Get matched with top holiday decorators in Neosho, MO

First of all, don’t shop for bargain lights—often, you’ll end up with a faulty or broken strand, full of dead bulbs or less-than-luminous brightness. Choose quality lights that will last you many years—LED lights have been known to last as long as 100,000 hours. Second, plan ahead and purchase lights for next year’s Christmas during this year’s post-holiday sales. Finally, have a vision and a plan—if you know the measurements of your home, including any windows, doors, and outside bushes you wish to light up, you should be able to only purchase the necessary lights and not more than you need.

No, you should not leave LED Christmas lights up all year. While the LED lights themselves are very durable, their wiring and casings can be as vulnerable as any Christmas lights. They’re subject to drying out, experiencing cold or sun damage that causes them to crack, and even damage caused by gnawing pests. (The same is true of incandescents.) If you want your lights to last the years that they’re rated for, bring them inside after Christmas is over. 

Professionals use the same methods found in this guide unless they’re decorating a particularly large Christmas tree. In that case, they may also make use of tools like extension poles to get the job done. 

How many string lights can be on one outlet depends on a number of varying factors, including the total wattage of your circuit, the type of lights, the energy needs of the lights, and cord specifications. It’s better to play it safe here to protect your circuit, so figure out the max wattage of your circuit, compare that to the lights, and move on from there. Generally speaking, LED string lights require less energy than incandescent bulbs, translating to a higher number of lights per circuit.