Christmas Decorating Ideas

Amy wrote:

Well, here we go again. Not only are only half of my outdoor lights working, but I am currently looking at a DARK Christmas tree. That's right. As I was feeding the baby today, suddenly the entire tree went out. There is ONE strand of lights that is not new, and it's the one I stuffed toward the middle. How much do you want to bet that's the bad one!?! SOooooo, I have to dismantle the entire tree to re-do the lights now!!!!!

I had bought a bunch of pre-lit trees a few years ago and I won't do it again because you can't always isolate which bulb is out. My bonus room tree was only lit on the top this year, so I bought a string of lights and put them over the older burnt out ones. Now the top half went out and I haven't been able to get to the store to get new ones. The small tree in my bedroom has no lights on the bottom. And 3 out of my 5 outside trees won't light, even though I've tried changing the fuses. I made myself feel better by going out and buying a reindeer to replace them.

After this year I am yanking all the lights off the pre-lit trees and using new strings.

Oh Cheryl, I do sympathize! This is actually the worst year I've EVER had with lights. I have a skinny pre-lit tree in our family room, which has all the 'cutesy' kid ornaments on it. I've had it for three years with no problem, but this year half the tree was out. So I had to add strands to that one. Then, of course, there's the outdoor light fiasco (seriously, I worked so hard in the freezing cold and put lights on more bushes than ever before!! ) ....Bill STILL hasn't gotten out there to work on them, and of course, I am not touching them. I didn't go out to get my new strands for my living room tree last night---you have to be in the mood for that kind of thing, and I definitely wasn't. I will HAVE to work on them tonight though---this dark tree is depressing!

Good luck to your with your lights Cheryl....maybe if you pray for me, and I pray for you, we'll get our homes lit up yet!

Sounds like a great plan Amy!

Good luck Cheryl and Amy with your lights . I know how frustrating that is. We had no problem this year, but we don't have too many lights on our tree to worry about and we put no lights outside.

I have a neighbor that was taking his down yesterday. I stopped and asked him if Christmas was over at his house. He said " Well, it is on the outside. My lights have gone out 4 times. So yes, I'm done." This just isn't the year for lights.
We have a Lights Grinch about and I believe since Fife has been "less busy" lately he might need to investigate. It might be someone with a " light collection" like maybe he collects flashlights or maybe he just sleeps with a nightlight!!!
Hmmmm Fife does like those lights on the patrol car.............

ARG! Most of the lights on Sarah's purple tree went out.

Alice wrote:

Good luck Cheryl and Amy with your lights . I know how frustrating that is. We had no problem this year, but we don't have too many lights on our tree to worry about and we put no lights outside.

LOL, I love that Christmas tree smiley, Alice! Unfortunately, I went Christmas shopping last night and didn't work on the tree. That will be my job today at naptime. We have 600 lights on our livingroom tree, so I guess I was just asking for trouble!

bethandmanly wrote:

ARG! Most of the lights on Sarah's purple tree went out.

OH NO!!


Gin, you may have the right idea...maybe it's time to get Fife out there on patrol!

Gin wrote:

We have a Lights Grinch about and I believe since Fife has been "less busy" lately he might need to investigate. It might be someone with a " light collection" like maybe he collects flashlights or maybe he just sleeps with a nightlight!!!
Hmmmm Fife does like those lights on the patrol car.............

Fife and the lights!

Amy wrote:

Unfortunately, I went Christmas shopping last night and didn't work on the tree. That will be my job today at naptime. We have 600 lights on our livingroom tree, so I guess I was just asking for trouble!

600 lights to fix during nap time? How long did it take to put them on your tree, Amy?

LOL, yep! I'll bet Cheryl puts more than that on hers though! What can we say, we like lights, right Cheryl? Which is why this is so depressing looking at this dark tree! We're nearing naptime now! It usually takes me about 45 minutes to an hour every year to put the lights on. The main difficulty is doing the inner part of the tree. Maybe I won't have to dismantle it that far---I'm HOPING!!

