Your home, decorated

What to buy

Every quantity is worked out from your measurements, so you buy it once. Test last year's strands before you order more.

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When to do it

1. Now through late OctoberStart here

   Buy, before the good stuff sells out

   • Order anything on the shopping list you do not already own. The best selection is early; by Black Friday the popular sizes and warm-white sets are gone.
   • Test every strand you already own before you buy more, so you are not replacing what works.

2. Early to mid November

   Hang the outside while it is still mild

   • Roofline and structural lights first, on a dry day above freezing. Wrestling clips in December is how the job goes wrong.
   • Wreath, porch greenery, and pathway lights next.
   • Get a quote before you commit to the roofline yourself. Nearly half of holiday decorating injuries are falls.

3. Late November

   Inside, in one pass

   • Tree first: fluff, then lights woven into the depth, then ribbon, then ornaments in three sizes.
   • Mantel and stair garland next, lit from the nearest outlet along the baseboard so no cord crosses the room.
   • Candles and tabletop last, once the big pieces are placed.

4. Early January

   Pack it away so next year is easy

   • Wrap each light strand around something rigid rather than coiling it loose.
   • Label boxes by zone, not by contents, and note what you wished you had. That note is worth more than anything you buy next November.