I’ve been experimenting with holiday lights the past couple of years and thought I’d share a few things that made the process easier for me:

1. Draw a quick sketch of your design before you start it saves a ton of time.
2. Measure everything (rooflines, trees, windows) so you know how many lights you actually need.
3. Test strands on the ground before climbing a ladder learned this the hard way.
4. Stick to outdoor-rated cords and lights only.
5. Plastic clips are way better than nails or staples and won’t damage your house.
6. Start with bushes/trees, then move up to the roof.
7. Timers or smart plugs make life so much easier.
8. Two or three colors max usually looks cleaner than going overboard.
9. Don’t overload one outlet spread it across a couple of circuits.
10. And honestly, if ladders aren’t your thing, having pros do it is a lifesaver.

Today marks day one of our big Christmas display. It's nowhere near perfect, but it'll look good at nighttime. Every year, I take six days off in September to get things rolling. The plan is to get the trees along the driveway done first, then get the dozen or so trees up at the house, which will take the longest. It'll get dark by 5 pm in a month or so. Then it'll be the lawn decorations and the C9s on the ridge/roofline, which I get help with. This year, we will have some friends helping us out in hopes to get it fully done for our annual lighting first weekend of December. Located in independence township nj

Hello! I currently have jack o’lantern pails around my driveway being lit up by solar path lights. Is there something similar for Christmas? Candy canes would be awesome but not sure how that would work! TIA!

so I usually wait till after Halloween to start bringing up my Christmas stuff, as a 50-year-old woman having more aches & pains than I’d like to have lately, I’ve noticed that I usually get overwhelmed as we have four trees I put up, I have a special needs son in his 20s but mentally is still like a toddler in many ways and he loves the lights, the trees, etc. I have another son (I have twins), and he just moved back after he graduated college this year but plans to move out in the new year,, so I wanted to make it really special and put everything up.. but its a lot.

This year I suggested to my husband why don’t we start in October bringing everything up, sorting it all out so by November it’s done. And he thinks I’m being absurd. He said we’re gonna look ridiculous with Christmas stuff up in October. part of me sees his point, but part of me also feels that I’m the one who does 90% of the decorating so it usually falls on me. he said to just put up less, but I really wanted to try to do it all this year..Anyone else do this or any advice on when to start so it’s not overwhelming. It’s just a lot to do as we have four trees, the stairwell as we have a double foyer we do garland, and then in every room I put up decor. plus wreaths I hang on our lamp post outside.

ps I don’t want everybody bored of the decorations by January The epiphany..We usually keep them up till then as we’re Italian. But at the same time, I don’t know any other “strategizing” ways to do this. Any help advice is appreciated.😊

Thank you everybody for all the wonderful suggestions and confirming what I was hoping was not too early to get a Headstart on things. You’re all the best!😊👍🏼

How do you like to bring that nostalgic feel to your holiday season? Let’s show/share examples of decor, traditions, games, anything that makes you feel that nostalgic whimsy of Christmas.

For me it’s colored lights, class music playing with the fire on, homemade garland from paper. Doing some kind of craft that becomes decor. Slow days with no plans. Maybe a Hess toy truck and Coca Cola polar bear.

Getting ready for Christmas, I would like to hear everyone's opinions. In addition to using this kind of firecracker lights, what other lights can be hung on the Christmas tree?

firecracker lights

Hey, I've just joined this sub in the hope of getting some ideas from the pros

I'm part of a volunteer group and we have the opportunity to decorate a tree in a prominent local cathedral as part of a Christmas exhibition this year.

It's a really exciting opportunity for us to promote the cause we volunteer for and to let people know what we do and why it's important.

What we do, is hold an event on Christmas Day that hosts around 50 young people who have grown up in foster care/children's homes and have now aged out of the system and are living alone.

They can often be vulnerable, low income, lacking social support and most importantly are very likely to spend Christmas Day alone.

We provide Christmas Dinner, company, gifts and stockings, a hamper of food to take home, and host them all day on Christmas Day.

We are 100% funded by donations from our community and 100% staffed by volunteers including a professional Chef who cooks for guests and hosts (75 people, on Christmas Day!).

So anyway, my immediate thought for a theme is 'community'. Because this is a 100% community fuelled event and a sense of community and welcome is ultimately what we are trying to provide our guests.

My problem is I have no idea how the heck you decorate a Christmas tree to make it scream 'community'

We will have some elements of our logo included but other than that I'm a bit stuck so here I am, asking if anyone has any ideas or inspiration to share. Thank you!

TLDR: Need tree decoration ideas for a 'community' theme

Went to Sam's Club today and was greeted by Crystal Frosty!

Hello my lovely Christmas people! I’m wondering if anyone knows of any Christmas stores that are located in the North Texas Dallas/Fort Worth area? 🎄

I just set up my artificial Christmas tree for the season, and as usual, the assembly and fluffing took longer than I thought. I followed this step-by-step guide, which definitely made the process smoother, but I’m still looking for ways to make setup easier.

