When it comes to decorating your office or establishment for the holidays, you have many Christmas lighting options. Some of these options are better for indoors and some are better for the outdoors. Before you buy Christmas lights, make sure you know the Christmas lights types and styles that will be best for your decorating needs. Christmas lights are often a one-time buy and then can be used for years to come. To save yourself from having to purchase Christmas lights often, take the time to do your research.

Within the excessive number of Christmas light choices, there are a few definite types and styles that remain basic and easy to use. Look into the following Christmas lights types and styles for your decorating purposes:

1. Icicle Christmas lights provide a unique look to the indoors or out.

2. Christmas bulbs are often used for outdoor decorations due to their size.

3. Mini Christmas lights are the most popular Christmas light choice.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Decorate the windows and rooftop with icicle holiday lights

Icicle Christmas lights are ideal for lining doors, windows, or rooftops. Each strand has several small 'icicles' hanging downwards to create a twinkle effect. Icicle lights can be found in white as well as a variety of colors. You can also consider hanging icicle lights to decorate tables or bars. Icicle lights can be used in either small or large quantities depending on the amount of light you want to omit.

I recommend: ChristmasLights.com shows a variety of icicle lights. All American Christmas Company pictures icicles lights of many different lengths.

Use Christmas light bulbs to decorate the outside of your establishment

Christmas lighting bulbs create a more old-fashioned, bold look to your holiday decor. Each bulb is significantly larger then in your average Christmas string lights. Bulbs can be found in many different colors as well as either opaque or clear options. Bulbs are best used as outdoor Christmas lights due to the size of each bulb.

I recommend: Christmas Lights Etc. shows examples of both translucent and opaque bulb options. Christmas Light Source shows a video of a decorating option with your bulb Christmas tree lights.

Choose mini led Christmas lights for versatility

Mini Christmas lights are the most versatile of all the holiday lights. You can string mini lights to decorate a staircase, chairs, handrails, windows, doors, and of course, your Christmas tree. Mini lights can be paired with other Christmas lights types and styles to create even more impressive Christmas light displays. When you shop for and buy Christmas lights online, request a sample to try before you buy.

I recommend: One of the many Christmas light suppliers, 1000 Bulbs, details a large variety of mini Christmas lights. All Things Christmas explains the option of the led mini Christmas lights.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Commercial Christmas lights attract customers and foster a feeling of holiday cheer. Develop a relationship with a supplier of wholesale Christmas lights and decorate multiple locations without breaking the bank.

Christmas lights add color and sparkle to Christmas displays. Available in a variety of colors, sizes and styles, choosing the right Christmas lighting products to stock in your business is vital to attract a wide consumer base.

LED Christmas lights, outdoor Christmas lights, battery operated Christmas lights and specialty lights are Christmas lighting options that should be stocked in your business. Christmas light suppliers can offer you the variety of Christmas lights that you need to offer the most cost-effective range of lighting options to your potential clients. When you purchase Christmas lights for your business, you should:

1. Buy Christmas lights in a variety of styles and colors to suit your potential customer base.

2. Purchase wholesale holiday lights at cost-effective prices.

3. Buy Christmas lights online from Christmas light suppliers who offer competitive prices.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose a supplier of Christmas tree lights and holiday lights used for displays

An experienced supplier of commercial Christmas lights can offer you a variety of Christmas lighting options at prices you can afford. Look for a supplier that can offer you quotes for Christmas lighting and good shipping and handling rates, too.

I recommend: Use Christmas Lights, Etc. to supply the commercial Christmas lights you need for your business. Whether you need LED Christmas lights, Christmas light displays, battery-operated Christmas lights, Christmas Lights, Etc. offers many options at competitive prices. Buy Christmas lights from All American Christmas Co. for a large variety of holiday lights. Receive a free quote for your order and discounts if your order is large enough to qualify.

Stock traditional and specialty Christmas lights

Buy Christmas tree lights, outdoor Christmas lights and specialty Christmas lighting in a wide variety of styles and colors to appeal to a large client base.

I recommend: 1000Bulbs.com offers traditional and specialty Christmas lights to stock your business. From traditional Christmas string lights to specialty lights such as starlight spheres and Christmas rope lights, 1000bulbs.com offers Christmas lighting options to meet your specifications. Bronners, which bills itself as the largest Christmas store in the world, offers a mix of traditional and unique Christmas lighting options for your business. With competitive shipping and excellent customer service, Bronners with work with you to fill your holiday lighting needs.

Purchase wholesale Christmas lights

Buy Christmas lights online at wholesale prices to save money. Wholesale Christmas Lights allow you to buy the amount of holiday lighting you need at cost-effective, volume discounted prices.

I recommend: Use NoveltyLights.com for your wholesale Christmas lighting needs. They offer a large stock of outdoor Christmas lights, Christmas string lights and Christmas light bulbs at affordable, volume pricing. Use Creative Displays for wholesale Christmas tree lights and Christmas light bulbs. Creative Displays, Inc. offers volume discounts for all of your Christmas lighting needs.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Create Christmas light displays in your business. Use the Christmas lights you stock in your store to show customers how each form of holiday lighting appears.

