Outdoor Christmas lights ideas for trees, bushes and the yard

Trees: trunk wraps and canopy lights

Trunk wraps are the fastest way to add height. Start at the base, wrap a spiral up the trunk with about 6 inches between turns, and continue onto the lowest branches. Plan about 25 to 40 ft of mini lights for a trunk 6 inches across and 8 ft tall wrapped every 6 inches, including the lowest branches. That is one 66 ft string; the table below shows how the width of the trunk changes it. A tighter 3 inch spacing roughly doubles it.

Canopy lights hang strands straight down from high branches. They need a tall pole or a ladder to place and a clear line to the outlet, so most people use one large tree for canopy lights and wrap the rest.

Use only outdoor-rated mini lights. Leave the lights up for the season only: bark grows, and tight wraps left for months can cut into young trees. See tree trunk wraps for the look.

How much light a trunk takes

Each turn is the circumference plus the climb to the next turn, which is why a wide trunk eats strings fast. For 8 ft of trunk:

Bushes and hedges

Net lights are the simplest option for shrubs. A 4 by 6 ft net covers about 24 square feet, which is a pair of small foundation bushes or one large one. Drape the net over the top and pull the sides down, then stake the bottom corners. For a long hedge, lay several nets side by side and join them with their built-in connectors.

For a tall evergreen, wrap vertical strands from the top down, spacing them 6 inches apart around the tree. Count 3 to 4 strands of 100 lights for a 5 ft tree. See net-light bushes.

Fences, railings, porch posts and lamp posts

• Fence: run a strand along the top rail, secured every 12 inches with a zip tie or a clip. Warm white mini lights work best on wood.
• Deck or porch railing: twist a pre-lit garland along the rail and tie it every 2 ft. Add a bow on each post if you want color.
• Porch posts: spiral mini lights up the post like a candy cane, about 25 ft of lights for a 9 ft post at 6 inch spacing.
• Lamp post and mailbox: a short pre-lit wreath or garland is easier than wrapping and stays put in wind.

Walkway, driveway and yard displays

Pathway stakes every 5 to 6 ft light the way and take about ten minutes per 20 ft. Ground-level projectors cover a whole front wall with moving dots without any ladder, but they wash out under streetlights and are less crisp than real bulbs. See light projector for the look.

Inflatables and lit yard figures need an outlet and a stake or sandbag in wind. Group them rather than scattering them.

Outdoor safety basics

• Use lights and cords marked for outdoor use. Indoor sets are not weather sealed.
• Plug outdoor lights into a GFCI-protected outlet or a portable GFCI, as CPSC advises, so a wet fault trips the circuit.
• The electrical code requires holiday lights to be listed and limits a temporary installation to 90 days (IAEI). That fits the advice to take wraps off in January.
• Keep plug connections off the ground and out of puddles and snow. A sealed cover or an upside-down plastic cup over the connection helps.
• Do not run cords through a closed door or window where it pinches the cord.
• Never join more than three incandescent sets end to end, per CPSC; for LED, the box sets the number. See how many strings can you plug together.

Preview the full yard first. The visualizer shows tree wraps, net lights and pathway stakes on your own photo.