Amy wrote:

LOL, yep! I'll bet Cheryl puts more than that on hers though! What can we say, we like lights, right Cheryl?

You bet, Amy! The tree in my living room has 1400 lights on it. I think that's a 9-foot tree. My 4-foot tree has around 500. The key to having a great tree is not skimping on the lights and wrapping them around the branches. I saw that on some show on HGTV a few years ago and I've done it ever since. It makes a big difference.

WOW.....I guess my lights were practically out even when one. I only had ONE strand. I need some Christmas decor lessons!!!

Wow Cheryl!! 1400?!?! I think I'd go crazy!!!! I'm up to 700 now (mines a 7 footer)...I got the tree re-done today, and I actually like it better now, LOL! But seriously, my heart was not in this, not when I worked on it so hard the first time around! And I was right---it was my center strand that had died, so the whole tree had to be stripped. Fun.

Cheryl, you are so right though---Gin, Alice, you would not be sorry if you put the work into it and peppered your tree with lights. Mine were buy one get one free at Walgreens---$2.00 for a box of 100! Basically I wrap a couple strands at the center, several strands in the middle of each branch, and several towards the ends (it's tough to explain). That way there are no empty 'pockets'. But I don't wrap mine like Cheryl does...I am sure that looks awesome, but when it comes time to take them OFF after New Year's, I think that would put me right over the edge!

Now if I can only get the rest of my outdoor lights working. Gee, if I put half as much energy into fixing those as I do complaining on this thread about them, they might be fixed by now!


Cheryl, I am still waiting for that "Festival of trees' video from you! I would love to see all your trees!!

Amy wrote:

But I don't wrap mine like Cheryl does...I am sure that looks awesome, but when it comes time to take them OFF after New Year's, I think that would put me right over the edge!

Oh yeah, it is a major PITA to take apart.

Amy wrote:

Cheryl, I am still waiting for that "Festival of trees' video from you! I would love to see all your trees!!

I haven't forgotten. I don't want to show off trees with half the lights out and my village isn't quite up yet, once I get those issues fixed--I'll allow my husband to think I'm a lunatic and see if he'll help me tape something for you.

bethandmanly wrote:

Amy wrote:

Cheryl, I am still waiting for that "Festival of trees' video from you! I would love to see all your trees!!

I haven't forgotten. I don't want to show off trees with half the lights out and my village isn't quite up yet, once I get those issues fixed--I'll allow my husband to think I'm a lunatic and see if he'll help me tape something for you.

LOL, glad to hear it! Yeah...I will be patient and wait for lights!!

I thought I'd bump this thread, even though it's really old! But it's that time of year again....I'm not decorating until the day after Thanksgiving, but I'm curious about other people? Cheryl???? Have you started yet? Can't wait to see pics!

This is a good thread for decorating ideas, and seeing as a lot of us will be decorating in the next couple of weeks, this might help to get us in the spirit!

I haven't been able to start yet, but I am aching to. Maybe this weekend.

I am gonna start decorating December 1, I have starting buying stuff for our Christmas Village but i have lost the Houses so i need to dig them up from Storage same with all the other decorations i don't know about the rest of you but our storage room is very messy the Christmas Items are always hard to find in there

We don't start after Thanksgiving. Not sure, how much we're going put up this year. But, we're not like Tim Allen who puts every direction in his house inside & outside.

Hey Amy i just saw that Picture of your Village, could you mail those to me? or should i get Nasty??

My view...

Best. Lights. Ever.

Now that is original.


Jacob, sorry I just saw your post. Sure, send me a PM with your email address and I'll send the pic!


I'm starting to get in the spirit....nothing out yet, but as of Friday I'll be ready and raring to go!

I'll take this light decoration for my balcony!

Vanesa.

So, how many of you are decorating tomorrow? I know I'll be doing that rather than shopping! It's my day to listen to Christmas music and watch Christmas movies, while decorating the house. Can't wait to get the tree up!