Ask Jason

Around Christmas time, ‘tis the season for cheer and generosity. But also, it’s the season for hectic schedules and mile long to-do lists. Many of us feel a constant strain to get everything done, whether it’s baking cookies, shopping for gifts, enjoying family and friends, and of course… decorating. And while everyone enjoys the splendor of Christmas lights and décor...[...]

Hang a Wreath on Brick, Concrete, or Stone in Less Than 30 Minutes When it comes to installing Christmas decorations, one of the most often asked questions we receive is how to go about hanging a wreath on brick, concrete, or stone. Fortunately, the process is easier than most people think, but it does require drilling a hole for the...[...]

Attaching Christmas Lights to Brick with Hot Glue When decorating your home for the holidays, there are several different ways to attach your lights to the perimeter. One of the most common ways is to use standard clips, and those work very well for a variety of different materials and designs. However, certain surfaces can make attaching lights a bit...[...]

As the world continues to face the challenges of COVID-19, everyone is looking for ways to support their community. Many families are using COVID Christmas ornaments to adorn their Christmas trees this year as a way to remember the lives lost from 2020. Many people are also using their Christmas lights as a unique and creative way to show their...[...]

Putting up Christmas lights at home each year makes a lot of people look longingly at street-corner signs advertising professional Christmas light installations. For other people, who love getting out there and attempting a personal best with their lights every year, those signs bring a different thought to mind: “I wonder if I could make some money doing this for...[...]

22 years ago my plan was to take a temporary job with a Christmas lighting company. Make a little money to help pay the bills and then move on with my life. After all, no one can actually earn a living in the Christmas business. That’s just crazy! Well, here I am, more than two decades later. That temporary job...[...]

GFCIs and Christmas Lights - A Survival Guide When it comes to Christmas lighting and decorating, nothing kills a Christmas masterpiece faster than a GFCI tripping. All it takes is a little moisture sneaking into the Christmas lighting or electrical system and then BAM, in a millisecond, everything goes dark. The GFCI has decided that the mixture of electricity and...[...]

It doesn’t matter how serious or passionate you are about your Christmas light display; If you don’t work as the professionals do, your results simply won’t be able to compete. Luckily, top-tier Christmas design doesn’t require complex techniques or dozens of more hours of labor—it just requires using the right materials for the job. If you’ve been wondering why professionally-installed...[...]

If you’re a Christmas enthusiast looking to up the ante on your annual light display, it can be difficult to know where to start. Maybe you’ve done a little digging, and have discovered the open industry secret that is empty socket light line. You know that the key to clean a display with no trailing lines is measuring out the...[...]

What is the difference between SPT-1 and SPT-2 wire? This is a question we get asked on a daily basis and anytime we write an article or put together a video about this topic, it always gets a lot of views. And the popularity of this information isn’t limited to only pro-Christmas installers and Christmas enthusiasts but is also sought...[...]

Much of the information we provide about installing Christmas lights and decorations is focused on homeowners. But that's not really fair! After all, millions of Christmas Enthusiasts aren't homeowners. Instead, they live in apartments, townhomes, and condos. But there's no reason that these millions of Christmas Enthusiasts can't participate in the Christmas decorating fun. Because even if you don't live...[...]

Today's question is one that we're asked quite frequently. Chuck in Omaha is the latest to ask us this question: How long do LED Christmas lights last? Before I get into the details of actually answering the question, I'd like to post a little editorial preamble… Be Careful Who You Ask We take pains here at Christmas Designers to be...[...]

Today we’re answering one of the most frequently asked questions we receive and that’s, what is the most popular style of Christmas light you sell? That's a question we get asked all the time by people trying to decide which lights they should buy. It's a natural question to ask, and it's also a very easy question to answer. Because...[...]

The answer is yes: most Christmas lights do contain trace amounts of lead. So do miniblinds. And some cosmetic products. And extension cords. And computer cords. And batteries. And the power cords of essentially every single item of electrically powered equipment in your home. And even the soil in your lawn. And that "lead-free" plumbing that delivers drinking water to...[...]