Placing Christmas lighting on the outside of your business is a great way to show the community that you’re in the holiday spirit. It also shows you support the better aspects of the holidays, such as spending special time with family and friends. Christmas light displays also make your business more inviting, especially if you buy wholesale Christmas lights for an elaborate display that draws crowds. What a great way to show the public that your company values what the holidays are all about.

The question remains, however, of where you start. If you plan to design an elaborate display you need to consider the different styles and Christmas lights pricing and costs to determine your budget and capabilities. While the typical strings of regular lights are always an easy option, consider the following alternatives:

1. Icicle lights and net Christmas tree lights are much more appealing than regular stringed lights.

2. LED Christmas lights are better for the environment and save money in the long run.

3. Larger sized strings of Christmas light bulbs, such as C7s and C9s, provide a classier element to your lighting display.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy Christmas lights with the icicle or net design

Icicle lights along roof eves and gutters continue to grow in popularity. They add a more natural and dramatic look to your outdoor holiday decorations. Another popular style is net lighting. Net lights and tree wraps are available for use on shrubs and trees. They are much easier to install than regular string lights, because you can simply drape them over a bush rather than spend hours weaving string lights through the branches. They not only look great, but are also a money saver.

I recommend: Christmas Lights Direct has icicle lights for $7 to $30, commercial grade net lights for $25 to $90 and tree wraps for around $20. Obtain boxes of 100 to 150 icicle lights from Christmas Lights Etc. for less than $15 a box.

Save energy with LED Christmas lighting

LED lights are a great energy and money saver. LED lights are the only way to go for a business that prides itself on being environmentally friendly, because they use much less energy that regular incandescent lights. Additionally, unlike regular Christmas lights, with LED lights, if one bulb burns out the rest of the string remains lit. This also reduces replacement costs. LED lights come in a variety of colors and shapes, such as raspberry, strawberry, mini, wide angle and novelty shapes.

I recommend: Visit Christmas Treasures for a variety of LED lights ranging from $10 to $30. Holiday LEDS allows you to shop by color or shape, such as their strawberry lights for $15 to $25 per strand.

Decorate with traditional outdoor Christmas lights

Most consider C7 and C9 Christmas lamps to be traditional lights for outdoors. The bulbs are larger than regular mini Christmas lights. Manufacturers make these lights heavier and more reliable than regular lights. Basically, the difference in the two is the size, with C9s being larger. These lamp-style bulbs screw into a candelabra base socket on the strand and, when one burns out, the rest of the strand remains lit.

I recommend: Bronner’s Christmas Decorations and Xmas Express offer C7 and C9 sized Christmas lights for $6 to $10 per strand. You can purchase replacement bulbs in quantities of 25 through Service Lighting and Electronic Supplies for $25 to $40.

Christmas lights are a traditional decoration used to illuminate homes and businesses to celebrate the holidays. Available in a plethora of sizes, colors and styles, Christmas lights exist to meet diverse tastes and budgets of any size.

From LED Christmas lights and rope Christmas lights, to mini Christmas lights and bubble Christmas lights, your Christmas light options are limitless. Whether you are a distributor of Christmas lights or need Christmas lights to decorate your business, know these Christmas lights key terms to ensure you choose the best decorating options to meet your needs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

LED Christmas lights

LED Christmas lights are an energy-efficient alternative to traditional incandescent Christmas lights. LEDs or 'light emitting diodes' use diodes that create light when current passes through them.

I recommend: Holidayleds.com offers in-depth information on LED Christmas lights and the advantages of using this type of Christmas lighting for personal or professional use.

Christmas rope lights

A versatile style of Christmas lighting, rope Christmas lights combine mini Christmas lights and PVC tubing that can be manipulated to fit virtually any shape.

I recommend: Christmas Lights, Etc. offers extensive information on Christmas rope lights and the best ways to use rope lights in your holiday decorating.

Bubble Christmas lights

A unique, nostalgic style of Christmas lighting, bubble Christmas lights use a heated, liquid-filled cylinder to create bubbles. Bubble Christmas lights are available in different shapes, colors and styles.

I recommend: Christmas Decorations & Gifts Store offers a brief history of bubble Christmas lights.

Mini Christmas lights

Mini lights are the most popular style of Christmas lights used to decorate the interior and exterior of homes and businesses. The small incandescent bulbs come in different strand lengths to accommodate large and small areas and are available in a variety of colors to suit diverse needs.

I recommend: All American Christmas Company offers details on the sizes and styles of mini Christmas lights available.

Icicle Christmas lights

Icicle Christmas lights are used to decorate exterior windows and roofs. White mini lights in varying lengths are attached vertically to a horizontal string of white mini lights to create an icicle effect.

I recommend: Christmas Central offers more information and decorating tips for icicle Christmas lights.

Christmas light bulbs

Christmas light bulbs come in a wide selection of shapes, sizes and colors. Bulbs can be incandescent or LED-based.

I recommend: For more information on the different types and styles of Christmas light bulbs, visit Christmas-light-source.com.