by Meaghan Louise

Created on: August 02, 2008   Last Updated: August 04, 2008

Christmas lights can transform even the most unsightly house into a suburban Cinderella. Many houses are rather plain looking throughout the year, but once draped in twinkling Christmas lights they become beautiful temples of bling.

Here is a simple guide to the kinds of Christmas lights available to transform your home.

Festoon lighting- also known as party lights. These Christmas Lights come in various wattages and are connected to double insulated wiring. These lights can be used not only as Christmas Lighting, but all year round. They need to be properly installed by an electrician if they are to work as permanent outdoor lights.

Rope Lights- are a series of small lights encased in a clear or coloured plastic hose. This variety of Christmas lights can be twisted and turned into a variety of shapes. They are a popular choice for signage and can be brought in lengths of up to 100m.

Fairy Lights- are small low voltage lights that are mounted on a wire strand that can vary in length. The clear or coloured lights can be used either indoors or outdoors and some even come with a remote control. There are animation controllers available that control the blinking sequences of sets of fairy lights.

Many people are concerned about the environment, so try putting your Christmas Lights on timers- they don't need to glow all night, use extra low voltage for outdoor Christmas Light displays and never overload power boards by plugging in more lights than the board is designed to take.

Happy Holidays.

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