6 Christmas Decor “Hacks” That Backfire the Second the Lights Come On

We all love a shortcut, especially in December. The problem is some decorating “hacks” look good in your head…and then you flip the lights on and suddenly wish you’d done it differently. Certain tricks save time but make the whole house feel off once it’s dark and people are actually over.

Here are the shortcuts that cause the most regret—and what to do instead.

1. Only lighting the tree and nothing else

Relying on the tree as your only light source looks dreamy online, but in real life people end up squinting, tripping, and trying to eat in the dark. The room feels patchy—bright in one corner, murky everywhere else.

Use the tree as one layer. Add a couple of lamps and maybe one small light on a console or kitchen counter. You still get the glow, but people can see faces, food, and where they’re walking.

2. Tossing lights on bushes without checking the strands

It’s tempting to grab old strands and throw them on the shrubs “just to have something out there.” Then you plug them in and half the bulbs are out, the colors don’t match, or one bush is blinding while the others barely glow.

Before any lights go outside, check them in the garage or living room. Toss the worst offenders, group matching strands on the same side of the house, and keep patterns consistent. That one extra step keeps your yard from looking thrown together.

3. Using one extension cord for “just one more” thing

“Just one more plug” is how you end up with a single overloaded power strip feeding the tree, the village, the garland, and three signs. It looks messy, and it’s not exactly the safest plan either.

Spread the load. Use multiple outlets, run cords along baseboards instead of across walking paths, and accept that if you can’t plug it in safely, it might not need to be out this year. A few solid pieces beat a fire hazard every time.

4. Hanging everything with tape that won’t hold

Regular tape on textured walls, rough wood, or dusty mantels is a recipe for decorations sliding off the second the room warms up. You end up with stocking holders tipping, garland sagging, and command hooks clinging to paint by a thread.

Use the right thing for the job: proper hooks for stockings, floral wire or zip ties for railings, better-quality removable strips for walls. If it barely sticks in daylight, it definitely won’t survive a warm, crowded room.

5. Piling decor on every flat surface “for now”

The “I’ll just set this here until I find a spot” shortcut turns into the whole look if you’re not careful. Suddenly the dining table, kitchen counters, and coffee table are full of stuff that never got a real home.

Build in a five-minute reset at the end of decorating day. Walk around and either commit to a spot or put the extra pieces back in a tote. If you don’t know where it belongs, you probably don’t need it out.

6. Hiding clutter by shoving it in any open corner

It’s tempting to push laundry baskets, toys, and random piles into bedrooms, closets, and the “junk room” right before people come over. It works for one night, but now you’ve got hidden messes that feel worse to tackle later.

Pick one honest landing spot—a basket in each main room or one designated “catch-all” bin. After people leave, you can work your way through one basket at a time. That’s still a shortcut, but it’s one that doesn’t backfire as soon as normal life starts back up.