Frequently Asked Questions: How to Quickly Decorate a Garden Plot for New Year

If you plan to celebrate New Year at the dacha, start preparing by decorating the plot. We asked experts from Derevo Park studio to explain how to choose New Year's lights and where to hang them.

Where to start?

Any designer will confirm: properly placed lights can work wonders. Look at your house and garden from the side — which areas would you like to highlight, and which to hide?

You can emphasize the entrance area, windows, roof overhangs and roof, as well as decorate trees. Ideally, New Year's lighting should complement architectural solutions — for this purpose landscape designers create design mockups. But in reality, a small hand-drawn sketch is enough to assess your possibilities and understand how many lights you will need.

What lights to choose?

There are two types of lights: some are suitable for indoor use, others — for outdoor use. Outdoor lights have special protection against temperature fluctuations, so the cables look thicker.

Think ahead about how many lights you'll need. Remember that it's better to buy lights with a surplus: it might be difficult to find the same models at the right time. Take 1–2 more lights of each type. We'll talk about types below.

Belt light

Christmas lights in retro style with round bulbs. The cable is water-resistant and durable. They also look great in any project.

"Fringe"

One of the most popular decorations — lights with hanging glowing strings. They allow you to decorate maximum space with minimal cost. You can also create a "running fire" effect with them.

Light Curtain

This is a variation of "fringe" with longer strings up to 9 meters long.

LED Icicles

Not very suitable as standalone decorations, but they blend perfectly with other lights. For example, with the same fringe.

LED Neon

This is a molded PVC cord with LEDs arranged on special conductive tracks inside.

Important

Lights must match in color temperature — don't mix warm and cool tones. Lamps with warm light look cozier, but aren't suitable for every architecture.

How to control the lighting?

You can choose lights with a regular switch or with a timer so they turn off at the right time. You can also connect lights to facade lighting or to a "smart home" system.

Types of Cables

Lights differ in cable quality. What types are there?

• Plastic cable is cheaper but doesn't withstand temperature fluctuations and strong winds — it may crack under adverse weather conditions.
• Rubber cable is considered higher quality and more durable.

Tip

Swedish lights are so unprofitable that it's better to buy quality Chinese analogs.

How to hang lights?

It's not advisable to hang lights outdoors during freezing temperatures — they may become stiff in low temperatures.

A small suburban house can be decorated by yourself in about 2–3 hours. Owners of larger cottages should consider hiring professionals — they need permits for high-altitude work. Don't forget to call an electrician to check wire insulation and connect everything properly.

Decorating Trees

To properly choose the type of decorations for trees, it's important to consider the bark texture of the plant, the density and shape of its canopy, and the growth rate. We explain what types of plot decoration exist.

• Different types of spotlights. They illuminate large areas and can highlight large trees — just direct the spotlight at the canopy. The light can be any shade.
• Spotlights with directed light. Similar to spotlights but smaller in size. You can direct the light onto tree canopies or individual decorative zones — large boulders or snow-covered bushes.
• Lighting strings. LED Clip-Light strings are suitable for decorating trees — they are safe and connect via a power supply. The voltage is only 12V. You can even cut the string if it's too long.
• Lighting pendants. They come in the form of New Year symbols — snowflakes, stars, large balls that are attached to large branches of trees. Pendants are made from lightweight PET material — transparent, strong and flexible. For decorating a tree with medium-sized canopy, you'll need 3–4 pendants.
• Lighting figures. These are usually added once other decorations are already installed. There are two types: made from duralumin (a flexible cord is attached to a base) or plastic (with a print of snowmen or reindeer), the contour of which highlights the LED strip.

What to do with decorations after New Year?

Lights are often left hanging until summer, but this isn't a good idea. They easily withstand frost and rain, but aren't adapted to intense sunlight (unless it's Belt Light).

If you want to extend the life of lights, remove them early in spring, store them in boxes and label them so you won't have to search for them next year.

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