Your Essential Guide to Putting Lights on a Christmas Tree 🎄 (2024)

If you are obsessed with decorating, the holidays present a particularly opportune moment to go all-out. Pretty much anything you can stick a swag on is fair game for festooning, be it your front porch, mantel, bedroom, or, hell, even your kitchen island. Of course, the pièce de résistance, that holly-est, jolliest decorative moment of them all, is your Christmas tree, a yuletide staple that presents myriad ornamental possibilities, from ribbons to baubles to—yes—even lobsters. But before the fun can begin, of course, you need to put lights on your tree, a task that can be—let’s face it—not so merry and bright, due to tangled strands, burned-out bulbs, spousal squabbling, and Clark Griswold–level fiascoes.

To save you from tears this year, we decided to tap a few professionals for their advice on how to put lights on a Christmas tree. Enter Mercedes Feller, a 20-year vet of the Christmas decor industry who is currently vice president of merchandising for Balsam Hill; and Victoriya Tur​, the production manager for American Christmas, a professional lighting company that has been illuminating some of the country’s most iconic holiday landmarks (think Rockefeller Center’s dazzling angels and Cartier’s glittering Manhattan flagship) since 1968.

For both of these experts, the Christmas season begins as soon as the previous one wraps. When most are hitting the beach, you can find Feller scoping out trends at a German Christmas trade fair and Tur dreaming up ways to one-up the dazzling installations she’s created along Fifth Avenue. No matter what theme you choose for your tree, “Getting your lights right is really the key to creating a beautiful tree,” Feller tells us. “Lights are the magic of Christmas.”

Which Are the Best Christmas Lights?

Whether you’re lighting an artificial tree or the real McCoy, “the best lights to use are green wire lights with six-inch spacing, 50 bulbs per string,” Tur says. “These are the most comfortable to work with.” Not only are these kinds of string lights readily available virtually everywhere during the holiday season (you can also pick the color or light temperature you want), the green wire handily helps the strands disappear into your boughs.

The size of bulbs you use comes down to personal preference. A recent trend Feller has observed is mixing traditional strands with glitzier “fashion” lights to achieve an extra twinkly, variegated look. But if you want to go classic, start with mini LED lights. “These help your tree look bright,” Tur says. “You can add [larger lights like] C9 bulbs, G50s, G40s, if you want it to look different. But to make it bright, I would recommend the mini lights first.”

The color and temperature of your lights is also entirely up to you, whether you want cheery rainbow-colored lights, classic warm white, icy cool, or even a combination of both. In addition to mixed bulbs, Feller has seen trees that mix both warm and cool white lights trend at holiday trade fairs.

Both Tur and Feller endorse using LED bulbs, which are not only brighter but pose fewer electrical hazards than old-school incandescent bulbs. “They’re safer because they don’t heat up,” Feller says. But if you must have the classic look of incandescent lights, make sure to unplug everything before you leave the house. “I would not recommend leaving the tree plugged in if you’re going out somewhere, because it’s dangerous,” Tur says.

How to Light a Real Christmas Tree

1. Get Out Your Lights To achieve the twinkliest of trees, Tur recommends using 13 sets of mini lights for a standard six-foot-tall tree. But don’t be afraid to buy more than you think you’ll need. “If I have extras, I use them in other places. I’ll, you know, put them on the stair banister or on garlands,” says Feller. “It’s very fun.” Pro Tip: For a megawatt tree, you can do another layer of larger bulbs (G50s or G40s are festive options) at the branch extremities, or save that space for ornaments. “It depends what you want your tree to look like,” Tur says.
2. Check If the Lights Work Plug each strand into an outlet before even touching the tree. It will save you a huge headache later, both Tur and Fuller assure us.
3. 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.”
4. Wind the Lights Around Your Tree Horizontally Gradually begin wrapping the lights around your tree, working your way up. Where you position the lights on the branch will depend on the kind of evergreen. “If you have a really dense evergreen like a Fraser fir, you can dance them around the edges,” says Feller. “But if you have a more sparse tree, then you want to tuck them in so that you’re not seeing the wire.” Tur recommends keeping your lights illuminated as you work, a tactic that will help you avoid outages and also allow you to gauge your tree’s brightness in real time.
5. Step Back As you bling out those branches, make sure to frequently pause and view your tree in its entirety to ensure that it has a uniform glow. “Step back and squint,” Feller advises. “I check to see if I missed any spots. And then I get in there and adjust.”
6. When the Holidays Are Over “Start from the top and go all the way down,” Tur suggests, and—rather than wadding the attached strings into one gigantic ball—be sure to make small bundles as you work your way down and put them in your boxes. Your future self will thank you next Christmas.

