How to put lights on a Christmas tree without the tangle
Test on the floor, plan where the plug ends, then spiral, zigzag or wrap each branch. The three methods step by step, how far apart the rounds go and how to take the lights off again without a knot.
Lights go on a Christmas tree first, before the garland, the baubles and the topper. Test them on the floor, plan for the plug to finish at the base beside the socket, then work round the tree in a loose spiral, pushing each round in towards the trunk and back out to the tips. Below are the three methods step by step, the spacing that stops you running out at the bottom, and a way to take the lights off in January without a knot.
Before you start: test, untangle and plan the plug
- Shape the branches first if the tree is artificial: open every tip out so the lights have something to rest on.
- Unwind the whole set on the floor and plug it in, to check every bulb works and the cable is not damaged.
- Find the plug end and the socket. The plug must finish at the base on the socket side, and the unlit lead should reach without an extension lead.
- Check the length: about 15 m wraps a 6ft tree, and our chart of how many lights a Christmas tree needs gives every height from 3ft to 8ft.
- Put any controller box at the back and low down, where you can reach the buttons and a tree skirt can hide it.
Electrical Safety First advises never connecting different lighting sets together and not overloading sockets, and says it is best not to rely on extension leads or adaptors, so plan the route before the first bulb goes on. If a set fails the floor test, the same charity says to replace dead bulbs only with the same type and rating, and to buy a new set if the bulbs cannot be replaced or the wires or plug are damaged: compare replacements in our Christmas lights range.
Do you start at the top or the bottom?
Either works, and guides split: Christmas Tree World and Polhill start at the base and work up, while Ollny and Marco Paul start at the top. What decides it is the plug, which has to end up at the base.
- Plug end in your hand: start at the base by the socket and spiral upwards, finishing with the far end tucked under the topper.
- Far end in your hand: tuck the last bulb just below the top tip, spiral downwards and finish at the plug.
Starting at the top gives the part everyone looks at the neatest rounds. Starting at the base keeps the plug where it belongs from the first minute.
How to put lights on a Christmas tree: the spiral method
The spiral is the classic method and suits real and artificial trees. What makes it look good is depth: a cable laid round the outer tips looks flat, and one pressed against the trunk disappears.
- Start at the top or the base, as above.
- On each round, run the cable in along a branch towards the trunk, then back out to the tip of the next branch, so the bulbs sit at different depths.
- Keep the rounds evenly spaced and gently slanted, without doubling back.
- Pace the length. On a cone-shaped tree the top third takes about 11% of it, the middle third 33% and the bottom third 56%. With a 15 m set started at the top, you should reach the bottom of the top third after about 1.7 m and the two-thirds mark after about 6.7 m.
- Step back every two or three rounds and do the squint test: half-close your eyes and look for dark patches.
- Finish with the plug at the back of the tree, by the socket.
How far apart should the rounds be?
That depends on the length of the set and the width of the tree. Most full 6ft trees in our range measure 100 to 120 cm across the base. For one 110 cm wide, an even spiral over the outside works out like this:
| Lit length | Rounds | Gap between rounds |
|---|---|---|
| 15 m | About 9 | About 21 cm |
| 20 m | About 12 | About 16 cm |
| 30 m | About 17 | About 10 cm |
Weaving in and out uses some of the length, so expect a round or two fewer. A slim tree 55 cm wide takes the same 15 m in about 17 rounds, 10 cm apart, which is why pencil trees look bright on shorter sets.
How to put lights on a Christmas tree vertically
The vertical method gives a deeper glow, because the lights run through the tree rather than round its surface.
- Divide the tree into three tall triangles, from the top to the base.
- Start at the top of the first triangle and run the lights down to the bottom branch, then a hand’s width to the side and back up.
- On the way up, push the cable deep towards the trunk; on the way down, bring it out to the tips.
- Fill the triangle with this zigzag, then move on to the next one.
The New Zealand magazine Your Home and Garden suggests at least a 100-light set per section. A set per section means a failed set only darkens a third of the tree, but it also means three plugs: use sets sold as linkable, or run one long set through all three triangles.
