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Are You Wasting Electricity With Your Christmas Decorations?


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LED Christmas Lights
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Now that the holidays are over it’s time to dispose of discarded boxes, ripped paper and finish up the last of the left overs. It’s also time to assess the financial damage to bank accounts and credit cards – and that includes some costs you might not be thinking about – such as energy costs.

Impact of the Holidays on Your Electricity Bill

Back in 2010, a certain price comparison website did a survey in an attempt to compare energy costs for Christmas across the UK, and found that every household which has an outside lighted display of Christmas decorations used an average of 100 bulbs per home. This resulted in a calculation that suggested that for every home with an external Christmas light display, almost 23 days worth of electricity is consumed over the festive period. That is, 23 days of one average household’s full electricity bill. An average household might spend as much as $5 per day, which turns that 23 days into almost $75. Quite a lot, isn’t it? That’s on top of what you’re already paying.

Even fairy lights use more energy than you’d think. In fact, an energy comparison of 400-light string of fairy lights shows that they could cost you as much as $17 extra per day. The lowest estimate is around $3.51 extra on a daily basis.

It might be an obvious step to lose the lights altogether, especially if you have a green conscience, but the dedicated folks of ‘lit-up-like-a-Christmas-tree’ homes across the country (and we know there is at least one on every estate), don’t have to be disappointed just yet.

An Alternative to Standard Christmas Lights – LED Lights

Energy-saving CFL bulbs aren’t suitable for Christmas lights, but there is an alternative: light-emitting diodes, or LEDs.

LEDs have been with us for many years, and the technology is getting better all the time. They might be a little more expensive in the shops, but only by a few quid, and what you pay out on the new fixtures, you save many times over on your electricity bill, year after year. You have to shop around and see which decorations you prefer, and which give off the quantity of light you like – there are, of course, a lot of different standards of LED decorations out there.

There are some serious advantages to buying LED Christmas lights, whether it’s for outdoor use (enveloping your home and garden in the best lights in town) or indoor.

LED lights use between 2 and 17 watts of electricity per bulb. It depends what type and size you buy. This amount is equal to around one-third or one-thirtieth of electricity usage by an incandescent or even a CFL bulb.

LED lights are cool. Okay, we know this, but they’re extra-cool because they don’t allow the build-up of heat. This makes them more energy efficient (because you’re not paying for the lights to heat up the air around them) and it also makes them safer. The UK experiences up to 3-times the number of house fires during the Christmas period, and much of this is put down to the use of decorative lighting. LEDs don’t set on fire. All good.

LED lights are cost efficient. Although they’re initially more expensive than the ordinary type of lights, the costs continue to reduce as the manufacturing technologies improve, and they save you electrical output. This means that cost continues to go down for every year you use the same string of LED fairy lights.

Home Improvement

The Essential Tool Kit Guide For Christmas


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Holiday Lights

Christmas is rapidly approaching, and for most of us that means it’s time to dig out our decorations, tree and lights, hang up the stockings, and put the advent calendar on display. Getting ready for the holiday season, and decorating and parties that come with it, is not easy. If you dread the thought of trying to get your lights to stay up or your real wood tree to sit correctly in the pot, read on for some simple tips for preparing for the holidays.

Putting Up Your Tree 

If you are working with a real, freshly cut Christmas tree, you should make sure that the tree remains well hydrated while it is in your home. If the tree was cut more than four hours before you erect it in your living room, use a saw to cut one inch of wood off the bottom before putting the tree up.

You should store your tree in a stand that is big enough to hold enough water to satisfy the tree for 24 hours. Freshly cut trees use about a quart of water per inch of trunk diameter per day. Keep the clump of the tree in a strong, galvanized tub, and use a secondary tub to protect the floor from damage caused by excess water and dirt.

Large trees may need stabilizing with a tree stand in addition to their bucket. If the dirt and water in the bucket is not enough to hold the tree in place, consider making a tree stand out of spare wood and eye bolts. Cut four pieces of wood to make the frame (the bigger the tree, the longer the frame should be), and four shorter pieces to make the risers. Use eye bolts to hold the frame together.

Repairing Christmas Lights

It’s almost inevitable that at least one of the bulbs in your strip of Christmas lights will fail while the lights are in storage. The good news is that it is quite easy to find and replace the broken bulb. Typically, if even one bulb is broken, the entire strip will not light up. To find the broken bulb you will need to use a multi-meter. Unscrew each bulb and test it using the voltage tester setting on the multi-meter. If the voltage tester chirps when you test the bulb, it is working. If the tester is silent, that bulb is blown and must be replaced.

If, after testing all the bulbs, the strip of lights still does not come on, the problem may be with the fuse. Replace the fuse in the plug and try the lights again. 

