A Good Way To Put Christmas Lights Around Windows

Through trial and much error I have discovered a pretty good way to put up strands of little white Christmas lights around your windows. This method is good because it is easy, requires only a roll of tape, the fixture is sturdy, and the resulting arrangement of the lights is straight and perfect. This might not be novel, but I did think of it myself, after frustration with a different taping method.

The basic idea is to tape the lights straight to the window using medium-length strips of clear packaging tape. Please consider these tips:

• Start by sticking an inch or so of the strip to the window
• One or two at a time, put the next light of the string in place on the window and pass the tape over it
• Stick the tape to the window all the way to the edge of the light, then tape around the body of the light, then stick the tape to the window on the other side of the light. This is so the tape sticks to the window right next to the light, preventing the light from pulling the tape off of the window later.
• Don't tape over the wire between the lights, let that be outside the edge of the tape. This results in a sturdier hold of the tape on the window, and allows the wires to form natural shapes that don't tug the tape off the window.
• The first couple lights are the hardest because it's hard to hold the tape, hold the lights, and also stick the tape to the window. A partner might be of use for this part.
  
• The length of the strips is important. Use long enough strips to cover several lights, or perhaps very many lights. Using long strips will help the overall integrity, to reduce the chance of the tape peeling off the window.
• Arrange each light parallel to one another, perpendicular to the frame of the window. The result is a professional straight look.

Before seeing the result, some people imagine that using this much tape will be visible and look trashy, but the clear tape becomes invisible illuminated by the lights. The visibility of the tape is especially reduced by making a tight fit of the tape around each individual light, because tape against glass is very clear whereas tape separated from glass is more visibly opaque.

Removal is very easy, simply tug off the strands and they will pull off all the tape cleanly, and the tape will easy come off of the lights.