How to safely set up your outdoor Christmas lights

Nothing says Christmas more than a stunning outdoor lighting display that shines with pure magic. It’s a great way to show off your creativity and holiday spirit, while bringing joy to others with a spectacular Christmas light show. With the right planning and tools, you can ensure that installing your lights goes smoothly and your decorations shine beautifully.

With countless options available, selecting the perfect outdoor Christmas lighting can be overwhelming. Twinkly app-controlled lights shine in over 16 million colors and are the only smart, mappable lights. The Twinkly app uses your smartphone camera to locate your LEDs no matter how you position them, creating a virtual map that allows you to customize and create dynamic lighting effects to match any Christmas theme and holiday color motifs. Twinkly offers a wide selection of Christmas lighting, from Twinkly String lights in every length to classic C9 bulbs, Icicles and LED curtains. You can group and map multiple lights to play as one single display or sync them to play the same effects. Lights can even be used with Twinkly Music, a small yet powerful sound sensor that makes Twinkly lights dance to any music.

However, throughout your merry preparations, it's crucial to prioritize safety, ensuring that the sparkle of the season doesn't turn into a hazard. Let's check out some essential tips for safely decorating your outdoor spaces with Twinkly Christmas lights.

Decide where to hang your lights

Before you start, evaluate the size of the outdoor space and all possible places where you can hang the lights. Visualize where your outdoor and patio lights will go and decide the style of LEDs you want to use. String lights are ideal for wrapping trees and objects, while C9 bulbs and Icicles are stunning on rooflines and eaves. You can consider LED curtains for window decoration. Determine the length of the LEDs you’ll need to cover your space. Prepare the clips, hooks, or zip ties designed for outdoor use to mount lights during installation. Make sure your outdoor Christmas lights are firmly secured so they do not come loose.

Make sure your lights are designed for outdoor use

Selecting the appropriate Christmas lights is the first step toward ensuring safety. Only use Christmas lights that are specifically designed for outdoor use. Outdoor lights must have an IP rating of 44 or higher, demonstrating resistance to outside elements like rain. Anything lower than an IP 44 is for indoor use only. Twinkly LED Christmas lights offer superior quality and durability. You can choose from a wide range of lighting specifically certified for outdoor use to guarantee safety, performance and stunningly vibrant animations.

Use safe outdoor outlets to power your lights

Electrical safety is of the highest importance when it comes to outdoor lighting and there are a few things to consider while planning your Christmas display. Before hanging your lights, verify that you have a proper outdoor electrical outlet and that your lights can reach them. Another piece of time-saving advice is to test your smart lights before hanging them. Plug them in to make sure they are in working order and your power outlets are functioning.
While LED lights consume minimal energy, if you are decorating a large housefront with multiple devices, double-check that your electrical system can support the additional load of your Christmas lights.

Have fun with the Twinkly app

Once your Twinkly lights are safely installed and working, it’s time to have fun with the Twinkly app. Twinkly smart LEDs guarantee superior versatility with a palette of millions of colors and app-controlled effects that can be changed and customized at any time with the swipe of your smartphone screen.  

Try mapping multiple lights together so they act as a single display. Experiment with colors, patterns, and animations to create a mesmerizing outdoor atmosphere that reflects your holiday style. The animations in the Effects Gallery can be customized by changing color and speed. You can design your own animations with the FX Wizard or browse the Explore Section and download tons of free effects designed by Twinkly. For more inspiration, check out this article on 5 ways to style your space for Christmas with Twinkly lights.

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