Imagine this: With the twilight veil of December barely falling, your house is the only one on the block that causes cars to pull over and halt. Isn’t that magic? It is not some pricey, glitzy light that is the great secret Christmas lights setup service. It involves preparation. Amazing displays? Before plugging in the first twinkling, someone sketched out a strategy, which is why they occur.

Let’s be honest first. Without a strategy, even the most brilliant ideas might fail. Draw a sketch of your home from the outside. Consider yourself a visitor or an inquisitive neighbor. Seek out the areas that scream for glitter. Rooflines, windows, and even the lone dogwood in the backyard. Take pictures in the daylight, mark up the areas you wish to glow, then glue a printout to the refrigerator.

Inventory time after dreaming. Without knowing what we hid after last January, the majority of us unearth a tub labeled “XMAS LIGHTS.” Organize everything. Flashing lightbulbs that resemble a spooky house? Chuck them. Frayed wires? Safety is more important than nostalgia.

Now, consider this: Do you want a light display that your local airport can see, or are you Old School? Elegance is conveyed by white lighting. Blinks with multiple colors bring back fond memories of childhood. Don’t try to imitate Rockefeller Center; instead, pick a few styles, such as curtain drops in the window, net lights on shrubs, or icicle style on the eaves.

LED is your friend, here’s a pro tip. You’ll save spending money and possibly making multiple journeys to reset the breaker. Select extension cords that can withstand weather. Unless you enjoy repairing broken paint all spring, use clips rather than nails or duct tape.

Now for the layout. Avoid draping; it’s lazy. Tightly stretch each thread. Symmetry makes it appear as though you hired an expert. Change up the intensity by highlighting a wreath, adding soft porch twinkles, or going overboard with color on one tree to create contrast.

Have children? Let them choose an outrageous location for the funny lights—a dinosaur wearing a Santa hat, perhaps? Years from now, the children in the neighborhood will recall your “Yeti in the manger” antics. Set a timer. After everyone has gone to sleep, you don’t want an unplanned 3 a.m. rave.

Finish with a leisurely walk to the pavement. Squint. Are there any shadowy areas visible? Did you unintentionally cause your neighbor’s living room to go dark? Small adjustments have a big impact.

People will ask you what your secret is. Shrug and smile. In actuality, it doesn’t require a double mortgage or a lightning PhD. All you need is a little imagination and perseverance, and keep in mind that plugs, like patience, have a limited lifespan.

And there’s always cocoa and laughter if the lights go out and nothing works. That’s what you remember most of the time.