How to Light an Artificial Tree

1. Remember: Faux Does Not Mean Faux-Pas Though some people swear by a freshly cut Tannenbaum, Tur actually prefers working with artificial trees. They’re malleable, they’re naturally even, and—the best part—once you’ve illuminated them, you can leave the lights on year after year. Even easier? Opt for one a prelit tree, like one of Balsam Hill’s many attractive options.
2. Light Your Tree in Sections Many artificial trees will be divided into three sections. Feller recommends lighting each section individually for easy disassembly and storage once the holidays are over. For a standard six-foot tree, Tur recommends that you devote six sets of lights for the bottom portion, five sets for the middle, and three sets for the top.
3. Light Every Single Branch Just like on a real Christmas tree, you’ll want to start from the bottom of each section to keep that extension cord in check (remember to keep those lights on as you work, too). But rather than wrap the tree horizontally, both Feller and Tur recommend illuminating each branch from trunk to tip and back before moving to the next branch, following a spoke pattern. “You’re going kind of in and out through the branches of the tree,” Feller explains. Illuminating each individual branch will not only enable you to maximize sparkle, but it will also allow you to fluff out the tree the way you want later. For a snazzy look in a snap, spring for Balsam Hill’s Easy Wrap, an all-in-one LED light system that will have your entire tree covered.
4. When the Holidays Are Over Rejoice—you’ve already done the hard part! Simply keep the lights on the tree’s sections and gently put them into storage. “That’s why I like the artificial tree,” Tur says, “because you light it once and it’s ready to go for the next five years.”

How to Light an Outdoor Tree

1. Assess Whether Your Branches Can Handle the Lights Now isn’t the time to illuminate that svelte sapling in your yard. “I would not recommend putting lights on really skinny branches because the branch may break and you’ll wind up with lights hanging from the tree,” Tur cautions. Pro Tip: If you’re illuminating a deciduous tree, wait until all the leaves have fallen off for an easier time decorating and to avoid damaging the tree.
2. Ensure You Have the Right Lights “Make sure you’re using a light string that’s rated for outdoors,” Feller says.
3. Start with the Trunk Lighting a real outdoor evergreen is remarkably similar to lighting an artificial tree—lighting from trunk to branch tip, according to Tur—but you may need more strings depending on the size of your tree and how sparkly you want it. For deciduous trees, Feller and Tur recommend starting with the trunk first, working your way up from the roots. (Tur says she uses an average of five sets of mini lights for the trunk alone. If you’re not sure, this video offers a handy guide on how to estimate how many strings you’ll need.) The spacing between each loop around the trunk depends on how bright you want your tree to be; most people prefer six-inch spacing, Tur says, while others will opt for four. No matter which you choose, keep it uniform, she insists, lest you become that neighbor with a messy-looking tree. Pro Tip: Again, work with the lights on to keep your rows even.
4. Next, Illuminate the Branches As with lighting your indoor tree, hang your lights trunk-to-tip before moving onto the next branch.
5. Waterproof Your Connections While Tur’s company uses special weatherproof coaxial connections with a twist lock, she says you can wrap your plugs in electrical tape for waterproofing and to prevent separation.

Helpful Hints

• DO: Use zip ties. To keep those lights where you want them, Tur recommends buying small green zip ties to fasten your twinklies in place.
• DON’T: Connect more than 20 sets. This is just asking for a blown fuse, Tur says.
• DO: Conceal unsightly plugs or connections with green electrical tape. Because, as Mies van der Rohe told us, God is in the details.
• DO: Tape down your extension cords with gaffer tape. “Camouflage it as much as you possibly can,” Feller recommends. This will eliminate unsightly wires and tripping hazards.
• DO: Think beyond trees outdoors. Consider lighting your fence, your bushes, or even installing yard ornaments in fanciful shapes.

Troubleshooting

• You’ve Got Bald Patches It happens: Your Fraser fir is missing some fur, or your lighting job looks a little uneven after an eggnog or six. If that’s the case, don’t be afraid to strategically rotate your conifer toward a wall. “It’s the thing everyone does, even us!” Tur reveals. If the situation is dire and you don’t want to start all over again, Feller recommends simply adding a strand that has its own battery pack.
  
• A String Goes Out It’s frustrating, but it also happens—likely because you’ve connected too many strings of lights (see tips above). First, assess the lights’ fuses. “Check if they’re burned—there will be a dark color there—and if they are, you’ve probably connected too many sets together,” Tur says. “You can try to change this. Mini lights always have extra fuses attached to them in a small plastic bag.” A dud strand of lights can also be the result of a cut wire. If that’s the case, get a new string of lights. “I would not recommend fixing it because you have to know how to work with electrics—it could start a fire,” Tur warns.

More Holiday Decor Tips and Ideas

• Holiday lights are just the start! Consider flocking your tree like the pros to conjure the look of freshly fallen snow.
• Pet owners needn’t sacrifice holiday cheer. Designers have offered up their top tips for keeping kitties out of their Christmas tree this year.
• Consider bringing another plant into your holiday decor: the Christmas cactus. Here are tips on how to take care of them this holiday season.
• Looking for ways to bring some seasonal dazzle to your door? Check out these designer-approved ideas.

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