How Many Lights for Trees? - Christmas Lights, Etc (2024)

FAQs

How many lights should I get for my tree? ›

“A good rule of thumb is 100 lights for every foot-and-a-half of tree,” according to Lowe's. But Better Homes & Gardens recommends using three 100-light sets for every foot of a tree's height. And Real Simple suggests 100 lights for every foot.

How many strands do I need? A general rule is to use 100 lights for every 1.5 feet of tree. However, if you love lights, you may want to double or even triple that amount.

We recommend as a guide you use approx 30 lights per foot in height of your Christmas Tree. For example, a 4ft. Christmas tree should have 120 Christmas tree lights, 5ft. tree 150 lights, 6ft tree 180 lights and a 7ft tree 210 lights.

Number of Lights Needed for Outdoor Features

Doors: One 16-foot strand per door. Window Boxes: One 14-foot strand of 50 lights per window box. Columns and Pillars: One 32-foot strand of 100 lights per 7 vertical feet of column or pillar.

Don't overcrowd your Christmas tree with too many lights. It is not good for the tree and doesn't improve the look. Sometimes – fewer can be much better.

We suggest starting with about 300 C7 or C9 bulbs in either form of light strings for a 20 foot tree to start with. Ultimately, you'll have to gauge the weigh the width of your tree and how tight you will wind your spiral to determine a beginning estimate for your project.

Basic Rule of Thumb

"So an easy, general rule to remember is that for each foot of your tree, you'd want to use one strand of lights.

How many lights do I need? For the best coverage on your unlit Christmas tree, about 100 bulbs are recommended for every two feet of tree. If you have a 6 foot artificial Christmas tree, you'll need a string of 300 LEDs to light up your tree perfectly.

For a basic look our number one rule is at least 100 bulbs per 1ft of tree – so that would mean a 6ft tree needs a minimum of 600 LEDs. For a fuller look, you can add as many lights as you want but we recommend upwards of 700 for a 6ft tree.

For a 6ft tree we recommend 300 bulbs or 15 metres of lights.

How many outdoor Christmas lights do I need? ›

Trees: Purchase a 32-foot strand for every 1½ feet of the tree's height, or approximately 500 to 600 lights for an eight-foot tree. Bushes and hedges: Use one or two 4-foot-by-6-foot light nets per bush or hedge. Windows and doors: Buy a 16-foot strand per single-width window or single door.

You need to measure the length and width of your patio space, add those together, and multiply by 2. That will give you the total perimeter and total length of lights you need. Simple. However, this will give you the length you need if you want your string lights to be taut.

Should you leave outdoor lights on at night? No, leaving lights on can make intruders think that you're not home. Use a motion sensor light that turns on when you, or anyone else, comes near so you have light only when you need it.

Use this equation to learn how to wrap a tree with lights: 4'H trunk / 3" spacing = 16 x 2' circumference = 32' of lighting. 3'L branch / 3" spacing = 12 x 6" circumference = 6' of lighting per branch. Total lighted feet will be approximately 56' for the trunk and four branches.

Ideally you'll place outdoor lights in key areas close to where you'll be moving or operating at night, such as porch lights or garage lighting. Exterior wall lights can be placed next to a porch, in front of a garage, at a side door, or on a rear wall depending on how you access and move around the building.

While it might seem like a festive treat for the neighbors, it could lead to problems for your home and electricity over time. Before leaving lights on, check the label to determine whether the bulbs and wattage can handle a long night of illumination. Generally, we recommend turning them off before bed.

Begin at the bottom of the tree close to the trunk. Allowing some slack or leader cord in the first strand of lights, separate the cord near the first bulb, so it forms a loop. Slip the loop over one of the branchlets or greens near the trunk, and wrap the cord a few times around the green to secure it.

If Christmas lights are left on for too long, they can get hot and become a fire hazard. For this reason, Sharon Cooksey, fire safety educator at Kidde, says to turn your lights off when you go to sleep or leave your home.

And for those of you with a 20-foot tree, be prepared to use 2,000 mini lights.

OVERVIEW. GE String-A-Long incandescent 5-mm miniature 100-count clear light set. 3-Inch lead wire, 2.5-inch lamp spacing, 3-inch end connector, 20.6-feet lighted length, and green cord with fused plug.

What is the best way to put Christmas lights on a tree? ›

Start at the bottom, zig zag Christmas tree lights through the tree in quadrants, section by section, versus around the tree. Place some lights deeper into the branches and place some closer to the front to create depth. Hide the lights' connectors by pushing it deep into the tree branches near the trunk.

