How To: Outdoor Holiday Lights

This is where you can get creative with your outdoor holiday lights ideas. Locate your outdoor receptacle(s) to decide where to start hanging the lights. Remember to use a heavy-duty outdoor extension cord so your lights can handle any weather conditions.

Next, figure out how many feet of lights and garland you’ll need by measuring the area you’re planning to decorate. If you’re working with a large space, enlist a helping hand for this step. We chose to decorate the front porch of our home, so we needed more than 200 feet of garland and outdoor lights. To create a continuous strand, we used lights with male and female connectors.

After you have determined the length and amount of light strands needed, plug them in to make sure all lights are working. You can find bulb replacements at most local hardware stores, and replacing them takes only a few minutes.

Now wrap the lights around the garland. After the holidays are over, keep the strands wrapped together and store until next season.

Time to hang the decorations! Make certain that no lights are plugged into the outlets while securing to your porch. Use Arrow’s T59 insulated cable staple gun to secure the strands, fastening every 6 to 8 inches for a secure hold. We chose this tool because it has a wire guide and shoots insulated staples, which attach the lights without crimping the wiring. The 5/16” x 5/16” staples should be large enough for most light strands and garland.

Step back and enjoy your handiwork! When the season winds down, use Arrow’s SL24D staple lifter to remove the staples with ease. That’s how to hang outdoor holiday lights.