Putting Up Christmas Lights

[Pomai]

Here's a thread to share your knowledge and creativity in the craft of creating and/or installing Christmas lights and decorations. Some approach it casually, simply draping a few light strands over the railing or the hedges out front. Then you have those hardcore folks who make plywood cutouts of cartoon characters, have an animated Santa and Sleigh zooming above the roof, line every facia board, window and door opening with chasing mini lights and become HECO's best customer during the holiday season. lol

So my task yesterday was to put our lights up. I thought I had everything needed to do the job efficiently: T-50 Heavy-Duty Staple Gun, Electrical Tape, Wire Ties, hammer and nails. Everything went up smoothly, but one thing I ran out of and forgot to buy were Zip Ties. Damned. I really could have used those to quickly and neatly coil the surplus extension cord lengths. Zip ties would have also made it easier to fasten lighting wires to nails under the eves in certain spots.

So I'll start a hardware store shopping list for you folks planning to put your lights up soon. You won't necessarily need all this, but it's good to have, just in case. Please add if you have more or alternative methods of putting your lights up.

• Christmas Lights & Extension Cords
• T-50 Heavy-Duty Staple Gun and 3/8" staples
• Electrical Tape
• Galvanized light gauge all-purpose wire
• Zip Ties
• Wire Cutter
• Hammer & small common galvanized nails
• Pliers
• Tape Measure (if your a stickler about symmetry)

I'm not so hardcore that I make those plywood cutouts or animated stuff, but if you are, please share any thoughts or ideas on this type of decorations here.

[tutusue]

Re: Putting Up Christmas Lights

Do you make house calls, Pomai?

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Putting Up Christmas Lights

This topic reminds me of Bob River's "Decorations"

(Sung to the tune of "Good Vibrations")
"I'm stringing up decorations
It's straining the power stations
fake icicle light formations
imported from third world nations..."

I love a good display as much as anyone, but it's a fun song to the excesses.

[blueyecicle]

Re: Putting Up Christmas Lights

We use the light clips. Almost no nails or staples.
We also use zippy ties! LOVE those!
We decorate the entire outside of the house and put a few penguins and smowman up. I guess we are in between the hardcore and lightweights.

I cannot put my lights up without those cheap timers!

[tikiyaki]

Re: Putting Up Christmas Lights

Even tho' I hate the crappy little town I currently live in, it has one distinction.
Candy Cane Lane...A small cul de sac with about 10 houses, all of which are completely over the top with X Mas decorations....People come from all over town to see it. Every house is completely covered in lights, moving decorations, Santa, fake snow...you name it.
It's nice to walk thru it on Christmas night.

Me ? I don't even out up a tree

[tutusue]

Re: Putting Up Christmas Lights

[...]Me ? I don't even out up a tree

Me either...no nah-ting! Makes me wonder why over 50% of the tunes on my iPod are Christmas songs!

[Kungpao]

Re: Putting Up Christmas Lights

I can't WAIT till black friday to put up the lights. My wife and I have lived in apartments and we just bought our first house this past april. Look out House! Here comes Clark Grizwald!! LOL OK.. Maybe not that bad but I'm definitely looking forward to it. Not planning on using any staples but I'm probably going to use those plastic clips that Blue was talking about or brass cup hooks. Definitely going to get an outdoor timer.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Putting Up Christmas Lights

I'll just take my kids to see all the christmas lighting in Hilo. At my home we just put up the big red bows and bells on our front doors. My neighbor across the street is an athiest so she likes to sing non-sectarian holiday songs.

I just wish she wouldn't change the words to traditional christmas songs with non-religious ones, the rhythm just doesn't jive with the melody.

[Plummy]

Re: Putting Up Christmas Lights

I'll just take my kids to see all the christmas lighting in Hilo. At my home we just put up the big red bows and bells on our front doors. My neighbor across the street is an athiest so she likes to sing non-sectarian holiday songs.

I just wish she wouldn't change the words to traditional christmas songs with non-religious ones, the rhythm just doesn't jive with the melody.

Ugh, you're kidding me!! People like that give athiests a bad name. Seriously. I wish people would just respect other people's beliefs and leave it at that. I do. It's not that difficult.

[Pongs]

Re: Putting Up Christmas Lights

Just wondering what yall use to put up the indoor mini lights? I used to use scotch tape but it leaves sticky marks on the windows

Any smarter tips out there?

[blueyecicle]

Re: Putting Up Christmas Lights

I use tacks for mini lights. I use tacks for Garland...I use tacks for everything!
My husband like the mini nails. I don't like hammer so tacks are my friend.
It doesn't take many and it is just pin holes.

So we used C-7 lights for the first time this year and clips!! LOOVVVEEE it! Neighbors said we are trying to land planes on the house! Woohooo...the competition begins!

Every light is straight thanks to these clips...I love them. I am NEVER putting mini lights up again! Griswald Christmas here I come! in 5 years I will be head to head with them!

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Putting Up Christmas Lights

Ugh, you're kidding me!! People like that give athiests a bad name. Seriously. I wish people would just respect other people's beliefs and leave it at that. I do. It's not that difficult.

Oh Holiday tree oh holiday tree...

[Plummy]

Re: Putting Up Christmas Lights

Oh Holiday tree oh holiday tree...

That stuff is beyond retarded.

What I meant was more like, if someone says "Merry Christmas" on Dec. 24, just say "you too" instead of "I don't celebrate Christmas." It's the people who try to argue like that and makes things an awkward situation. I'm not religious by any means and if someone were to walk up to me and say "Happy Hanakuah" I would most definately say "you do the same" or something.

Maybe that's just the way I was raised. We use to have "Christmas Break" and I remember the switch over to "Holiday Break" in school and no one understood why. It's gotten to the point back in my home town that kids aren't allowed to dress up for Halloween anymore in elementary school or they'll get sent home to put regular clothes on.

[WindwardOahuRN]

Re: Putting Up Christmas Lights

That stuff is beyond retarded.

What I meant was more like, if someone says "Merry Christmas" on Dec. 24, just say "you too" instead of "I don't celebrate Christmas." It's the people who try to argue like that and makes things an awkward situation. I'm not religious by any means and if someone were to walk up to me and say "Happy Hanakuah" I would most definately say "you do the same" or something.

Maybe that's just the way I was raised. We use to have "Christmas Break" and I remember the switch over to "Holiday Break" in school and no one understood why. It's gotten to the point back in my home town that kids aren't allowed to dress up for Halloween anymore in elementary school or they'll get sent home to put regular clothes on.

"Christmas Concerts" became "Holiday Concerts," which was actually okay, in my book. Christmas trees, Hanukkah bushes. Made latkes and Christmas cookies. What the heck.

I learned to dance the hora better than I could dance a slip jig, which was not well at all.

We heard about what Ira got for the first day of Hanukkah and what Bridget got for Christmas.

I think we were the better for it, really.

[blueyecicle]

Re: Putting Up Christmas Lights

Seriously. I wish people would just respect other people's beliefs and leave it at that. I do. It's not that difficult.

If they weren't judging and looking down on ya how would they feel better than ya?!