Holiday lights-colored or white (clear)??

[Mom in High Heels]

So, since we're doing so many holiday posts, I thought I'd join the fray. When you put up your lights, do you do white (clear), colored or a mixture of both?

 

I LOVE clear lights. Love, love, love them and use them for our tree, windows, everything. Indy has a tiny tree in his room and asked if he could have colored lights on it.

 

Growing up we always had colored lights, but clear lights to me are jsut so beautiful and elegant. So, what do you do?

[gardening momma]

Colored lights.

[kat19]

We use colored light :001_smile:

[HeatherM2]

We use clear lights in the house and colored lights on the house.

[Guest]

We finally, after many years, made the switch from color to white. I like it much better. That being said. . . . the house down the street has a really nice setup that alternates red and white lights and some kind of lit star hangs between every few lights. Very nice.

[Carrie12345]

We only do tree lights, and those must be multi-colored. Our holiday decorations are so colorful and, well, childish. I think white lights would look out of place.

 

If we were to do outdoor lights, those would probably be white. But our steep roof reaches the equivalent of 3 stories, so that's not happening!

[JudoMom]

We do both.

 

If it were up to me, we'd do just clear. Our tree is prelit with clear. But I'm surrounded by males, and the beauty and simplicity is lost on them. So I add a couple of strings of colored lights to the tree to please them. At least they don't bug me to make them blink anymore.

 

We don't do outside lights. As we've said for the past 13 years...maybe next year :lol:.

[DaffodilDreams]

Clear outside

Color inside

[Dawn in OH]

I like clear.

 

My tree ornaments are red, gold, and white. They look nice with the clear lights. The ornament colors go with the room.

[Aubrey]

I love clear lights, too--they can look like stars or snow in a place where we really don't have any.

 

Otoh, I've seen houses w/ red lights & white icicle lights--that's SO pretty, too--it looks like gingerbread!

 

And colored lights, when done really well, are like candy cottages.

 

Assuming a person is not going to go all-out, I'd opt for all white or red/white. Otoh, I also like not bothering. ;)

 

ETA: On the house or the tree? My answer's for the house. On the tree, my main concern is that they don't flash. Ugh! But I like tiny colored lights on the tree. While white is *very* pretty, it's too serious for *me.*

[MariannNOVA]

i voted 'other' -- it really depends on what tree theme I am using.:)

[KrissiK]

My preference is the big, old-fashioned multicolored lights on the eaves of the house. But, our electric bill was out of control, so last year dh got white led lights. Don't tell anyone, but.... I despise them. They don't even have that warm glow that regular white lights have. THey're kind of cold and bluish. But, they don't use nearly the electricity, which is the only good thing about them.

[x02100sks]

this year we have a white tree that is prelit with multi-color lights

then we put a strand of flashing white lights on

[redsquirrel]

I don't do lights outside the house. That is a pain.

 

On the tree I only use gold. I used to use only clear/white but decided that was cold looking. I switched last year to gold and it looks beautiful. It is very warm looking and it makes everyone look great, lol.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

White lights!

 

Every so often we get a kids tree up with multi colored or single color lights. They think its fun but I love the effect of white lights on our ornaments so the big tree is always white.

[Parrothead]

multi colored lights here. I liked the little white lights when they first arrived on the scene years ago. That lasted about 5 years. I've been back to traditional multi colored lights for years.

[AppleGreen]

I like white, and that is what we usually do, but last year I heard some grumblings of colored lights. So, I am thinking the tide has turned for the next 20 years or so...

[plain jane]

We like colored, but only one single color. I like the monotone look, I guess. :tongue_smilie: We do add a strand or two of white (for accent) to both our outside decorations and the tree itself.

[3littlekeets]

I love the Pearl White lights :-).

 

Outside we have pearl white and pearl red, and Red and Green Mickey lights, LOL .

[ncmomo3]

I have always been a die hard white lighter. Lately, however, I am really liking those big bulb color lights. :glare:

[Garga]

I change my mind every year. Last year was warm white lights. It might be colored this year. Not sure what my mood is yet...

[snickelfritz]

I like both, but I like the look to be uniform. Decide if you want playful or beautiful or sophisticated and stick with it.

[LidiyaDawn]

Multi-colored! On the house and on the tree - the ones on the tree can be set to flash. (one year we had a set that played christmas music) :D

[Jilly]

We use bubble lights on our tree. They are multi-colored.

[joannqn]

Currently, we have artificial trees that are prelit with clear lights. I like white lights but I also like colored lights. With colored lights, I like putting the large bulb ones deep into the tree near the trunk and then put the mini lights all over the tree. That way you have the bigger ones glowing from the center put still have the twinkle of the mini lights.

 

Honestly, I want two trees and DH and said I can have two trees with the kids grow up and move out and we have room. I want one tree with colored lights and all of the special ornaments we've collected over the years. I want the other tree to be an elegant, put-together, everything matching and pretty tree...which would include clear lights.

[Julie in CA]

I tend to favor quiet elegance. I do clear lights.

My kids express their preference for colored lights every single year. :glare:

I won't be buying new lights, so we'll be sticking with the clear. I tell the kids they'll someday have a place of their own to decorate according to their own taste. :001_smile:

[Aubrey]

My preference is the big, old-fashioned multicolored lights on the eaves of the house. But, our electric bill was out of control, so last year dh got white led lights. Don't tell anyone, but.... I despise them. They don't even have that warm glow that regular white lights have. THey're kind of cold and bluish. But, they don't use nearly the electricity, which is the only good thing about them.

