Decorating your outdoor space is slightly trickier than decorating indoors. In this guide, we will reveal all the tips and tricks for buying outdoor Christmas lights and how to put them up, safely and easily.

"LED bulbs are brighter and longer lasting than other types of Christmas light available on the market."

- White Stores

Things To Consider Before You Buy


LED Bulbs
LED bulbs are brighter and longer lasting than other types of Christmas light available on the market. This is ideal for your outside space and will light up your area nicely.

 

Choose Your Light Style


Consider your light style carefully for your outdoor space as there is plenty to choose from, some of the most popular options are:

Icicle Lights
Hanging Icicle Lights are an extremely popular choice of outdoor Christmas light. Our snowing icicle lights are unique thanks to the falling snow effect which looks beautiful hanging along your roof or guttering. The snowing icicle lights are available in varying sizes and several ice-themed colours.

String Lights
String lights are ideal for use on outdoor trees, wrapping around guttering or attaching to your roof. They offer an evenly spaced look and are available in multiple colours.

Cluster Lights
Cluster lights offer a much fuller look compared to string lights and are also ideal for outdoor trees as well as wrapping around porches, walls, bushes or other outdoor areas.

Christmas Figures
Light-up Christmas figures make the perfect outdoor Christmas display. Whether you opt for just one or a whole family of characters, outdoor figures are great fun to add to your outdoor Christmas lighting display and many can be collected over the years. For battery-operated figures, ensure they are kept in a sheltered area and for mains-operated figures make sure the plug is suitably covered or preferably plugged in indoors.

Additional Features

 

Lead Cable
Mains operated lights are safe to be used outdoors (providing the retailer has confirmed this) but you should ensure the plug is kept safely in a dry location, this could be a suitably covered outdoor socket, but we always recommend an indoor socket. This means that you will need a lengthy lead cable to be able to reach from your chosen outside spot to the plug socket. We recommend looking for lead lengths between 5m-10m to ensure you have enough stretch.

Lit Length
The lit length or number of bulbs is also important, especially if you plan to decorate the roof or outside of your house as you will need to make sure you can cover the whole space. We recommend measuring your area first and looking for a lit length that will definitely cover this space, rather than just guessing.

Timer Functions
If you’re looking for lights for your outdoor space, then the most important feature is a timer function. The timer function will allow your lights to turn on and off at the same time every day. This helps to save energy and keep running costs down and prevents you having to turn them on and off each night which you may forget to do.

Multi-Function Settings
Another thing to consider when buying outdoor Christmas lights is the settings available. Multi-function settings are great as they allow you to choose a light setting that suits you and your space. For example, if you’re on a busy road flashing lights might be distracting to drivers so you may want to ensure you have a static function.

How To Hang Your Outdoor Lights


Hanging your outdoor Christmas lights safely is our number one priority. Here are the things you may need:

• Your chosen Outdoor lights
• A ladder
• Gutter hooks or decorating clips
• An extension lead.

Step 1: Plug in your lights at ground level and make sure everything works.

Step 2: Check that there is an accessible power socket, if you need more stretch, we recommend using an extension lead - however, make sure this extension lead remains indoors.

Step 3: Use a ladder to hang your lights at your chosen height. You should make sure the ladder is on a solid, level piece of ground and that you can reach the point you wish to hang the lights without being on the top step or having to stretch above your head or stand on tip toes. Where possible, we recommend asking another adult to hold the ladder securely whilst you are on it.

Step 4: Attach your decorating clips or gutter hooks to the area you are decorating. The hooks should be evenly spaced apart, maybe every 30 to 50cm or for heavier lights like icicle lights, every 20 to 30cm.

Step 5: Plug the lights in and work backwards from the socket clipping the cable into the decorating clips. Aim for the cable to be held tight, with no loose wires hanging down.

Step 6: Work slowly around the area until you reach the end of your strong of lights. Make sure you have one last hook in place to hold the end of the string.

Step 7: Adjust any droopy wires or any unevenly spaced bulbs.

Step 8: Switch on and enjoy!

If you need any further help choosing your outdoor lights, we recommend speaking to one of our Christmas elves in-store or over the phone.