Branch wrapping for the fullest look
Start at the bottom, by the trunk, and wind the lights out along each branch to its tip and back again, working round the tree and gradually up. Your Home and Garden recommends it for artificial trees, and it lights the tree from the inside. Thin copper or silver wire bends round the branches more easily than thick cable, which makes wire fairy lights the easiest sets to wrap.
Which method to choose
| Method | Look | Length needed | Works best on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spiral | Even and classic | Standard: about 15 m for a 6ft tree | Any tree, real or artificial |
| Vertical sections | Deep glow from inside | At least one 100-light set per section | Full, bushy trees |
| Branch wrapping | Fullest, lit from the trunk out | Far more than a spiral, so keep a spare set | Artificial trees |
On a green tree, a green cable or fine wire hides better than a clear one. Our Christmas tree lights list the cable colour, the lit length and the lead for each set.
What order to decorate a Christmas tree
- Shape the branches.
- Lights.
- Garland, beads or ribbon.
- Baubles, largest first, then smaller ones to fill the gaps.
- Picks, sprays and any final fillers.
- The topper.
- The tree skirt, to hide the stand and the plug.
Guides from Marks & Spencer to Marco Paul put the lights first, because threading a cable through a finished tree knocks baubles off. Our guide on how to decorate a Christmas tree covers the rest of the order and the 3-5-7 rule.
Mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the floor test, then finding a dead section halfway up the tree.
- Pacing the length evenly by height and running out at the bottom, which needs more than half of it.
- Laying the cable on the outer tips only, which looks flat, or pushing it all against the trunk, where the light gets lost.
- Mixing two different whites on one tree: buy every set for it at the same time and from the same range.
- Joining different sets together, or running them from a stack of adaptors.
- Leaving the lights on overnight: Electrical Safety First says to switch them off and unplug them before you go to bed or go out.
Taking the lights off without a tangle
Unwind the lights in the reverse order and wind them straight onto a rectangle of stiff card or a cable reel, starting with the end you put on last, and tape the other end down. Next December the set comes off the card in the order it goes on the tree. Our guide to storing Christmas decorations covers lights, baubles and the tree itself.
Before packing away, note any set that flickered or lost bulbs, so you can replace it in good time from our Christmas lights collection rather than in the middle of December.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest way to put lights on a Christmas tree?
The simplest is the spiral: start at the top or the base, depending on which end the plug is, and work round the tree in even rounds, pushing the cable in towards the trunk and back out to the tips. On a full 6ft tree, a 15 m set makes about nine rounds.
Do you start at the top or the bottom with Christmas tree lights?
Either, as long as the plug finishes at the base by the socket. Hold the plug end and you start at the bottom; hold the far end and you start at the top, tucking the last bulb under the top tip.
Do you put the lights on a Christmas tree first or last?
First, straight after shaping the branches and before the garland, baubles and topper. Threading lights through a decorated tree knocks baubles off and leaves the cable sitting on the surface.
How do you put lights on a Christmas tree vertically?
Divide the tree into three tall triangles and zigzag the lights down and up inside each one, tucking the cable deep on the way up and bringing it out to the tips on the way down. Allow at least a 100-light set per triangle.
How many lights should you put on a 7ft tree?
About 700 bulbs at 100 per foot of height, or around 20 m of lit length. Use more for branch wrapping, which takes far more cable than a spiral.
What is the correct order to decorate a Christmas tree?
Shape the branches, then add the lights, the garland or ribbon, the baubles from largest to smallest, the picks and fillers, the topper and finally the tree skirt, which also hides the plug.
What should you not do when putting lights on a tree?
Do not hang a set you have not tested, join different sets together or leave them on overnight. Do not ration the cable by height either: the bottom third of a cone-shaped tree takes more than half the length.
How do you stop Christmas lights tangling?
Take them off in the reverse order and wind them straight onto a piece of stiff card or a reel, then tape the loose end. Stored that way, the set unwinds next year in the order it goes on the tree.