Start with the lights first

So for a 6ft tree, you'd need 300 bulbs or 15 metres of lights. The first, most important thing you need to do when decorating your Christmas tree, is to always add the lights first – it's more difficult to do this after you've added decorations like baubles and garlands.

How Many Christmas Lights To Use. When decorating your house eaves, a simple rule is to start with at least 60 feet of string lights. Add another 10 to 12 feet for every awning you plan to light.

You can typically connect 8 to 10 times more LED light strings together end to end while only using one plug outlet. Most traditional Christmas mini lights allow you to connect only 4 or 5 sets end to end, but with many LED mini light strings you can connect 40 to 50+ together depending on the light count.

Leaving the porch light on signals to others that people are home at night. Experts agree that doing this deters burglars who typically look for unoccupied homes. Porch lights also act as safety devices that illuminate the front door.

Felson says indoor lights can deter burglars from breaking in, but they often break in anyway after knocking on the door to see if anyone answers. Outdoor security lighting is effective if there are people — neighbors, pedestrians or police — to actually see suspicious activity.

Whenever you have to leave town, either for business or vacation, you should turn your porch light off during the day. Potential intruders will know that you're not home when they see a waste of energy like unnecessary lights being on. You don't have to leave your light on all night.

Start from the Bottom Up “Always,” Tur says, “because you have your outlet at the bottom, so you don't have to run extension cords from the top.” Wind the Lights Around Your Tree Horizontally Gradually begin wrapping the lights around your tree, working your way up.

Horizontal is the most traditional way to install your Christmas tree lights—traveling around and around the tree to wind in the lights. (It's the method we show in the video!) To give your Christmas tree a professional look, string them a little randomly, to give your lights a more organic, natural feel.

Exterior fixtures do not have to match, so have fun mixing outdoor lighting for your front door, backyard, patio or even small balcony.

Should light be from left or right? ›

The vertical element of the convention comes from the human intuition that sunlight comes from above. Most people prefer lighting from the left when resolving a convex–concave ambiguity, and this preference may be stronger for right-handed people.

LED bulbs are a popular choice for outdoor lighting because they are energy-efficient and long-lasting. They can cast a warm and inviting glow that will make your home the envy of the neighborhood. Solar-powered floodlights are a great choice for those who want a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly option.

For the best coverage on your unlit Christmas tree, about 100 bulbs are recommended for every two feet of tree. If you have a 6 foot artificial Christmas tree, you'll need a string of 300 LEDs to light up your tree perfectly.

Christmas Light FAQs

The minimum number of lights for a 6-foot tree is 600 lights (or six strands of 100-bulb Christmas lights)—but you can go up to 1200 lights, depending on whether you want the lighting or the ornaments to be the star of your Christmas tree.

GE String-A-Long 100-Count 20.6-ft Clear Incandescent Plug-In Christmas String Lights.

Easy answer: Start with at least 100 mini lights per foot of tree plus an extra set of lights to hang inside the tree along the trunk.

For a basic look our number one rule is at least 100 bulbs per 1ft of tree – so that would mean a 6ft tree needs a minimum of 600 LEDs. For a fuller look, you can add as many lights as you want but we recommend upwards of 700 for a 6ft tree.

A standard rule is 100-150 lights for every foot-and-a-half of tree, so, here's an easy guide for the most popular tree sizes: 6 foot artificial Christmas trees: between 400 and 600 lights. 7 foot artificial Christmas trees: between 500 and 700 lights. 8 foot artificial Christmas trees: between 600 and 800 lights.

So, how much electricity do Christmas lights use? Your display size and choice of bulbs, whether incandescent or LED, will influence your energy bill the most. For example, a 100-count string of incandescent mini lights runs at 40 watts, while a 70 count of 5mm Wide Angle LEDs is approximately 4.8 watts total.

You need to measure the length and width of your patio space, add those together, and multiply by 2. That will give you the total perimeter and total length of lights you need. Simple. However, this will give you the length you need if you want your string lights to be taut.

Why does 1 2 A string of Christmas lights go out? ›

If half a strand is working and the other half is not, you probably have a loose or broken bulb. Start with the first unlit bulb and work your way down, wiggling them to check for looseness. If it flickers, that's your cue to replace it.

Plan for a minimum of 100 lights per vertical foot when wrapping indoor Christmas trees & consider purchasing a few extra light strings to ensure you have complete coverage. Any light strings not used can serve as backups in the future should you need an extra string or two.

Let's recap how to gauge how much light you need for a space. Multiply your room square footage by the footcandle requirement. For example, a 100-square foot living room, which needs 20 foot candles, will need 2,000 lumens. A 100-square foot dining room, which needs 40 foot-candles, will need 4,000 lumens.