Hanging Your Lights

Take care when hanging lights around your tree. Older incandescent lights can get quite hot and may cause a fire hazard. Consider purchasing LED lights instead. In addition, you must be careful not to damage the wiring of the lights when hanging them on your wall. Do not be tempted to staple or use drawing pins to keep your lights in place. Instead, consider drilling small holes for ornament hooks into the wall and using the hooks to put the lights and other directions in place. Discrete plastic hooks can be used to hang other decorations for other seasonal holiday celebrations.

Making and Hanging Stockings

Hanging Stockings

Personalized stockings are easy to make, even if you aren’t talented at needlework. You can find many free stocking patterns online. Simply cut the pattern out of felt, sew it together, and add a strong threaded loop at the top. Make sure that the loop is securely attached to the stocking itself, and that it can handle the weight of any gifts that you plan to put in there.

If you want to hang your stockings on the fireplace, use decorative hooks rather than drawing pins. Non-marking self-adhesive hooks are available from most DIY stores. These hooks are strong enough to support the weight of your stockings, but are easy enough to remove once the holiday season is over, leaving no marks on your wall or fireplace surround.

Making a Card Holder

Christmas Card Holder

If you get a lot of Christmas cards, then you may struggle to find places to put them. Instead of cluttering your windowsill and fireplace with cards, why not make a festive card hanger?

Take a couple of old wire coat hangers and unfold them, then use pliers to re-shape the hangers into triangles of differing sizes. Tape these triangles together to make a Christmas tree-like shape (With the smallest triangle at the top). At evenly spaced intervals, securely wrap and tape pipe cleaner around the hanger, leaving enough jutting out to hold each Christmas Card in place. Secure the card holder to the wall with two strong hooks.

Your Tool Shopping List

  • Multi-meter
  • Spare fuses
  • Saw
  • Hammer
  • Screwdrivers
  • Tape measure
  • T-Square
  • Drill
  • Scissors
  • A sturdy bucket or galvanized tub
  • Pliers

Enthusiastic DIY fanatic Justine Writes for www.toolorders.co.uk– leading suppliers of high quality tools and machinery.

Home Improvement

Christmas Light Decorations: 3 To Avoid This Holiday Season


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There are hundreds of holiday light decorations to stay clear of and most people know what they are. Some are so weird they cannot be mentioned and others are so crazy you hope no one thinks of them. Christmas lighting offers a chance for anyone to display his or her creative side. During this season, you will see a lot of good home decorating but there will also be many bad. However, if you adorn your home with beautiful table linens, gorgeous bedding and other lovely home fashion, you may be able to forgive the strange and distasteful you see during the holidays.

1. Burning Candles

Many instances show where live candles are used, but unless necessary never use burning candles.  If you must, keep them in sight and never let children play with fire. Candles are represented in movies, television and film as a solemn part of the holidays. They glisten with the mystery of everything that was and might be, but they are also, especially today, more dangerous than ever. Artificial candlelight is available in stores, not as intriguing as the real thing but a lot safer when instructions are followed. Do not use electric light on a metal tree. Bad wiring can cause the Christmas tree to become a hazard and electrocute someone. Instead, use lovely decorations that catch light.

2. Bad wiring

Bad wiring is one way to set a home on fire but too many wires lying in poor arrangement can cause serious accidents. Falls injure many people every year sometimes seriously. Anchor Christmas wiring with insulated clasp to avoid serious injury.

You have the practical things to look out for and most decorations are safe. Unless you are into super cheap, tape up old lighting and repair chipped decoration. As a precaution, avoid decorating a chicken with a hat waving it from your car radio antenna saying merry Christmas. Do not put the megaphone Santa outside your house that waves and yells Merry Christmas. Kids will spend hours getting it to make noise. Do not decorate your truck so brightly other drivers are not sure what is coming down the highway.

3. Talking Decorations

Objects that talk when you come near are especially annoying and nativity scenes that are placed in every space in a property. Avoid lighting up your home so brightly your neighbors cannot sleep, even with the blinds closed. Christmas is a time of cheer but sometimes it can get a little too cherry. Santa’s on rooftops with Reindeer in tow, makes you wonder if leaks will show up in January. Avoid any decorations that will send your utility bill beyond your food bill, your kids may begin to think Christmas is not the great holiday it is said to be. Themed décor is fun but over doing, it with every inch of a home in lights is a little frightening.

Despite the above, Christmas is a time when everyone will say Merry Christmas in his or her own way, no matter what the rest of the world thinks, and so it should be, Merry Christmas.

+Paul Reichman is the founder of BedBathStore. Using decades of experience in home fashion, Paul offers quality bed, bath and home furnishings at affordable prices through www.bedbathstore.com.

