Indoor Christmas lights can bring atmosphere, warmth and a touch of magic to your home during the festive season. Whether you prefer a soft, subtle glow or something more playful and bold, Christmas lights inside your home can help you create a cosy and inviting look.
We’ll share some simple and practical advice to help you plan your indoor lighting display and how to hang your Christmas lights safely and effectively.
Planning Your Indoor Christmas Lights Display
Before you start decorating, it’s helpful to think about the areas you want to highlight and the mood you want to create. A little preparation helps avoid issues such as tangled cables, overcrowded displays or unnecessary marks on walls and furniture.
Here are a few things to consider:
Measure your space first
Determine which rooms you want to decorate and in what order. Then work out the length of lighting you’ll need for areas such as mantelpieces, windowsills, shelves, staircases or whichever other areas you intend to decorate.
Choose your lighting colour and style
It’s worth thinking about the type of lights you want to use and the effects they create. Options include fairy lights, cluster lights, curtain lights icicle lights or net lights.
There are also plenty of colours and themes you can consider, depending on the look and mood that you want to achieve:
- Warm white lights complement classic festive decorations in reds, greens and golds.
- Cool white lights suit wintery and silver-toned themes.
- Multicolour lights can add playfulness and nostalgia.
Consider your power source
Decide whether mains-powered or battery-operated lights will better suit the space you’re decorating. If using mains-powered lights, plan where your cables will run to keep them tidy and safe.
Check your lights before hanging them
When you have the Christmas lights you intend to use, plug them in at ground level to make sure everything is working before they’re put in place.
What Do You Need To Hang Christmas Lights Indoors?
To hang Christmas lights inside your home without damaging walls, paintwork or furniture, it’s best to use temporary fixing methods that shouldn’t leave marks when removed.
Useful items to consider when planning your indoor Christmas lighting display include:
- Removable adhesive hooks (wall-safe).
- Clear decorating clips.
- Command-style wall-safe hooks.
- Fine wire, twine or ribbon for threading through fixtures or items such as garlands and wreaths.
- Indoor-safe extension leads or splitter cables (if required).
- Battery boxes and batteries (if using battery-operated lights).
- Optional: pre-lit wreaths or garlands to make styling easier and to suit the particular festive vibe that you’re aiming for.
Safety Tips For Hanging Indoor Christmas Lights
While Christmas lights are generally very safe, a few quick checks can help keep your display neat and secure:
- Use LED lights indoors (low heat and energy efficient).
- Avoid placing lights directly against fabric such as cushions, blankets or curtains.
- Keep wires away from walkways and areas where children or pets may pull at them.
- Turn lights off overnight or use a timer function if the lights you’re using come with this feature.
- Choose Christmas lights that are indoor rated. Some outdoor lights may be unnecessarily bright or too heavy for practical use inside rooms.
How To Hang Christmas Lights In Different Areas Of Your Home
Once you’ve chosen your lighting, you can begin decorating. Different areas of your home may suit different lighting methods or styles. Here are some common indoor decorating ideas:
Windows
- You can consider framing your window with fairy lights or use curtain lights for a cascading effect.
- Fix lights in place using adhesive clips along the window frames.
Mantelpieces
- You could add festive character using a pre-lit garland, or weave lights through a garland that isn’t pre-lit.
- Often no clips or other means of support are needed when placing a garland or other decorations on a mantelpiece.
Bannisters and Staircases
- Garlands or lightweight Christmas lights (such as fairy lights) could be wrapped around a handrail to create a welcoming, layered look.
- Use cable ties or twist ties for secure but easily removable fixing.
Shelves and Bookcases
- Consider draping lights along the back or front edge of a shelf.
- You can also nestle lights behind ornaments for a soft and warm glow.
- No clips may be needed if the shelf edge naturally supports the cable.
Against Walls
- If you intend to decorate larger wall areas, then it’s worth considering curtain lights or net lights.
- Removable adhesive hooks or clip strips can be added to walls to allow you to hang lights without causing damage.
Ceilings
- When figuring out how to hang Christmas lights on your ceiling, it’s best to only use lightweight options for the lighting.
- To attach indoor Christmas lights to the ceiling, use clear adhesive hooks spaced out to support the cables evenly.
Bedrooms and Headboards
- Compact lights with a soft tone can create a gentle, relaxed atmosphere for the bedroom.
- Make sure to keep LEDs away from fabrics and to avoid placing lights behind pillows.
- Battery-operated lights can help avoid trailing cables.
