The Holiday Decorating Toolbox

The Dusty Hammer LOVES Christmas!  The smells, the sounds, the sights, we love it all... that is until we have to shimmy up a precariously balanced ladder in order to proclaim our holiday cheer in twinkling incandescent miniature lights.  You know the drill: trudge out to the garage, climb into the attic, rearrange everything stored up there in order to get to the lights (which somehow always wind up all the way in the back), lug the ladder around to the front of the house, climb to the top of said ladder and then… begin cussing like Yosemite Sam as you search in vain for the tool you swear you just had but can’t seem to find anywhere! When you finally finish the traditional decorating and swearing you say to yourself, “there’s got to be a better way.”  Well friends, there is (no it doesn’t require paying the neighbor kid to do it for you – although that may not be a bad option…).  Put together a Holiday decorating toolbox for yourself.  By keeping all the important “tools” close at hand you can speed up the frost bitten lighting ceremony and bring back the holiday cheer to your decorating activities. 

Toolboxes are great!  We use them for just about everything… we’ve got a dedicated toolbox with a load of electrical tools, one to satisfy plumbing needs, there’s a toolbox for tile and drywall work, and even one for miscellaneous demolition tools… But it wasn’t until a few years ago while laying flat on my back staring up at the roof that moments ago I had been searching for my misplaced stapler (which coincidentally was laying next to me - right where I had left it at the bottom of the ladder) that inspiration hit me (or more aptly – I hit it) and I realized how handy a Holiday decorating toolbox would be

First let’s start off with the box itself – there about a bazillion options, but honestly most of these “options” add little value to the toolbox and can even make it less user friendly.  We prefer the ol’ tried and true variety - you know the standard rectangle shape toolbox with latches that open the lid – over the fancier versions with little storage compartments on the outside.  Inside our Holiday decorating toolbox is a small removable compartment for storage of the smaller items, and ample space for the bigger stuff in the bottom.  (All those tiny external see through cubbies look handy on the store shelf, but in practice they typically aren’t worth the cheap plastic they are made from and, far too often, the cubbies are broken after a few uses anyways. 

An important element of any good Holiday decorating toolbox is portability – as cool and indestructible as those metal toolboxes may be remember: we have to haul this bad boy up a ladder, which is why we like the lighter high density plastic versions over the prettier (and heavier) diamond plated ones. 

Now that you’ve got a good toolbox to store your merry decorating kit you can begin outfitting it. 

There are several “specialty items” that will make decorating much faster and more fun:

Monofilament

First toss in a couple spools of monofilament – a fancy word for fishing line.  Get yourself a couple of spools (one in 20 lb and one 50 lb test lines – which means essentially how much weight the line can hold).  This is one of the best specialty “tools” you can have in your holiday decorating toolbox.  Monofilament is great for retying icicle lights that have gone astray or to invisibly stake down various outdoor decorations such as a giant inflatable Frosty the Snowman. 

Cable Ties
Cable Ties rock!  There’s little mess, they go up easy and come down easy.  They allow you to fix broken decorations, hold things together and so much more.  There are literally thousands of uses for these handy little ties and you can rarely have too many.  Consider purchasing a multi-size package, once you’ve used ‘em you’re sure to love ‘em.

Command Kits
Command Kits are a 3M product that allows you to temporarily hang things from interior walls (some of them work the exterior as well) without marring.  These versatile hooks have a special adhesive that holds fast to walls and releases with a gentle tug.  No muss no fuss.   

Must-Have-Tools and Accessories for the Holiday Decorating Toolbox:

·                 Dead Blow/Hammer combo – Because sometimes you need the finesse of a rubber mallet and sometimes you just need to pound the crap outta something!

·                  Screw Drivers - we prefer the convenience of a multi head combo driver which offers two sizes of both Philips and flat head and can be used as a wrench for common size nuts – you could also just throw in a large and small Philips and flat head screw driver if you prefer

·                  Pliers – Needle nose as well as regular

·                  Wire Cutters

·                  A Handful of Misc. Nails and Screws (in a variety of sizes)

·                  Landscape Staples - great for anchoring decorations

·                  Duct Tape - don’t think you have to be stuck with the original color…virtually any color is now available, there’s even clear duct tape available (all the strength of the original none of the unsightly gray).

·                  Electrical Tape - for those moments when you come across a wire shield that has been worn a little thin

·                  Cable Ties -  

·                  Command Kits -

·                  Monofilament

·                  Hanging Wire (or heavy duty floral wire)

·                  Velcro -

·                  Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks – You can take care of a whole slew of things with hot glue

·                  Super Glue – what hot glue can’t - super glue will

·                  Small Can of Touch Up Paint & Brush in your home’s exterior colors - for those oops moments

·                  Extra Light Bulbs (Blinkers, C3, C7, C9 – and any other type you use in your décor ) – I always keep a good stock of replacement bulbs and fuses, you just never know. 

·                  Green Extension Cords – 2 or 3 that are 40ft if you can (we also really like outlet stakes for the outdoor electrical needs)

·                  Outdoor timers – optional

·                  Power Drill – though this isn’t a necessity it sure does make things a lot easier.  Ours doesn’t go in the tool box because we use it so often but it is definitely a good tool to take with you on your next decorating adventure!

Bonus Tips: 

Be sure to remove those extra light bulbs and fuse packs from your string lights and outdoor décor.  Add them to your toolbox so when you have to replace a bulb you can find them easily. 

For hanging decorative items (ie wreaths and such) on vinyl siding without voiding the warranty with a moisture inducing hole, Siding Hooks are a good option.  These specialty hooks are shaped pieces of stainless steel that slide up under the lip of the siding and lock into place using the sidings own channel.  They don't mar, are easy to remove and are available at most hardware stores - especially during the holiday season. 

Happy Decorating