How smart lights make your Christmas magical

 16 December 2019

Christmas is a magical time of year, with snowy scenes, festive music, and, of course, the twinkling lights on trees and houses. Christmas lights were originally enjoyed as the warm glow from candles and a fire in the hearth, but they changed drastically over the years, becoming brighter, more colourful, and — in modern homes — smarter.

Smart Christmas lights are a perfect addition to your home during the holidays, allowing you to change your Christmas decorations for each special moment: set the mood for Christmas dinner, wash the walls with fun colours of light as your family opens their gifts, and more. Use our tips to make your holiday even more magical with smart Christmas lights.

The centerpiece of many homes during Christmas, a brightly lit Christmas tree almost always comes with an unsightly power supply. Disguising the plug often means crawling awkwardly under or around your tree, being poked by pine needles to get to a tucked-away wall socket.

Luckily, you can easily solve this issue with a Philips Hue Smart plug, which transforms your old strand of lights into a strand of smart Christmas tree lights! Simply plug the power supply into the Smart plug and connect the plug to the wall socket to enjoy Hue app-controlled smart Christmas lights.

Bright idea: Have a friend or family member who loves Philips Hue just as much as you? The Smart plug makes for a great stocking stuffer.

Transform your home into a Christmas wonderland! Weave a strand of lights into garland, then tie in bows, garland or ornaments (or all three) along its length to liven it up. Use twist-ties to keep your decoration in place on the garland — just don't forget to tuck the visible parts away behind the branches. String up your creation along a staircase or over a door to add a bit of Christmas cheer to any room.

Bright idea: Ditch the traditional Christmas lights and weave a Philips Hue Lightstrip into your garland instead. Set it to red or green, or create a light routine that switches between the colours every so often.

Beautifully wrapped Christmas gifts nested under the tree are decorations in and of themselves. Make them an even bigger part of your Christmas decor by using paper and ribbon that matches the colours of your ornaments. For example, if you choose for traditional dark red and gold tree ornaments, use red and green plaid wrapping paper with golden ribbon to tie it all together.

Bright idea: Use the portable Philips Hue Go to light up your tree and its gifts. Place the Hue Go between your gifts, aiming it up into your tree to illuminate its branches and add a touch of unexpected charm.

Nothing says December like outdoor Christmas lights on your home. Choose a colour palette that matches your home's exterior and go to town: string larger lights along the eaves of the roof, then smaller icicle-style lights underneath for a crisp, clean look, or use rainbow lights instead for a more non-traditional feel.

Bright idea: Philips Hue smart outdoor lights can effortlessly enhance your outdoor Christmas lighting setup. Set colour-capable outdoor lights, such as Philips Hue Lily spot lights to holiday-themed tones to really give your home a festive feel.