Christmas lighting does much more than just illuminating your house. A house aglow with Christmas light signal the approach of the holidays and gives the outside world a hint of the cheerfulness going on the inside.
The classic rule "less is more" becomes particularly important when it comes to Christmas lights. You should try to resist the urge to light up every corner of your home, both inside and out. Instead, focus on placing Christmas lighting selectively, so that you could create focal points that would draw attention to the architectural details of your house, like widows or pillars, or special objects, such as a display of wooden reindeer.
Different Christmas lights can create different moods. Strings of large colored lights tend to set a cheerful, upbeat tone, while twinkling white lights, classic and understated, would hint at the season without overwhelming the scene. And the low flicker of candlelight would give your home a cozy appeal.
The Christmas tree, mantel, and banisters are all classic places to display lights, however, lighting in unusual places would add unexpected sparkle. Consider rolling strands of lights into groups and arrange on your dining room table or inside a large glass vase on the mantel. Change your overhead lighting by wrapping a string of lights around the arms of a chandelier, and use throughout the season. To create a romantic holiday dinner for two atmosphere, line the underside of a glass tabletop with colored lights and put a sheer tablecloth over it.
For the festive outdoor mood, twist heavy-duty bendable wire into holiday shapes and wrap them with lights. A terrific way to enhance your home's holiday appeal would be to focus a white and colored spotlight on the wreath on your front door. To finish the look, use lighted, star-shaped tree toppers to decorate the knobs on your porch or the tops of fence posts.
Don't forget to create seasonal glow by arranging candles on the mantel with metallic accents. Glass and metallic objects pair well with lit candles because they reflect light. Drape gold garlands and sprigs of silver berries between votives and pillars lined up along the mantel, and accent with metallic star ornaments.