 

Nothing was worse than the house we lived in that had...very SAD icicle lights. We drove around looking at lights that year, came home, & dh said, "Well...back to the bat cave!" LOL That's what it looked like, too--claws or fangs or something. Halloween, though, not Christmas.

[Imprimis]

For the last 10 years, we've had clear icicle lights on the outside of our house and tiny multi-color lights on the tree.

 

Now, I've been eyeing the vintage-style big bulb color lights (of course now they are LED) and am considering them this year.

[AK_Mom4]

clear lights inside.

Colored lights on the house because they were there when we bought the house 14 years ago and I'll never get DH up on a ladder to take them down and string up a new set.

[Hunter's Moon]

On the tree we have about 2 or 3 long strands of colored lights.

 

They have switches where you can change the speed, colors, etc.

 

We also have 2 small strands of clear icicle lights. They're beautiful and add a nice touch to the tree.

 

I don't think the tree would look nice if we had just colored, or just white. It would look incomplete to me.

[amydavis]

Clear outside

Color inside

 

:iagree:

Sometimes we do a second tree, up in the front of the house, that can be seen from outside. When we do that, I put white lights on it to coordinate with the outside lights. But "our" tree, the family one, is multi-colored lights.

[LibraryLover]

I used to be all about the white lights, but now I am drawn to color. I would suggest a mix if you are not sure. Colored lights are very retro, so if you do it, it's cool.

 

My kids only want 'candles' in the windows this year. And it bums me out, which totally surprises me.

[ChiMomNP]

I love clear lights. My son like colored so we alternate. This year is colored lights. I actually had two years in a row of clear lights( I was really sick one year and they were trying to make me feel better!!) but we generally alternate.

[Sherry in OH]

Our tree came with white lights. I'm not changing them.

[justamouse]

we used to have only white, I was outruled last year and now we have colored. *izsad*

[rfhsmom]

At our house it is not about the color, but the quantity!!!!! My DH is totally into decorating with lights so our whole house is lit up!! He built a shed just for the lights/decorations. :lol:

[elise1mds]

We use clear lights in the house and colored lights on the house.

 

Us, too. I have two strands of clear lights that I wrap around the tree that flash different patterns to give it a nice effect. Last year we spent the cash on LED lights. We put white on the house, plain non-LED clear (they look like gold compared to the silvery white of LEDs) on the wishing well, wrap the tree in red, and this year DH made a tree out of green with a white star on top. I can't wait to turn them all on tomorrow night!

[Laurie4b]

Outside? white lights. Inside? White and colored.

 

I grew up in an "elegant" neighborhood in which each house had a white candle in each window and nearly everyone's outside lights were white. It was rather ....uniform... so I may be less inclined to all white than I otherwise would be.

 

We had colored lights on the tree when i was younger (this probably switched to white too at some point), but I still love the colored lights on the tree and love having all the kid-made ornaments on the tree.

 

 

I've got to say though, with regard to the white lights outside, we usually take one night to drive around looking at lights, and it's usually the colored lights that get our attention! My very favorite outdoor decoration is tree trunks wrapped with lights and then lights extending out the branches of a tree. Gorgeous in white, but also in other solid colors.

[ladydusk]

Clear outside

Color inside

 

:iagree:Here too.

[KidsHappen]

I use clear only because they look more traditional and classy to me. Of course, I sometime leave them up 'til the middle of July which is kind of redneck but I am just full of contradictions so I guess it's to be expected. :tongue_smilie:

 

No decorating for me this year (YAY!) as we are going away for the holidays. Honestly, I just managed to get the Christmas boxes back into the attic in time to take out the Halloween boxes which are still sitting on my dining room table.

[ereks mom]

:D

[Mommy22alyns]

I heart the multicolored lights.

[Carol in Cal.]

White inside--they look like little candle flames.

Colored outside--it's a neighborhood thing to put little Christmas trees with colored lights out on the front lawn.

 

I probably shouldn't admit this, but we also use those bubble lights on our tree. DH loves them. They kinda detract from the elegant white light thing, but they are quite festive.

[gaillardia]

We use white/clear, I used to think it was prettier than colored lights.

I can see a long fenceline of purple lights. That looks cool, but I've never seen them in stores.

I like flashing lights too.

[EarleneW]

Clear

[lisabelle]

I used to be a clear-lights only person. Like others I think they look like stars or reflected snow.

 

But the dh and ds love colored and snuck out and bought a set of LED colored lights to decorate the house with one year while I was off at a movie. I have to admit, I'm rather fond of them now. And when I bought some of those lighted tree spiral things to put in some empty planter boxes in front of the house this year, I chose colored lights.

 

(They also bought a 10-foot inflatable Santa, which I still hate)

 

My tree has clear lights though. When it's time to replace that I may go for colored lights. I don't know. I'm awfully fond of my tree just the way it is.

[Veritaserum]

We only use the clear lights. Growing up my family used colored.

[RoughCollie]

The kids insist that our tree always have colored lights.

 

As soon as they all move out, I'm switching to clear.

[Mrs Mungo]

We use clear lights in the house and colored lights on the house.

 

We do the same thing. We use multi-colored outside the house and clear inside the house.

[ChristusG]

Definitely colored lights....never just white. White looks too elegant to me. We're definitely not elegant LOL.