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Decorating a tree yourself will only take between one and two hours, but a professional designer may take more time to create their vision. When hiring a pro, assume the work will take a minimum of three to four hours.

You can take a few steps to prolong the life of your holiday lights. Make sure to replace burnt-out bulbs as quickly as possible to avoid overloading the rest of the circuit and knocking out more lights. Before packing them up each year, plug each strand into the wall to confirm everything is still working. Wrap the lights carefully back into their original packaging or something similar—winding a strand tightly together or leaving it to hang loose in a storage bin can lead to frayed or damaged wiring. 

Between seasons, inspect cords for damage, replace burnt-out bulbs, and clean lighting fixtures to prevent dirt buildup. Proper storage in cool, dry conditions will extend the lights' lifespan and minimize repairs or replacements when redeployed.

If you take home a pre-lit Christmas tree but want to spruce it up with blinking lights, don’t worry, there’s a simple solution. You can easily replace the light bulbs on the pre-lit tree with flashing bulbs. For a more subtle look, only replace some of the bulbs with flashing bulbs.