eChristmasTrees

Tips for Adding Lights to Your Christmas Tree

Everyone knows that the worst part about putting up the Christmas tree each year is dealing with the lights. Yes, Christmas is a time of joy and happiness, but when you’ve got a wad of tangled lights and half of them are burned out, joy and happiness aren’t really the dominant emotions. This year, avoid the stress and frustration and make the light-stringing process much easier by following the simple tips shown at the bottom of this page full of 9 foot Christmas Trees.



• Estimate the number of lights you’ll need for your tree. With tree lights, there is a rule of thumb that is simple to follow and can help guide you so you don’t over or under light your tree. It is this: for every foot of tree, plan on 100 lights. Measure the height of your tree, and plan accordingly. If you have a 12-foot tall Christmas tree, then you’ll need around 1,200 lights. Keep in mind that the rule does refer to the use of mini lights, but these are the most commonly used lights for Christmas trees so it generally applies to most people.

• Get the lights out and make sure they work. This is the most important tip of all. There is nothing more frustrating than hanging lights on your Christmas tree, carefully weaving them among the branches before plugging them in, and then finding out that they don’t even work. This is why you need to spread them out, untangle them if you need to, and then plug them in. Make sure there are no burned out bulbs, no frayed wires, or anything else that looks like it may lead to non-working lights in the near future. It would also be a good idea to plug the lights in individually into the wall socket, but then also into one another, since that’s how they’ll be on your tree. Better to be safe than sorry.

• Start at the bottom and work your way up. Once you’ve determined that all your lights are functioning properly, it’s time to put them on the tree. It may seem obvious to most people, but it must be said: make sure you’re putting the lights on before the ornaments. If you’re putting lights on second and ornaments first, then you’re just making this harder on yourself. So, lights first. Now, when you’re putting them on, the best place to start is at the bottom, toward the center of the tree. Working your way up and out and making sure that the lights are properly spaced will give your tree a nice, full look.

• Check your progress periodically. While you’re hanging the lights, stand back every now and then and look your tree over from a distance. You’ll want to have your lights on while you’re stringing them, that way you can tell if there are any spots that seem either too bare or too lit. It’s much easier to make adjustments as you go than it is to try to fill in or take out later after all the lights are already on.

Stringing Christmas lights will probably never top your list of fun things to do, but you can make it a much more bearable task. Use these tips to save yourself time and effort and make your holiday light hanging go much more smoothly.