Home Improvement

5 Tips For Safe Holiday Lighting Decorations


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Part of the magic of the holidays is decking your home out with lighted displays of splendor. As much fun as holiday decorating is, it can turn into disaster when safety is an afterthought. During this time of year, people get electrocuted, they fall from high places and their homes burn to a crisp because they are not careful while putting up their lighted displays.

Say bye-bye to ragged cords

Damaged Electrical Cord

Plugging in decorations that have frayed or damaged cords is a fire hazard waiting to happen. If you find lights with damaged cords, don’t try to rewire them or fix them with tape. These measures will not make the lights useable. Rigging the electrical cords on your decorations will only increase the potential for fire or electrocution. Do yourself a favor. If you find cords that look like rats have nibbled on them, put them in the trash.

Broken bulbs beware

Fix Christmas Lights

If you find lighted decorations with broken or blown bulbs, replace them with bulbs of the same wattage. If you can’t find bulbs to fit your decorations, call the manufacturer and they can either send you the right bulbs or tell you where to buy them. Always unplug the lights before you replace the bulbs. Just because the light is not working doesn’t mean it won’t electrocute you.

Get grounded

GFCI Electrical Ground Outlet

Plug all your outdoor lights into a GFIC or ground-fault circuit interrupter. This device looks like a regular electrical outlet, but it is designed to protect you from electrical shock. An electrician can install one for you or you can buy a portable unit at a home improvement store.

No substitutes

Outdoor Use

There are different types of lights for indoor and outdoor use. Do not try to substitute one for the other. If the package says “interior use” the product is for indoor use. If the package says “exterior use” the lights are for outdoor use only. Unless otherwise noted on the package, indoor and outdoor lights are not interchangeable.

Outdoor lights are designed to hold up to cold and wet weather and they get hotter than indoor lights. Indoor lights are safety tested for use on holiday trees. If you use them outside, they might break down and become a fire or electrocution hazard. If you are using lights from last year and are not able to determine whether they are interior or exterior, don’t use them.

Grab a partner

If you are hanging your lights in high places, have someone hold the ladder for you. When you have someone assisting you, he can call for help if you have an accident while you are hanging your decorations.

With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s easy to get wrapped up in decorating and forget about safety. Although holiday lights are beautiful, being careless or hanging them improperly can lead to disaster. While you are decking out your tree, house and yard with festive lights, follow the above tips to stay safe.

+Paul Reichman is the founder of BedBathStore. Using decades of experience in home fashion, Paul offers quality bed, bath and home furnishings at affordable prices through www.bedbathstore.com.

Interior Decorating

Space Saving Christmas Tree Ideas


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If you live in a small apartment or home, you probably don’t have a lot of extra room to spare for a large, or even average size, Christmas tree. This Christmas, you can bring an abundance of Christmas spirit into your home while taking up minimal space with these great alternatives to the traditional Christmas tree.

Mini Christmas Trees

The simplest way to add a space efficient tree to your home is to purchase a small, or mini tree. The smaller trees are cheaper and disposable, so you don’t have to take up room to store it for the next year. If you have enough storage space, the most cost efficient choice of a small tree would be the purchase of a fake one.

Wall and Door Xmas Trees

There are many creative ways to have a tree without taking up extra space with tree stands and skirts. Take advantage of the space on your walls doors to create a beautiful and efficient Christmas tree.

Lights, Garlands and Ornaments

Lights and Garland Christmas Tree

Use strands of lights and garlands strung along clear pins to create the shape of a tree on your wall. Do this in an area of a room where you can allow for a small gathering of gifts to be places. Use ornaments as well to add your own personal or sentimental touch.

Christmas Tree Wall Decals

Christmas Tree Wall Decal

Wall decals are a growing trend in home décor. Many companies offer a variety of beautiful and stylish Christmas tree decals for those seeking a modern, alternative to the traditional tree.  You can find traditional tree design options as well as the most creative trees you can imagine. Use them wherever you would place a real tree, as the focal point of the room, next to the couch or in the corner.

Christmas Door Trees

Door Hanging Christmas Trees

Another great alternative, and possibly the most space efficient option, is to utilize a door in your home as the canvas for your tree. Like the wall trees, use strands of lights, garlands and ornaments to create the tree. To avoid holes damage to paint, use damage free hooks to hang the strands and ornaments.

Other Resourceful Christmas Trees

Ladder Christmas Tree

Be both resourceful and efficient this Christmas by creating your tree out of things you already own. Turn your old ladder into a functional tree. Decorate with traditional lights and even stack gifts on the steps to take advantage of the storage space it has to offer.

If you really want to get creative and wow your guests, hang your existing ornaments from the ceiling from different areas and lengths to resemble the shape of the tree. It takes time and skill, but it’s worth it!

Pack on the Christmas spirit without cluttering up your living space with a creative alternative to the traditional tree.