Buying Christmas Lights - Smart Shopper Style
Christmas Lights are extremely popular during the festive season because they give life to other Christmas decorations, or as a standalone attraction. Lights come in different styles, with varying price tags. Some guidelines for buying the right Christmas lights for your home:-
1. Calculate the area where the Christmas light display will be set up.
You have to measure the exact length of the area where you will place the lights then add a few centimetres depending on where your power outlet is located. If you are planning to hang them outside your home, determine the length of your home as well as the distance to the power outlet.
However, if you plan to place the Christmas lights on your Christmas tree, you can use a tape measure to determine the exact length of the Christmas lights that you will need to buy.
2. Find out how many strands of Christmas lights you need.
This will depend on your measurements of the area needed to be covered with Christmas lights and length of strands of Christmas lights you will purchase. For example, your measurement is 20 metres and each strand of Christmas lights measures 6 metres, then you will need 4 strings of Christmas lights.
At Curra Christmas, we're making the environmentally conscious change to LED (Light Emitting Diode) bulbs, and our supplier Christmas Creations Light Designs will stock white LED bulbs from late September 2008, which can be purchased through the website (as well as a host of Christmas Silhouettes and other accessories which are available for purchase NOW).
These LED's are durable, can be used in or outdoors, and are very competitive price-wise, when you consider that they literally never 'blow' (unlike fairylights); if one bulb does go out, the others are not affected, and the unique Christmas Creations LED Bulbs give a 180 degree coverage, to maximise the light output. Curra Christmas is proud to use and recommend LED bulbs - kind to your wallet, and kinder to the environment, with literally no carbon footprint being left from their use.
3. Determine the type of Christmas Lights you need.
Know your purpose of your Christmas lights. Will you be hanging them outside your home? Are you planning to have indoor Christmas lights together with your Christmas tree?
Once you know your purpose then check out the features of Christmas lights which include bulbs, strand type and plug style.
- Bulbs: Bulbs differ in size, shape and colour. Your Christmas lights should compliment and enhance any other decorations. Carefully check the box to see the number of bulbs per string included in the Christmas lights, to ensure your have enough lights for your chosen purpose.
- Strand type: The strand of Christmas lights can either have serial or parallel wiring. In a serial wiring, all bulb will not light up if one of them is defective or blown. It is best to run Christmas lights with parallel wiring (see LED comments above). This will avoid any noticeable 'gaps' in your display.
- Plug style: Select an end to end style of plug if you are planning to use several strands of Christmas lights. This will allow you to easily connect all strands of lights together. But if your decorations will only require one strand of Christmas lights, then the plug style may not be that important.
- Rope Light: At Curra Christmas, we only use minimal amounts of ropelight, as it is inflexible, dubious for outdoor use, and can overheat very easily. Always exercise caution when using rope light, and follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
4. Do a comparative list
Shopping around will ensure you get the best deal on your preferred Christmas lights. Visit the stores that sell Christmas lights in your area. Watch out for sales in these stores. Another way to shop is online, but always buy minimal quantities at the outset, until you can confirm the quality of the lights you are purchasing.
If you follow these guidelines, you are sure to have an effective display which provides illumination and joy for you, your family and friends for the entire festive season!
