As you’re nearing the end of Christmas light season, is it time to pack everything away? Or perhaps it’s a great opportunity to explore ideas for your next year display!
In this post, we’re going to discuss a few key steps on how to start planning your next year display.
While your light display is still up, it’s a great time to reflect on this year’s display and considering some different ideas for next year’s display. But how should you go about this?
Reflecting On Your Display
The first step is reflecting on this year’s display. What were you happy with and what are some things that didn’t perform the way you had hoped it would?
Are you happy with your lights or do you want to add more? Working with Christmas light displays are meant to be a fun hobby so if you are happy with how everything worked out then there’s no need to add to it if you don’t want to!
This year I was able to add panels to the bottom of the house and I was very happy with this addition. I also added some light sticks for the sidewalk but these did not work out the way I had hoped. Therefore, I might not be using those in next year’s display.
If you decided that you would like to do more for next year’s display let’s talk about a few things to consider.
Changing Existing Lights
Looking at your current display, decide what you liked and consider any lights that you may want to switch out. Are there any props that were a pain to work with? Or did you have some lights that flickered or went out? Make note on anything you need to replace before next year’s display.
Are there any lights you have that you might want to move around and have set up in a different area? It’s important to make notes on what you want to change, what needs to be fixed, and anything you want to remove.
Dark Spots in Your Display
Looking at your display, do you notice any dark spots that you may consider adding some lights to?
Now would be a great time to consider some dark spots that you would like to add some lights too. There are even some siding hooks added to Amazon for those that want to add some extra lights to their house.
Explore some different ideas and see what might be available for your setup.
Expanding Your Display
Depending on your set up and space, this is a great time to consider any expansion options you might have. Do you want to add some props and lights to your yard? Is that an option?
Does your yard have walkthrough traffic, would it be a good idea to expand the lights into the yard or no?
Perhaps you can expand your lighting display to the sides of the house? What kind of lights or props would you like to add? Maybe considering adding some lights towards the roof.
Take a step back to review your display and look for different area that you can add some lights and props to that will help bring more to your display.
Exploring with xLights
If you haven’t already, take a picture of your house with the lighting display and upload this to xLights.
With notes on any changes, props, and lights you want to add try it out within xLights to see what it would look like.
What you’ll find is that you can explore different ideas to see what it looks like and if it’s something you want to do for next year’s display.
Remember to have fun with it and don’t stress about it. With your lights up it’s a good opportunity to see where you can expand, where you want to improve, and any changes you want to make while it’s still fresh in your mind.