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Ask An Expert: Decorate For The Holidays On A Budget

Tackling holiday decor is no easy task. Most people manage to turn a mess into an understated motif but that takes trial and error. Lesson your load by trying out these five easy decorating tips from Justin of JM Lighting. JM Lighting is a leader in South Florida home holiday decor and with 15 years of experience, there's no way you can go wrong.
id="attachment_1306" align="alignright" width="300"] (Source: jmholidaylighting.com)
Justin Of JM Lighting
JM Holiday Lighting
6503 N.W. 43rd Terrace
Coconut Creek, FL 33073
(561) 573-7090
www.jmholidaylighting.com

For 15 years, Justin and his two partners have been serving Miami-Dade and Broward County's lighting needs. Their lighting landscapes include residential yards, palm trees and commercial properties. Their technique ranges from tasteful to stately and the customer is always priority number one. JM Lighting even does colorful interiors like teal, tinsel and decorative reefs. By the time these guys get the job done, you'll feel like you've walked into a fairytale.

Check The Christmas Lights Before Using

Justin says this is the most important tip and it should be a no brainer, but this is a common mistake. "Check the lights before you install them. Otherwise, you will install them and have to remove them," says Justin. Basically, nobody likes doing a job twice. So before you decorate with old lights from the attic or new lights that you just bought, plug it up to see if it works first.

id="attachment_1306" align="alignright" width="300"] (Source: jmholidaylighting.com)
Buy Christmas Decor On Clearance

This is a tip for the coupon kings and queens. Christmas is expensive enough without having to worry about decorating expenses, so Justin recommends buying your holiday trimmings in January and storing them for the next year. Items tend to be marked down after Christmas and clearance deals are more inexpensive than sales. So after the holiday mall dash, head to your local holiday hangout and clear out the clearance.

Use Different Colors

Color is important to any interior or exterior design but many people tend to stick to one color, which can make your home canvas a little flat. Add some dimension and a touch of flair by using multiple colors. Skip the traditional reds and greens and go for bold blues, princely purples and glittering golds. Not only will your home look sensational, but it will stand alone as your own unique design.

Related: Best Places To Buy Holiday Decorations

id="attachment_1306" align="alignright" width="300"] (Source: jmholidaylighting.com)
Use Projector Lights

Ok, here is a cool idea. Go to Home Depot and pick up a projector light. These lights sit on your front lawn and project pictures onto your house much like a movie projector does. So you can post pictures of Santa, Frosty or whatever and it will take less time to put up than stringing Christmas lights. Finally, you'll have the house on the block that everyone will pass by and say, "I wish I would have thought of that."

Hire A Professional For Difficult Tasks

Holiday decorating is not as hard as it looks and if you follow all of these tips, you should be able to do it yourself without any problems. However some houses require roof work and that's when it's better to call in the professionals. A ladder is a two-man team and if you have a sizable house and only one person to decorate the exterior, you're looking at a possible emergency situation. So sit back by the fire and let the professionals take care of the work.

Related: Beyond Holiday Lights: 5 Ideas For Outdoor Decorations

Niema Hulin was born in Newark, NJ but raised in Lexington, South Carolina for the bulk of her formative years. In 2002, she moved to Miami after graduating from the University of Florida. Since then, Niema has worked in film, television and commercials as a Production Assistant and Production Coordinator. Some of her films have included Bad Boys II and I Am Number IV. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

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