Holiday Lights on the House

[Kellijo14]

Here's a question for all of you homeowners/holiday lovers. How do you attach holiday lights to your house? I'm just talking the plain white light strands. I want to outline the entire house and front windows with white lights. However, I can't figure out how to attach them to the house without using nails. I know some of the swag lights have attachments that fit onto gutters, but how do you do just plain lights? Do you leave the nails in there from year to year? We don't have gutters all the way around the front so I'm not sure how to attack the project. But DH doesn't want to put nails all the way around the house either. I want the prettiest, most lit up house on the block!!

[cindylou]

Most big stores (Target, Kmart, Walmart etc...) sell packages of these little plastic thingies that snap onto your gutters or slide onto the roofing. Then the lights snap onto the plastic thingies. (do they have a real name :)) I got mine at Target last year.

[villanelle75]

Your post made me realize that since we've made the move from Condo to Townhous,e we get to do really holiday light this year!!!! I'm subscribing to this thread to get some hints since i have no idea how to go about this.

[dana b]

we don't have gutters. they were installed with a staple gun.

[karilynne_97]

My DH, who used to put up Christmas lights professionally (yep, they have those:p ) puts them up with a staple gun.

Another trick: the lights you want hidden, cover w/water proof electrical tape!

Have fun decorating!

[Asha]

karilynne - i have always wondered how you cover up lights that you don't want shown. so, i am assuming since it is electrical tape, it is fireproof, right? thanks for the tip.

this may sound stupid, but if you put them up with a staple gun, then how do you get them out? is there a staple remover for staple gun nails?

[Asha]

also, we have a brick house. how would you put them up on a brick home with no gutters. at least, no gutters where i want to put up the lights.

[Kellijo14]

I've been looking for motivation and ideas for decorating the house with lights and I came across this site called uglychristmaslights.com (http://www.uglychristmaslights.com/). It's pretty good. They have highlights for the past three years.

Here's one example.
http://pics.uglychristmaslights.com/2004/years.jpg

[nuhmah]

Wow! That last picture makes my parent's house look great!

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5df20b3127cce9db7ab86572e00000016108BYt2rVwyau

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5df20b3127cce9db7a829171800000016108BYt2rVwyau

[Hangin'in]

We use the clips that are generally universal... they will slide under the shingles, or down into the gutter. For around windows, I have used the clips that are suction cup mounted... they work well on glass, but if you are wanting to put them on the outside of the window (on the brick or wood part), you would have to use nails or staples. The only thing you have to worry about is *make sure you do NOT nail or staple through the cord*!!!

We also use the black electrical tape trick... although in some stores they sell the bulbs that are actually blacked out.

[Hangin'in]

This family lives in Little Rock, and they used to do this to their home every Christmas. They would hand out candy canes to those walking by.... but the people who lived around them got tired of all the traffic, so they were made to stop...they passed a law!
http://www.jenningsosbornefamily.com/lights/osbornehome/obigpic.jpg


They now decorate several LARGE PUBLIC park areas... and they decorate part of Disney World...
http://www.jenningsosbornefamily.com/disneylight1/01.jpg

It's a GREAT story... here is the link...http://www.jenningsosbornefamily.com/lights.html (link).

His daughter, Breezy (yes, that's her name) got married a couple of months before me a couple of years ago.... Mickey and Minnie were at her reception... they danced with the bride and groom.

[Elenna]

Anyone live in a home without any exterior electrical outlets? If so, what do you do about putting up lights?

Our old house has no exterior electrical outlets, but I want to put up christmas lights.

[Kellijo14]

Anyone live in a home without any exterior electrical outlets? If so, what do you do about putting up lights?

Our old house has no exterior electrical outlets, but I want to put up christmas lights.

We're having this problem too. We haven't figured out quite yet what we're going to do about it. My dad is coming down next weekend and I hope he & DH can put an outlet outside on the porch.

However, I have backup plans. I'm looking to run an extension cord outside a window or underneath a door (one that isn't used that much). Also, if you have an outside light, you can buy an adapter to put into the light socket and it gives you an electrical plug. I did this at an apartment since I didn't have any outlets on my balcony, but I had a porch light.
http://www.jalanes.com//ImgUpload/P_274089_288531.jpg

We have a porch light that I could plug the adapter into. Then I can also control the lights from the light switch inside. I picked mine up at Walmart or Kmart or a dollar store for only a $1 or $2. It screwed right in and worked like a champ.

[ktsb]

Anyone live in a home without any exterior electrical outlets? If so, what do you do about putting up lights?

Our old house has no exterior electrical outlets, but I want to put up christmas lights.

We have a new house and they still don't come with exterior outlets!! Except in the back yard where we didn't plan on putting up any lights.

We ran an extension chord into the garage.

[Elenna]

We're having this problem too. We haven't figured out quite yet what we're going to do about it. My dad is coming down next weekend and I hope he & DH can put an outlet outside on the porch.

However, I have backup plans. I'm looking to run an extension cord outside a window or underneath a door (one that isn't used that much). Also, if you have an outside light, you can buy an adapter to put into the light socket and it gives you an electrical plug. I did this at an apartment since I didn't have any outlets on my balcony, but I had a porch light.
http://www.jalanes.com//ImgUpload/P_274089_288531.jpg

We have a porch light that I could plug the adapter into. Then I can also control the lights from the light switch inside. I picked mine up at Walmart or Kmart or a dollar store for only a $1 or $2. It screwed right in and worked like a champ.

Ooh, that's a great idea! Thanks!

[Hula1974]

bumping for design ideas!

[Lizard]

Anyone live in a home without any exterior electrical outlets? If so, what do you do about putting up lights?

Our old house has no exterior electrical outlets, but I want to put up christmas lights.

We had this problem too... we have 1 outlet in the back of the house, but NOTHING in front. :( We ended up running an extension cord out from the garage, under the front porch, and bought an outlet spike with a waterproof cover. It also has a timer, which is really handy. It looks similar to this:

http://www.homedepot.com/cmc_upload/HDUS/EN_US/asset/images/eplus/163787_4.jpg

[jbenny75]

[QUOTE=Hangin'in]This family lives in Little Rock, and they used to do this to their home every Christmas. They would hand out candy canes to those walking by.... but the people who lived around them got tired of all the traffic, so they were made to stop...they passed a law!
http://www.jenningsosbornefamily.com/lights/osbornehome/obigpic.jpg

Wow....I can't even see where the house is in all of that.

[carrie9142]

There are actually 3 houses. I have to drive past there to get home :)

Now they have the ugliest, rundown American Flag (in lights) that says God Bless America and George W. They put it up right after 9/11 and it is still there. Sooo ugly. The lights are all droopy and falling off. Yuck