Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Christmas Decorating

If you are like most people you will notice that the retail stores are all decked out for the Christmas and Holiday season approaching. They are banking on higher sales as the economy picks up, so they are adding more lights to catch our attention
Dos And Don'Ts For Using Holiday Lights
Author: MiNeeds
Author: Glen Kinnaird Article Source: MiNeeds.com , where consumers get competitive bids from Interior Designers. Read reviews, compare offers & save. It’s free! Article Link: http://www.mineeds.com/New-York/Kinnaird-Designs-Interiors/Articles/Dos-and-Donts-for-using-Holiday-Lights Tags: Christmas Decorating , Lighting , Electricity , Decorating , Party Ideas , Events , Do it yourself , interior design , holiday decor , design If you are like most people you will notice that the retail stores are all decked out for the Christmas and Holiday season approaching. They are banking on higher sales as the economy picks up, so they are adding more lights to catch our attention. If you like the look of the Holidays like me, these decorations are getting us in the Spirit of the Season. This can only mean one thing... time to think about decorating my home. Before you go out and buy lights to hang on everything not moving, let me give you some tips first. Here are my dos and donts for using Holiday Lights. 1) Do pick a theme for your decor, like all white lights or blue or red. This will make more of an impact and ads some design style. No offense to the multi-color lovers out there. That is a different look all together that is equally charming. Those people might use jewel tones for candles and ornaments to add to the colorful scene. 2) Do not use different light sets together. Some people mix up their old and new lighting and I don't like to see this. When you are dealing with electricity, even this low voltage type, you need to think about fire safety. Before you string up the lights outdoors and indoors, maybe you can take your kids or a small group of kids to your local firehouse to teach them some things about fire safety. This time of year is high on the list for fires caused by dried live trees lit up with faulty lighting. Call the fire house first to see when they could give you the tour and talk to your group. Then, throw out those old lights and buy them all from one place. GKI Bethlehem Lighting is my favorite if you can find them, but GE or another brand name would be a safe bet too. 3) Do wrap the lights loose around the branches or railings. Some times lighting gets too tight and can cause those blackouts in the strands we hate to see. One tip is to string your lights while they are on. Yes, this is not a hazard unless you get a call or a visitor. In that case, turn them off until you can get back to decorating. This keeps them cool and you can be sure to see any outages before you finish decorating. Once all the lights are in, then add the BLING! 4) Do not plug in more than 4 to 6 light strands together. Most companies will tell you on the packaging how many lights can snap together without over loading the little fuses. You may want to get extra bulbs and fuses when you are at the store, they never have them after the season is underway. If you think you will need extra, buy them all together when you get the big sale price. Yes, they may knock off another $2 later, but please save your self some headache and time...buy them now. You will spend more in time and gas going back for more lights, trust me. 100 count light sets, you can bet no more than 5 linked together. 25 and 50 count, I would make sure no more than 6 together. From my experience, and I have seen my share of Macy's decorating, you can use the 6 ft and 8 ft extension cords to add more lights. The cords are easily hidden. No one will see it and you can be sure the lights will stay on and not blow a circuit or a fuse. You can also use black electrical tape to make sure the connections are safe and secure. This is a good husband job, they love hanging the lights. You can come back with your ornaments and glitter flowers when he's done. 5) Do not over load your outlets. If you have any questions, electricians don't mind a short consultation to let you know how to wire your Holiday decor. Better safe than sorry when you are lighting up like an airport outdoors. There are decorating companies that can help you and they know exactly how to wire everything safely. 6) Do have fun with your kids or friends in this process. Many times I have invited people over for drinks, music and games when we decorate for the Holidays. Make it an event to remember. They lights are great and all, but sharing memories with loved ones is priceless. That's why we really have these Holidays anyway, right? There are religious events all through this season, but lets not forget the message of those celebrations. Peace! Joy! Love! 7) Do send me pictures, I would love to see your design work. If you get into a tough spot, I am available through email or a phone call. Ask all the questions you like, I am ready to help you. If you live in New York and don't have the time to decorate, call me. Tell me what color you want and how you want it to look. My team and I will have you Decked Out in a Flash. Then you can enjoy your party and lavish in all the compliments when the music is rocking. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Glen Kinnaird Was the Article Useful? I hope you enjoyed the article! Please rate it at the following link, your feedback is highly appreciated: Dos And Don'Ts For Using Holiday Lights
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