting controller used to |
| electrical shorts. | | | | synchronize lighting effects becomes a useful |
| - Ensure lights are installed away from combustible | | | | accessory. You may find a waving Santa, a Christmas |
| material. | | | | train with turning wheels, or even an animated flying |
| - Plug lights into an outdoor receptacle or and | | | | school teaching Santa's reindeer how to fly. |
| approved all weather extension cord. | | | | A homeowner may also find lighted inflatable |
| - With traditional outdoor-lighting decorations, sit back | | | | decorations to augment their lighted-outdoor |
| and enjoy. Relax, You are done! | | | | decorations. Some of these may even have snow |
| LED (light-emitting diode) lights | | | | falling or other animation included. |
| These outdoor-lighting decorations do not take much | | | | With traditional lighting, LED lighting, specialty lighting or |
| more effort to place than the traditional decorations | | | | other lawn art, you can make your front lawn the |
| mentioned above. The advantage of these lights is | | | | envy of the neighborhood and share your Christmas |
| that they are smaller and emit very little heat. | | | | joy with those that pass by. |
| Consequently, they have a lesser risk of fire than the | | | | When it comes to lighted-outdoor decorations for the |
| C6, C7, or C9 lights. You may find that because of this | | | | Christmas holiday season, you really do have a choice. |