Christmas lights buying guide

It's that time of year again. With the Christmas lists already winging their way to Father Christmas it's time to get your home into the festive spirit – and the exterior of your home is no exception.

One of the best things to do over the holidays is to watch the houses light up as the sun goes down at the end of a cold day. But when it comes to lighting up your home, it's important to follow a few rules to ensure your Christmas decorations aren't overkill!

Easy-to-install Christmas decorations

Firstly, it's important to think about how easy your Christmas decorations will be to set up. There are loads of different ornaments that can be put in place without you having to scramble up a tree or onto the roof, such as:

Path and façade decorations

• Solar-powered path lights

• Christmas projector lights

Free-standing ornaments

• Light-up animals

• Inflatable characters

• Light-up pots

Decorating at a height

But if you are feeling more daring, you can decorate your roof, gutters or trees. As long as you have a steady ladder and a helping hand, there's nothing stopping you!

Of course, the most popular light-up decorations to drape your home with are fairy lights and you'll have a wide range of types to choose from.

Different types of fairy lights

• Classic fairy lights: yellow, white or multi-coloured.

• Decorative fairy lights: flashing lights, curtain lights, snow flakes, Father Christmas or other themed designs.

Path lights

This is the easiest and most cost-effective way to create your own pretty light display. Path lights come in a variety of sizes, shapes and power ratings, and their prices will vary accordingly. It is even possible to find budget-friendly lights for a stunning effect at low cost!

Coloured projector lights

In reality, these lights are just ordinary projector lights combined with a coloured filter. From yellow to green, blue or pink, you can select your filter to match the rest of your decor.

Christmas projector lights

Themed projector lights are really the ultimate in Christmas light decoration. They consist of a free-standing or stake-mounted laser projector that runs off your mains electricity.

You can choose from a wide range of projectors with patterns from classic coloured spots to flying Santas, snowflakes or snowmen. A highly effective option, just one little projector box will light up the entire façade of your house. What's more, a Christmas projector will save you from having to hang up fairy lights!

Light-up Christmas animals and figures

A free-standing light-up ornament is usually designed to run off mains power. Particularly popular with kids, you can pick from a wide range of designs including reindeer, snowmen, Santa figures or penguins. If you're looking for a light-up decoration that is quick and easy to install, look no further. To top it off, these decorations use LED lights which will help to keep your electricity bill down.

Christmas inflatables

If you're after a more unique decor idea, why not go for blow-up decorations? Some models are even fitted with lights so you can enjoy twinkling silhouettes all evening long!

A quiet air pump is used keep your Christmas inflatables looking plump, but be careful: these decorations are more expensive to purchase and do use up a lot of electricity.

LED light-up pots

Whether you go for round, square or more original shapes, a light-up pot is an easy way to decorate your deck or entrance for the festive season. And they won't look out of place when the holidays are over! These pots usually come supplied with a remote control so you can change the colour or light sequence.

Fairy lights: LED lights to hanging icicles

Fairy lights are, without a doubt, the most popular light-up Christmas decorations. From the most classic to the most sophisticated models, fairy lights come in all colours and price ranges to cater for all needs.

Go for LED lights for a more modern look or keep the kids happy with Santa or snowflake-shaped lights. If you're looking to light up a whole wall or railing, a curtain light will do the job perfectly. For a 'white Christmas' theme, nothing could be better than icicle-shaped fairy lights lining a gutter or balcony.

Climbing Santa decorations

If you're looking to take your Christmas display to the next level, go for a climbing Santa decoration!

These fun figures can be attached to a chimney or hung from a window or balcony.

Gone out and forgotten to light up your outdoor Christmas decorations? There's nothing more frustrating than investing so much effort to put up your lights... then forgetting to turn them on!

However, if you go for smart fairy lights and ornaments and you can light up your entire home remotely with just the click of a button. What could be more practical than that?!

It's important to secure your fairy lights and other outdoor decorations securely to ensure they don't blow away with the first gust of wind!

Transparent fishing line is a great way to discreetly hang your decorations while making sure they're held tightly in place. This method works best for hanging fairy lights along gutters or setting up a curtain light.

Metal wire will work better if you're looking to secure decorations to trees or plants while free-standing ornaments can be fixed to the ground using tent pegs.

Make the most of your home's architectural features to keep your fairy lights in place; gutters, hinges, balcony railings and shutter fixings will all prove very handy!

1. Go for LED lights or solar-powered lights to keep your bills manageable.

2. Don't go overboard with your light-up decorations: you want your decor to be pleasant to look at, not the opposite... A projector light shining over a light curtain is sure to give you a headache! The same goes for light-up or inflatable decorations.

3. Use extension cords to connect your decorations and protect all electrical connections with plastic outlet boxes.

4. Be careful not to overload your electrical system with too many multi-way sockets.

5. Finally, don't forget to add baubles as well as lights to your outdoor Christmas tree so you can enjoy it during the daytime too.

More information

• Indoor Christmas decorations buying guide

• Outdoor Christmas decorations buying guide

• Fairy lights buying guide