Christmas Lights

How to Choose Christmas Lights (Step-by-Step)

Choosing the perfect Christmas lights can transform your home into a festive wonderland. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, from picking your display style to selecting the right accessories.

1. Determin Your Style

The first step is to decide on the overall look you want to achieve. Are you going for a classic, clean outline, or a full-on sparkle extravaganza? See if you can find inspiration in photos of our customer's Christmas lights displays in our Get this Look series.

• Clean Outline: For a timeless, professional look, outlining your rooflines, peaks, and pathways is the way to go. C7 and C9 bulbs paired with custom-length cords are the perfect choice for this style. They are easy to service and allow you to swap out colors whenever you want a change. Learn more about the difference between these bulbs in our article, What is the difference between C7 and C9 Christmas Bulbs?
• Full Sparkle: If you want to make a big impact, wrapping trees, columns, and railings with pre-wired string lights is a great option. Both LED mini lights and traditional glass mini lights will create a dazzling display.
• Fast Coverage: For quick and easy decorating, net lights are a fantastic solution for hedges and fences, providing even coverage in minutes. To create an instant wintrey feel along your eaves, icicle lights are the perfect choice.

2. Choose Your Color Palette

The color of your lights sets the mood for your entire display.

• Warm White creates a cozy and traditional ambiance, perfect for a classic Christmas look.
• Pure/Cool White offers a crisp, modern feel that pairs beautifully with contemporary decor.
• Single Color displays, such as all-blue or all-red, can create a bold and sophisticated statement.
• Two-Color combinations, like red and white or blue and white, add dimension and visual interest.

For more inspiration on choosing the right colors, check out our blog post, What color Christmas lights are most popular?

3. Pick Your Platform (Strings vs. Bulbs + Cords)

Next, you'll need to decide whether to use pre-wired string lights or separate bulbs and cords.

• String Lights: These are the fastest and easiest option for decorating trees, wreaths, and railings. When using string lights, be sure to check the end-to-end connection limits. LED string lights can be connected in longer runs than incandescent lights and stay cool to the touch. For a deeper dive into the differences, read our article on LED vs. Incandescent Christmas Lights.
• C7/C9 Bulbs + Cords: This combination gives you a professional-looking outline and the flexibility to create your own color patterns. It also makes it easy to replace individual bulbs. If you're wondering if you can use your old cords with new LED bulbs, we have an article that answers that very question: Will C9 LED bulbs work in my old Christmas light cords?

4. Determine How Much

Before you buy, you'll need to figure out how many lights you need.

• Indoor Trees: Our How Many Lights Should I Put on My Tree tool is a helpful for determining the right number of lights for your tree, depending on its height and your style of lighting.
• Wrapping Trunks/Branches: For wrapping trees and branches, you'll need to measure the circumference of the trunk and decide on the spacing of your lights. This blog posts has helpful tips on how to estimate the number of light strings to wrap a tree trunk.
• Rooflines: For a rough estimate of how many feet of lights you'll need for your roofline, check out our unique guide, Measuring to hang Christmas lights - use your family!.

5. Choose Installation Hardware

Dont forget hardware for a truly professional installation.

• Clips and Hooks: Flat rooflnes, shingle edges, gutters - there are clips and hooks designed to work with almost any environment or structure. Most professionals use clips that slide under the shingle edge but many are discovering how easy it is to install lights with magnetic clips installed on C7 and C9 Christmas Cord. Be sure to order one clip per bulb for a sharp line of lights.
• Adapters, Extension Cords, and Timers: Don't forget the clips and hooks that make installation easier.

5. Add Specialty Sets (Nets & Icicles)

Net lights and icicle lights are great for adding extra flair to your display. Net lights provide uniform coverage on hedges, while icicle lights create a beautiful dripping effect along your roofline. For tips on hanging these lights, see our Best Practices for Hanging Christmas Lights.

6. Indoors & Crafts

Don't forget about the inside of your home! Battery-operated lights are perfect for mantels, centerpieces, and other areas where outlets are not accessible. Get inspired with our Battery Light Project: Salt and Peonies article. Learn more about their longevity in our article, How long do batteries last in fairy lights?

7. Power, Safety & Control

To ensure your display is safe and runs smoothly, you'll need the right accessories.

• Timers are a great way to automate your lights, so they turn on and off at the same time each day.
• Clips and Stakes will help you create a clean and professional-looking installation. We have a variety of clips and accessories to choose from.
• SPT-1/SPT-2 Cords: When creating custom runs, it's important to use the correct type of cord. Learn about the difference between these cords in our article, What is the difference between SPT-1 and SPT-2 Christmas light cords?

For a final safety check, we answer the question, "Can I run Incandescent and LED light strings together?" in our blog.

Quick Chooser Checklist

• Style: Outline / Trees / Nets / Icicles
• Color: Warm / Pure (Cool) / Single / Two-Color
• Platform: Strings (LED/Glass) or C7/C9 + Cords
• Wire & Spacing: Green/White/Black/Brown · Minis: 4–6" · C7/C9: 4" - 36"
• Quantities: Tree count · Wrap calc · Roofline footage
• Extras: Installation Clips and Hooks · Nets · Icicles · Battery · Clips · Timers · SPT cords

Tip: Start with your roofline footage and primary tree. Add accents after the main look is dialed in.

For more in-depth information, be sure to check out our other articles on the CLS blog.