Hi Jason, Can you explain why someone would want to use a 5 mm Wide Angle Conical Christmas light as opposed to the classic bulb design of the M5? - Chris Hi Chris, Thanks for asking; that's actually a very important question. It's important because I feel that lots of Christmas Enthusiasts as well as casual Christmas lighters are missing...[...]

If you're a Christmas Enthusiast, you take a lot of pride in your holiday displays. You go through a lot of work to put them up every year and endure no small expense in buying and maintaining them. And while you certainly enjoy the breathtaking beauty of your Christmas light displays, you get even more satisfaction from the joy that...[...]

Hi Jason, what is the difference in the Christmas lights and materials that professional Christmas installers use compared to what the average homeowner uses? - Henry Hi Henry, That's a great question. But like the answers to a great many questions, the answer to this question begins with: "It depends…" Because in reality, you could break homeowners down into two...[...]

Hi Jason, I'm making the switch to professional grade LED Christmas lights this year. But I'm perplexed by all the various lens designs and I'm at my wits end trying to figure out what is the best Christmas lights for outdoor foliage lighting. Please Help!   - Gary Gary, this is a question that comes up quite frequently. And it's...[...]

If you're a Christmas Enthusiast gearing up for another great holiday season, you've probably got some decisions to make. And unless you already have on hand all the Christmas lights you'll need, one of those decisions will be very basic: what kind of bulbs to buy. For light lines that are used in outdoor displays, particularly for outlining structures, C9...[...]

A frequently asked question we receive on a daily basis is, "With LED Christmas lights if one bulb goes out will the whole set go out?" The answer to this question is not as simple as it might seem. It all depends on what kind of outage we're talking about. Since the one piece LED bulb and socket design is...[...]

We are often asked, “How can I start a professional Christmas lighting installation business”. Many people find great enjoyment in installing Christmas lights and decorations on their own home or business and it’s not unusual to wonder how those of us that do make our living doing this professionally actually got started. Just about everyone in this industry has a...[...]

Around Christmas time, ‘tis the season for cheer and generosity. But also, it’s the season for hectic schedules and mile long to-do lists. Many of us feel a constant strain to get everything done, whether it’s baking cookies, shopping for gifts, enjoying family and friends, and of course… decorating. And while everyone enjoys the splendor of Christmas lights and décor...[...]

Hang a Wreath on Brick, Concrete, or Stone in Less Than 30 Minutes When it comes to installing Christmas decorations, one of the most often asked questions we receive is how to go about hanging a wreath on brick, concrete, or stone. Fortunately, the process is easier than most people think, but it does require drilling a hole for the...[...]

Attaching Christmas Lights to Brick with Hot Glue When decorating your home for the holidays, there are several different ways to attach your lights to the perimeter. One of the most common ways is to use standard clips, and those work very well for a variety of different materials and designs. However, certain surfaces can make attaching lights a bit...[...]

As the world continues to face the challenges of COVID-19, everyone is looking for ways to support their community. Many families are using COVID Christmas ornaments to adorn their Christmas trees this year as a way to remember the lives lost from 2020. Many people are also using their Christmas lights as a unique and creative way to show their...[...]

Putting up Christmas lights at home each year makes a lot of people look longingly at street-corner signs advertising professional Christmas light installations. For other people, who love getting out there and attempting a personal best with their lights every year, those signs bring a different thought to mind: “I wonder if I could make some money doing this for...[...]

22 years ago my plan was to take a temporary job with a Christmas lighting company. Make a little money to help pay the bills and then move on with my life. After all, no one can actually earn a living in the Christmas business. That’s just crazy! Well, here I am, more than two decades later. That temporary job...[...]

GFCIs and Christmas Lights - A Survival Guide When it comes to Christmas lighting and decorating, nothing kills a Christmas masterpiece faster than a GFCI tripping. All it takes is a little moisture sneaking into the Christmas lighting or electrical system and then BAM, in a millisecond, everything goes dark. The GFCI has decided that the mixture of electricity and...[...]