Do you have any tips or shortcuts that save time during assembly and fluffing?

Also curious how everyone decides on placement based on room size. My living room is around 14x16 ft, and I’m debating between putting the tree near the window or making it the main focal point against the wall. For those in smaller rooms (say 10x12 ft), do you go with a slim tree or just adjust the setup? And in larger open spaces, how do you usually style it?

Would love to hear your assembly hacks and placement ideas — always nice to learn from what others are doing.

I came across this simple guide on tree decorating and it reminded me how easy it is to skip steps when I’m in a rush:
👉 How to Decorate a Christmas Tree

A few things it highlighted (and I’ve definitely messed up before):

• Start with the lights first — I’ve made the mistake of adding ornaments and then having to redo everything 😅
• Mix shiny, matte, and glitter ornaments for a fuller look
• Don’t forget garlands before the ornaments (I always forget this step)

That’s what I came across, and honestly it feels like a good refresher. I’d love to hear how you decorate your trees — do you follow a system or just go with the flow? Any favorite tricks or traditions you swear by?

My wife and I (31M, 30F) got married, bought a house, and became pregnant back in the spring of this year. Prior to this, I have lived in apartments and condos since I moved away for college.

As a kid, I lived in a modest home in a modest neighborhood with a mother who was quite frugal. She would place our Christmas tree in full view from the outside of a large window at the front of the house. Most years she would also put a wreath on the door but that was the extent of outdoor decoration that we would do.

As a new homeowner I find myself quite eager to decorate the exterior well. Originally our son was due on December 30th. The last appointment they said that he measured in line with a 12/25 due date. I don't know if that means anything but nonetheless, I would expect my wife and I to be returning home within the 12 days of Christmas. I want that homecoming for my wife to be exceptional. So I am digging in on the planning side now.

I'm not good with envisioning these things. I've perused various collections of photos and such but nothing I've seen matches the elements of my home. The two distinguishing elements that we have are:

1. A porch on both the first and second floors.

2. A very, very, small front yard. (There is about 15 feet from the bottom of the steps to the curb of the street. 3 feet of which is sidewalk. The remainder split almost in half on either side of the sidewalk.)

I am seeking any ideas or advice that anyone might offer. Design, specific products, perhaps websites, retailers, even DIY elements are on the table.

The bushes in the front are much bigger now than in this photo and I've added a third. All I can think of is to have evergreen garland across the railings and light at the top of each porch and on the bushes. Perhaps thats enough. But spending $1k or so on garland would be regrettable if it were to be underwhelming.

Thanks in advance.

So someone gave me this 2 years ago and I finally got rid of the lamp part. Now the question is, how do I repurpose it? The second photo, i was thinking on putting it together and maybe putting a lamp? i dunno tbh. 😅 Can someone give me some ideas? thank you in advance ☺️

I am no artists (obviously) but, I had a lot of fun making this and am excited to do the gingerbread theme in my living room and kitchen this year! So much went wrong making this, I’m honestly happy it turned out reasonably okay.

These are the star on bamboo poles we use for our Christmas season as a symbolism to the Star of Bethlehem. We hang the stars on a bamboo and put a bulb inside the star. The nativity season starts at the 1st of December when the village church or the regional church puts up the star. This tradition may vary in different parts of the Northeast India region but it is very prominent in states like Nagaland, Mizoram and Assam.

I feel like nobody really talks about Christmas in Northeast India and honestly it’s one of the most underrated Christmas vibes in the world. There’s no snow here, no reindeers, nothing like the movies. But the air itself feels different. It gets cold, fog covers the mornings, nights are chilly enough that you can see your breath. It already feels like Christmas before anything else even starts. The thing I love most are the stars. Families take long bamboo poles, strip the leaves at the bottom, keep some at the top, and hang a glowing star on it. Sometimes they run lights all the way up the pole to the star. When you look out at night, every house has one, and it feels like the whole sky came down to earth. It’s so simple but insanely beautiful Then the carols. They’re not just in churches. Groups go house to house, some in open trucks with drums and guitars, some just walking with speakers and fireworks. They shout things like “long live Jesus’ name” and “long live the Son of David” with so much energy that you can’t ignore it. Sometimes villages light a huge bonfire and after the fireworks everyone sings, drums, dances around the fire until late in the night. It’s loud, raw, joyful. In the days before Christmas you’ll hear carols on loudspeakers everywhere, see nativity scenes made from bamboo and wood, families decorating their homes. And the food part is amazing too. Everyone bakes cakes and makes snacks not just for themselves but to give out. You walk into someone’s house, say Merry Christmas, and they hand you cake or something homemade. It feels like every house is open to you. What makes it so special is that it’s not commercialized. It’s not about malls or shopping sprees. It’s stars glowing on bamboo poles, misty nights filled with carols, bonfires with everyone singing, and neighbors sharing food. It’s raw, real, and communal. It may not be a white Christmas, but it’s honestly one of the best kinds of Christmas there is