How to Light Your Christmas Tree Like a Pro
Give yourself frustration-free tree lighting this year — the trick is clever cord management
Clark Harris
November 24, 2012
Does the thought of hanging Christmas lights conjure feelings of dread? Have you stared longingly at a beautiful storefront tree and felt ashamed by your own tree's appearance? Follow these simple steps and your days of disgrace will be a thing of the past.
Eric Bain, a partner at Innovative Construction, spent three months a year in his youth hanging Christmas lights for the town of Vail, Colorado. Following his professional tree-lighting tips will make the wires and cords from your lights disappear from view. This simple installation process also will help you stay stress free, with safeguards to make sure your lights work before and after installation.
So exhale — these tips may help you actually enjoy lighting your Christmas tree this year.
Eric Bain, a partner at Innovative Construction, spent three months a year in his youth hanging Christmas lights for the town of Vail, Colorado. Following his professional tree-lighting tips will make the wires and cords from your lights disappear from view. This simple installation process also will help you stay stress free, with safeguards to make sure your lights work before and after installation.
So exhale — these tips may help you actually enjoy lighting your Christmas tree this year.
Voilà! The final result — yes, it can be accomplished without pulling your hair out.
You'll need:
• A Christmas tree
• 4 strands of Christmas lights
• A power strip
• An electrical cord with a power splitter (brown or green)
• Scissors
• Cable ties (optional)
• Step stool (optional)
For an exterior tree, you'll also need:
• A GFCI receptacle
• Electrical tape
• A painter's pole (optional)
You'll need:
• A Christmas tree
• 4 strands of Christmas lights
• A power strip
• An electrical cord with a power splitter (brown or green)
• Scissors
• Cable ties (optional)
• Step stool (optional)
For an exterior tree, you'll also need:
• A GFCI receptacle
• Electrical tape
• A painter's pole (optional)
1. Plug in each strand of lights before you hang them. If you can't get a strand to work within five minutes of tinkering, please throw it away. A few dollars is a small price to pay to avoid an emotional meltdown before you even get started.
2. Remove all tags from the lights.
Safety note: If you are installing the lights outside, make sure you plug them into a GFCI circuit. These receptacles are designed to prevent shocking and electrocution.
3. Install a power strip into the closest receptacle. This not only makes it easy to turn your lights on and off but has the benefit of adding a built-in circuit breaker.
4. Plug an extension cord into the power strip. Make sure the extension cord can accept more than one plug. Try to use green and brown cords to blend in with the tree.
If your extension cord does not accept more than one plug, you can add a splitter like the one in this picture.
5. Install the cord about halfway up the trunk of the tree. Add a second cord near the top for taller trees. You can wind the cord around the trunk of the tree to keep it in place or use small cable ties.
Note: If you need to use a second extension cord, plug it into the main power strip.
Note: If you need to use a second extension cord, plug it into the main power strip.
6. Plug in your first lights. Make sure you're plugging into the extension cord you placed halfway up the tree to help hide the wires. This will also maximize your light strand by not having to extend it back to a wall outlet.
Pull the string of lights along the trunk of the tree to the top.
Pull the string of lights along the trunk of the tree to the top.
7. Install the lights from the top of the tree to the bottom. Eric Bain prefers to start at the top so he always works downward, toward the plugs placed along the trunk of the tree. This will also help avoid your trying to hang a half a strand of light at the uppermost part of the tree. Spreading lights out at the bottom tends to be easier.
8. String the lights from the trunk of the tree out toward the tip of the branch. Doing this will put the focus on the lights instead of the wires. Draping the lights across the front of the tree puts the wires in plain view. Instead, wrap the lights around the branch as you work your way out toward the tip.
Make sure you wrap the lights somewhat loosely on each branch, and aim to get about 12 lights on each branch.
Make sure you wrap the lights somewhat loosely on each branch, and aim to get about 12 lights on each branch.
Tip: Install the lights where they will be seen. You can reduce the amount of lights you install on the rear of the tree if it will be placed against a wall.
Tip: Do not connect more than three strands of lights together. Connecting more than three will cause the lights to burn out.
9. Tie the plugs together. If your tree is outdoors, wrap electrical tape around the parts of the plugs that connect together. This will keep the lights attached and will help protect them from water.
Plug your fourth string of lights into the extension cord that was placed in the middle of the tree.
10. Work your way to the bottom of the tree. You may need to install another extension cord near the bottom of the tree. Plug this into the main power strip so turning the lights on and off is easy.
Tip for tall trees: Remove the roller from a painter's pole. String your lights on the metal bracket and use it to place the lights on the tree. You will be able to string the lights on a 10- to 15-foot-tall tree (depending on your height, of course) without a ladder.
Now stand back and admire your masterpiece. Invite friends, neighbors and in-laws over to watch them squirm with jealousy.
Tell us: What are your tree-trimming tips? Share your ideas and photos of your tree below!
Tell us: What are your tree-trimming tips? Share your ideas and photos of your tree below!
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This way is the hard way I found a new way by accident.
1. Divide your first light set in half first.
2, Place the center of the half on the first fork (where the branch meets the trunk). And arrange the lights going down from the top to the bottom. The halves don't have to be perfect. You can place the halves opposite of each other or next door to each other You can go in straight lines and in zigzags or waves. As you go wrap the wires around the branches and tuck them into the tree.
3. When you reach the bottom go back up to the top and place the wire on another fork opposite or next door to the first wire placement and repeat. When you reach the end of the set take that and wrap it tucking it inside the tree if it's a plug or wrap it toward the outside if the end is a bulb. Do not place more than one half on a fork or you will weight the branches down too much.
4. For taller trees use repeat the steps but go down to roughly halfway to the bottom. Once the top is complete repeat the process on the bottom part.
5. Feel free to adjust the bulbs and wires by tucking them deep inside the tree and shuffling them places rows closer or further from each other. You can also take the end of one set and wrap it around the tippy top and/or also go around and around the top first before going down.
I have not had any luck with pre-lit trees. The lights on the pre-lit trees only last for one season, if you're lucky. I've used the Light Keeper Pro and it works only about half the time. Even if you are able to fix the lights, they don't last. So pre-lit trees are not the answer. You end up adding additional lights anyway.
Here's the good news. You really don't have to worry for another 325 days. If you're under forty, that will seem an eon. The bad news is if you're 55 plus? You'll swear you just took the tree down yesterday. Plan accordingly.!!
Next year, picture a stack of star shaped cookies. Start at the top and weave in and out. (The lights lit when you do this.) A fluffy ten foot tree will need 12 strings of 150 to look awesome. .............Not just lit , but awesome.
If you like colored lights, use 7 strings of white first, then layer five colored over those....WOW! : )
But........you have 320 odd days to worry..........lol