It doesn’t matter how serious or passionate you are about your Christmas light display; If you don’t work as the professionals do, your results simply won’t be able to compete. Luckily, top-tier Christmas design doesn’t require complex techniques or dozens of more hours of labor—it just requires using the right materials for the job. If you’ve been wondering why professionally-installed...[...]

If you’re a Christmas enthusiast looking to up the ante on your annual light display, it can be difficult to know where to start. Maybe you’ve done a little digging, and have discovered the open industry secret that is empty socket light line. You know that the key to clean a display with no trailing lines is measuring out the...[...]

What is the difference between SPT-1 and SPT-2 wire? This is a question we get asked on a daily basis and anytime we write an article or put together a video about this topic, it always gets a lot of views. And the popularity of this information isn’t limited to only pro-Christmas installers and Christmas enthusiasts but is also sought...[...]

Much of the information we provide about installing Christmas lights and decorations is focused on homeowners. But that's not really fair! After all, millions of Christmas Enthusiasts aren't homeowners. Instead, they live in apartments, townhomes, and condos. But there's no reason that these millions of Christmas Enthusiasts can't participate in the Christmas decorating fun. Because even if you don't live...[...]

Today's question is one that we're asked quite frequently. Chuck in Omaha is the latest to ask us this question: How long do LED Christmas lights last? Before I get into the details of actually answering the question, I'd like to post a little editorial preamble… Be Careful Who You Ask We take pains here at Christmas Designers to be...[...]

Today we’re answering one of the most frequently asked questions we receive and that’s, what is the most popular style of Christmas light you sell? That's a question we get asked all the time by people trying to decide which lights they should buy. It's a natural question to ask, and it's also a very easy question to answer. Because...[...]

The answer is yes: most Christmas lights do contain trace amounts of lead. So do miniblinds. And some cosmetic products. And extension cords. And computer cords. And batteries. And the power cords of essentially every single item of electrically powered equipment in your home. And even the soil in your lawn. And that "lead-free" plumbing that delivers drinking water to...[...]

Hi Jason, Can you explain why someone would want to use a 5 mm Wide Angle Conical Christmas light as opposed to the classic bulb design of the M5? - Chris Hi Chris, Thanks for asking; that's actually a very important question. It's important because I feel that lots of Christmas Enthusiasts as well as casual Christmas lighters are missing...[...]

If you're a Christmas Enthusiast, you take a lot of pride in your holiday displays. You go through a lot of work to put them up every year and endure no small expense in buying and maintaining them. And while you certainly enjoy the breathtaking beauty of your Christmas light displays, you get even more satisfaction from the joy that...[...]

Hi Jason, what is the difference in the Christmas lights and materials that professional Christmas installers use compared to what the average homeowner uses? - Henry Hi Henry, That's a great question. But like the answers to a great many questions, the answer to this question begins with: "It depends…" Because in reality, you could break homeowners down into two...[...]

Hi Jason, I'm making the switch to professional grade LED Christmas lights this year. But I'm perplexed by all the various lens designs and I'm at my wits end trying to figure out what is the best Christmas lights for outdoor foliage lighting. Please Help!   - Gary Gary, this is a question that comes up quite frequently. And it's...[...]

If you're a Christmas Enthusiast gearing up for another great holiday season, you've probably got some decisions to make. And unless you already have on hand all the Christmas lights you'll need, one of those decisions will be very basic: what kind of bulbs to buy. For light lines that are used in outdoor displays, particularly for outlining structures, C9...[...]

A frequently asked question we receive on a daily basis is, "With LED Christmas lights if one bulb goes out will the whole set go out?" The answer to this question is not as simple as it might seem. It all depends on what kind of outage we're talking about. Since the one piece LED bulb and socket design is...[...]

We are often asked, “How can I start a professional Christmas lighting installation business”. Many people find great enjoyment in installing Christmas lights and decorations on their own home or business and it’s not unusual to wonder how those of us that do make our living doing this professionally actually got started. Just about everyone in this industry has a...[...]