Our Top Tips On Decorating Your Christmas Tree

Now that December is in full swing we’re well and truly into everyone’s favourite time of year, and many of you will already have your Christmas trees assembled and lit in your homes, offices or gardens. But if you’re still wondering how to tackle yours, this week on the blog our electrical experts here at Rubber Box are taking a short break from discussing power distros to share a couple of top tips for you.

Safety First!

Before we get right into it, we thought it was worth touching on one of our golden rules here at Rubber Box, and one that we take very seriously – always stay safe! When it comes to hanging Christmas lights, this means taking care in another few specific aspects, too. Firstly, always carry out a quick inspection of your Christmas lights before you plug them in. Storing them away for long periods means that they could have been chewed by rodents, or dripped on by an unseen leak. If even one of those things happens to be true, in the very best case scenario you might get a nasty shock when you plug them in.

Speaking of which; definitely don’t turn on your Christmas lights before hanging them. This is quite a common mistake, and one that not many people make for long – to start with, the lights tend to get very hot! But also, you should never unnecessarily expose yourself to live electricity, and this would definitely count. Finally, make sure they’re tidy! Not only does it look nicer, but it stops anyone taking a fall over them; a particular danger in a busy office environment.

Decorating Your Tree Or Christmas Display

There are three categories of Christmas lights; string, net and curtain. You’ll already be familiar with string lights (they’re the most common kind), curtain lights hang down from atop the tree, and nets can be used to cover a large area. If you have a ring connector handy, it’s likely you’ll find this incredibly useful; you can place it in the middle of the tree and then have your lights run out in different directions from it, allowing you to cut down on the time and effort necessary to install the lights. It’s no rubber box, but it’ll get the job done!

If you’re going for the more traditional route, though, start from the top and work your way down. Don’t make the mistake of hanging the lights on the outer branches, where they can fall off – instead, tuck the wires as far into the tree (as close to the trunk) as you can. Plus, if you have shorter, connectable strings of lights rather than one longer one, it will enable you to more precisely the length to your tree or display.

Remember, keep liquids and other dangerous elements away from your display (and the associated sockets), and make sure to turn it off before you go to bed – a huge proportion of electrical fires start at night!

Here at Rubber Box, our staff are proven experts in all things electrical, and have a particular wealth of knowledge when it comes to matters concerning our power distros. If you have any questions or you’re interested in purchasing a power distribution box for your electrical display, don’t hesitate to browse our product range or give us a call on 01282 677 910.

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