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(From someone who has done this for years) Okay. Putting up christmas lights is a lot of fun. Just remember:
-Make sure you measure all of the areas that you are covering, THEN go buy the lights and extension cords.
-Buy indoor/outdoor lights for both inside and outside lights, as indoor lights are crap.
-Usually you can put nails on the underside of the roofline, but in cases that you ca't I suggest slipping part of the wire between the gutter and the gutter support.
-Make sure the nails are no more than 3 and a half feet apart, as the line will noticibally droop between the nails otherwise.
-Use color schemes to make sure the house looks good. Look at other houses in the neighborhood to see if they are mostly clear/multi-colored/single color to choose. If in doubt, go with clear.
-Only hang icicle lights from the roofline, as they are obviously meant to represent icicles.
-Light blankets (the christmas lights that are strung together in a usually 6'x4' rectangle, meant to cover) usually go on small to medium bushes. I do not reccoment using them on the roof or grass.
-Light spheres are meant to be hung from medium trees, and only from the bottom most branches. Make sure they are spread out evenly.
-Decorate lamps/tree trunks with the candy cane type application; start at the bottom and walk around the pole in circles moving up.
-Don't worry about covering extension cords with leaves/grass. Leaves will be cleaned up later, and grasss will be cut. If you have to put them across a walk way ALWAYS cover it with an outdoor rug, as someone tripping on it will make you at least partially liable.
-Do not overdo it. Most light strands can only take 3 or 4 strands together before you start blowing fuses. Make sure that each extension cord supports no more than 6 to 8 strands total. Make sure that all the cords are plugged in at one or two outlets, and if posible put them on a timer.
I'm probably forgetting something, but that's the gist. Have fun.
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